Contact Lenses Search Continues...

[Zarla]

Not had any luck so far with fitting a new lenses to my dry left eye (-9.50)with the flat cornea (9 base curve). Optima 38 seem thicker than Zero 6 and were very uncomfortable. Have ordered Acuvue Oasys but the biggest base curve is 8.8. Also ordered a hideously expensive custom made Air Optix. I think Zero 6 has gone from spin cast to lathe cut, would that account for the sharp edges, does anyone know?

[calli66]

I don't know if sharp edges are a result of the manufacturing process or not---usually it's the lens design.

Again---you should go to an eye doctor for fittings. The do-it-yourself approach may have worked for you before, but for the health of your eyes, go to an eye doctor for this----please!

It's fine to gather as much information as possible and go to the appointment armed with suggestions of lenses you want to try. I don't know where you live, but my eye doctor only charges $95 for a contact lens fitting--which includes a refraction exam, and as many trial contact lenses and follow-up visits as it takes to get a good fit.

Are you afraid of having an eye doctor tell you--"You can't wear contact lenses anymore." I understand that. I've been through that. Years ago, I had an operation on my right sclera, and was told I would never wear contacts again. So I took matters into my own hands and ordered them without a prescription. This went on for years, until I could no longer get the power I needed. In the meantime, I had various allergies, infections, and the beginnings of dry eye--some of which was caused by lens wear. Believe me, it's much better to just go get a professional fit.

Eye doctors can answer all your questions about lens design, powers, suitability for dry eyes. They can keep you current about new lenses on the market and the latest products for lens care (plus give samples). It's a saner and healthier way to go.

Calli

[Zarla]

Hi Calli
I've taken your advice on another post about soaking the new lenses in saline for a few days and just had a relatively comfortable day wearing the new Zero 6. So thank you so much!!!

On another point, I need to clarify that the optical service in the US and the UK is very different. The largest chain of opticians in the UK is called SPECSAVERS which really says it all - salesmen trying to get commission.

Various practictioners over the years have:

1. Informed me I have severe astigmatism in my left eye (Moorfields confirmed I don't have any at all )
2. Told me I could never wear contacts with both eyes corrected fully as my eyes wouldn't cope, so always gave me a lower prescription for the left eye (they do cope and my eyesight is 20/20 now). I was still -1.50 in one eye every time I wore optician-prescribed lenses, which made my right eye have to work twice as hard. This was probably because the lenses they got commission for selling didn't go past -8 and so they fabricated a reason to prescribe me them.
3. Told me I had a permanent corneal ulcer two months after it was healed (Moorfields confirmed it was a scar from a healed ulcer they'd lasered off four months previously).I've only ever had one of these; when I was 19 and stupidly put lenses in tap water overnight.

4.I have had several UK opticians tell me I can't EVER wear contacts anymore, because I couldn't wear monthlies and dailies and they didn't recommend low water content for dry eyes because of the low oxygen transfer. So after reading a lot of American on-line info, I self-prescribed Zero 6. I know the low oxygen factor is bad and leads to the ingrowing veins so I've ordered some of the new hydrogel on the recommendation of the great people on this site.

This might be my last post because i think Rebecca might be going to ban me for being anti-optician! I am only anti-UK optician though! The best people are in Moorfields and they don't really want to get into prescribing lenses as they have more important work treating really serious dry eye cases.

BTW, I still see opticians for health check ups; they still think I wear glasses all the time. My eyes are fairly dry but healthy... but these opticians won't prescribe for me .

[Stanza]

I need to clarify that the optical service in the US and the UK is very different.

but when was the last time you tried via one? I know that when I went to one 12 years ago, RGPs were my only option, then also 5 years after that, then some years later soft were avail, now my optician is totally different and I do shop around for the right person - (as I've had them reduce me to tears too many times on my prescription) and if you go via an optician they can send back the lenses that don't work so you don't pay until it's right.

If it's helpful, my bc in zero 6 was 8.7 but in the Proclear ones I'm going to try it's 8.0 for one eye and 8.1 for another, - think I said some months ago I'd keep you posted on it! So you can see there is variation from style to style and I'm not an easy fit either my eyes are apparently very big...

but i'd never do this without an optician it's bad enough having dry eyes now (- wow I had my first 'good day' today in 7 months and 'good' is still irritated)-- the idea of screwing them up even more with lenses would be horrendous....I

[Rebecca Petris]

Zarla, I don't ban people for being anti-anything. When I ban (which is very rare) it has to do with violating guidelines or engaging in online behaviour which could adversely affect others. Come to think of it I also have some idiosyncracies like coming down hard on people who are discourteous to others in the forums.

Like I said, I sympathize with your problems, but frankly, I don't see it as being any different to what the dry eye patients here go through with dry eye doctors. There are a great many who have been to 5, or even 10 doctors without getting real help for their dry eyes, just as you've had a lot of bad experiences with opticians. In such cases I don't feel the answer is writing off the entire profession as useless and switching 100% to self-treatment to the exclusion of eyecare professionals.

