Contact lenses and dry eyes??

[PrincessKitty1]

OK, here's the scoop: I wore daily wear contact lenses for literally decades, and never had any eye problems. Last year, when it was time to buy new contacts, I decided to try extended wear lenses ONLY because I could get progressive lenses (close, middle, and far distance) with extended wear but not with daily wear lenses.

I have NEVER worn the extended wear lenses when I sleep-I always take them out just as I did with my old daily wear lenses. Yet I am having such a problem with dry eyes that I haven't been able to wear my contacts in months. Everytime I try to put them in for a few hours (about every 2-3 weeks), I feel like my eyes haven't gotten any better! I use the gel rewetting drops as recommended by my eye doctor.

My optometrist insists my dry eyes has nothing to do with the kind of contacts I wear, but it seems very coincidental that I had NO problems with my eyes until I changed contact lenses. Has anybody else had this problem, and if so, how did you resolve it? I hate to be so petty, but I think I look so unattractive in glasses, and I'm so tired of wearing them!

I have been seeing an ophthalmologist for some retinal problems (unrelated) that I've been having, and he offered to put plugs in my tear ducts so eye moisture can't drain out. Has anybody else had this done??

 

[Vijoge]

My eyes have gotten so dry I can't wear contacts at all-not any kind. My eye dr. warned me and I didn't believe him but he was right.

 

[motherhen17404]

I had the plugs put in my eyes over 10 years ago. I found that it really worked on keeping my eyes comfortable. I just took them out about a year ago and now wish I could afford to have them put in again (no insurance). I used to be able to wear my contacts for 12 hours without a problem. Now, just 1 hour and I need rewetting drops.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

Thanks for the responses,Vijoge & Motherhen!

Motherhen,did the plugs enable you to wear contacts for longer than an hour? And why did you have them removed?

 

[sajetto]

Funny I find this thread today. I don't really know what to do, but I started wearing contacts a few monts ago. The O2 optix kind. My eyes are always dry and yesterday like a dummy I ended up taking a nap in them making my eyes even drier. Well, long story short I left them in afterward and ended up getting a corneal abrasion from it and had to wear a patch on my eye all day today. Thank goodness its Sunday! It only takes 24 hrs to heal so hopefully the patch will come off tomorrow morning before I go out in public.

I'm just hoping I find some brand that keeps my eyes a little bit more moist so that this doesn't happen anymore.

 

[ChristmasElf]

I started using the Night and Day lenses at the beginning of the year and so far have had good luck with them.
I do take them out almost every night though as I have the dry eye problem too. I just use the rewetting drops whenever needed.

The eye doctor did tell me about a new kind that is supposedly better for dry eyes. They just came out recently. Sorry I don't recall the name, but your eye doctor should be able to tell you if they might help you.

Good Luck!

 

[summerlin]

I'm sorry to hear that you are going through this. As a fellow contact lens wearer and dry eye sufferer I can totally empathize. I use rewetting drops repeatedly throughout the day. Using an otc sterile ointment at night may help also. As for the plugs, I had collagen plugs put in which dissolve in about a week to see if it improved my symptoms. That way you can tell if it will help before instilling the permanent ones. Well, good luck and I hope your eyes feel better soon!

 

[crs7568]

I have a friend who swears by Oasis contacts. They are supposed to be the best.

 

[motherhen17404]

Thanks for the responses,Vijoge & Motherhen!

Motherhen,did the plugs enable you to wear contacts for longer than an hour? And why did you have them removed?

When I had the plugs I could wear my contacts for up to 12 hours without any problems. Now that the plugs are gone, I notice that after wearing my contacts for an hour I need the rewetting drops.

I removed one of the plugs by accident! My lower lid was itchy and I scratched my lid and my nail caught on something. It was the plug. It had worked it's self half way out of my lid and when I scratched my eye I pulled it the rest of the way out. Then I looked at my other eye and that plug was working its way out. So I just took a pair of tweezers and pulled the other one out. I don't recommend anyone doing that! Now, remember these had been in for 10 years without a problem. They don't usually come out on their own. I am not sure how long they are ment to be in the eye, but I think 10 years might be the max.

 

[Imzadi]

I have NEVER worn the extended wear lenses when I sleep-I always take them out just as I did with my old daily wear lenses.

My brother is an optometrist. Extended wear lenses are MUCH thinner than regular soft lenses. This is to allow more oxygen to flow through to the eyes. It is possible that your dry eyes & the thinness is making the lenses dry out faster. If your current optometrist is unwilling to work with you in switching to a different brand of lens that might work better for you, find another Dr.

 

[Aidensmom]

It may just be the brand, some will dry out quicker than others.

The only problem I really have with them drying out is if I am inside with the heat on all day (which is not often as I live in FL) or in the wind.

 

[mickeyboat]

Any hormonal changes, lately? I noticed my contacts were unwearable when I was taking some medication before some female-related surgery.

Denae

 

[Christine]

It's a known fact (according to my opthamologists) that you will mostly likely get dry eye after long-term contact use. I believe it happens to most everyone at some point. But I would definitely suspect this new lens.

Have you tried Restasis? These aren't rewetting drops, per se, but they stimulate your eyes to produce more tears. They work great for me. The other drops only gave me about 2 minutes of relief.

 

[disneyaggie]

I have been seeing an ophthalmologist for some retinal problems (unrelated) that I've been having, and he offered to put plugs in my tear ducts so eye moisture can't drain out. Has anybody else had this done??

PLEASE GET A SECOND OPION BEFORE YOU DO THIS ! ! !

I had my former opthalmologist suggest plugging my tear ducts permanently when my eyes were giving me fits. He had already plugged them twice with temporary plugs with no success. Thank the Dear Lord I had a friend who gave me another doctor's name for a second opinion. Come to find out, in my case, plugging my tear ducts permanently (he was talking surgery) would have caused permanent damage! Nice.

Went to another doctor and he said, "What did the dry eye test say". I said, "What ? ? ?" and he said, "They did run a dry eye test on you, right?". Nope. The first doctor just said it was dry eye.

Come to find out, I had something completely different. Actually the temporary plugs were causing more of any eye condition than not! Needless to say I never went back to the first doctor! And my eyes are lightyears better.

Yes, I wear contacts, and I had trouble with them during this whole time. However, in my case, I was diagnosed with blepharospasms (spasms of the eyelids). The glasses that I was told to wear by the first doctor were actually creating more issues. Again, when I sought a second opinion, it all worked out fine.

My spasms were caused by severe stress. Now, don't panic, but in my case, I had to have Botox injections (two seperate occasions) to calm the spasms. It worked like a charm. Been Botox free for about 