There is a middle road, which involves not just doing a lot of research on our own (as you've been doing), but also working hard to seek out the rare gems of the profession - and I don't mean the ones who wave a magic wand at the problems, I just mean professionals who are capable and willing to help. (I am convinced that such opticians exist in the UK, just as such cornea docs exist in the US, though they may be very hard to find.) For most people here that eventually find one, they still have to play a very active role in the doctor-patient team sourcing ideas, products and so on.

[Zarla]

Thanks Stanza - that's good news if your base curve was 8.7 in Zero 6 and is much lower in the others. I do go to opticians fairly regularly just to get checked for general eye health (last time was 2 yrs ago). How are you getting on with the Proclear?

Like you I was told I had big eyes - they are a 'precious bane' as they are definitely my best feature, but also of course my worst in terms of the dry eye stuff! I also have long very thick black eyelashes, which are great from a cosmetic point of view - but Moorfields told me the thicker your lashes are the more likely the lid margin is to get infected! One of the reasons I loathe glasses is because they make my eyes look tiny with one two thirds the size of the other..I think you have a similar problem? They go from my best feature to my worst.

If my online ones are not good I'll have to trawl through the telephone directory and try out some new opticians...they do tend to be very dismissive though. I have got quite angry with them in the past as I just find them so unhelpful and so ready to dismiss you if you don't fit their narrow range of brands.

[Zarla]

Hi Rebecca , I guess I do sound negative but I'm a bit envious of all you US posters who seem to have sympathetic eye doctors. I haven't written off the whole profession and one of the reasons I'm posting here is because of all the expertise from eye care professionals like you available on the site. All the doctors who write on here do say that the 38% are an option; none of the ones I've visited seem to agree. My own research saved me from Lasik so I'm thankful for that at least!

[Stanza]

How are you getting on with the Proclear?

Hi, I tried a pair for an hour and they were NICE, however I've had very bad eye weeks since then and was waiting for a corrected lens (the 8.10 bc one) but they did feel really good. However, I will only be wearing them for specific times, my eyes are not good and I'm not going to make them worse. I can't yet quite give up all of make-up and lenses, but I'm reducing. Actually I've never worn lenses very much my whole life, I'm just pretty unlucky with the whole dry eye thing like everyone else.

I'd recommend just trying different places - pick the BIG opticians as there are more of them there and they have more access, more patience, more clearance to send stuff back and try again. When I've been to smaller ones they get frustrated and want you out the door. When you find one that seems to be ok, make sure you tell him/her you appreciate their patience, and say because you've met others without that. I always do that and they're always surprised and they remember it and are always super nice after and I'm sure make will someone else in the same-shoes' life easier one day again in the future!!

ALSO - find some glasses you like - SHOP around for those too, my optician did measurements for about 15 different frames until we had one that minimized the lenses as much as possible but still looked good - took us 6 months - didn't cost her anything and meant I was happy. I have a much higher prescription than you, and yes, it sucks, but making our eyes worse would suck more.

The Zeiss thin lenses now go to 1.9 in glass and 1.8 in plastic so with your prescription you'll really get the thickness down if you're really careful buying. It's not always the small frames either - yes you need small but it's the width over the bridge of the nose - hence - get the optician to send away for quotes on the thicknesses in potential frames.

wish you luck.

[Zarla]

Hi, I will try this, Stanza, as my last pair of glasses are 5 years old. In London, if you try and share your research (even in a very deferential manner)they get quite hostile in a 'how dare you tell me my job 'kind of way. This may be because they've seen from the details you have to give that I'm a teacher; maybe next time I'll put another occupation so they won't go on the defensive! what is 1.8 and 1.9 - not familiar with ways of measuring glasses?

[Stanza]

It's the lens thickness, I think in the UK you have to be specific about the ones you want - you ask them to order them and they take 2-3 weeks to custom make.

[Stanza]

Zarla - just to add as I recall you don't wear glasses because of the kids at the schools - which I can imagine - but your -6.5 prescription will be really really thin in a very carefully chosen frame (get them to do the estimate thicknesses - very important!) and with a 1.9 reduced Zeiss lens, or even a 1.74 plastic one.

You have to really ask them to order those lenses perhaps in the UK but if I can get them in a country of less than half a million people, I'm sure you can

My prescription is much higher than your worst eye which I think you said was -9.5, so I promise it's possible.

I know it sucks, trust me, I've cried nearly every time I've been the opticians in the last decade - or afterwards. But there is hope with the right one.

If you google 'thin lenses' in the UK you will find some places that look at this.

Hopefully this might help you or someone else reading this one day.

[Zarla]

Thanks, Stanza - you have been really helpful and I am going to get a new pair of glasses and see how they look. My left eye may be adapting to the new Zero 6 but I know I should wear glasses more often anyway to give my eyes a rest.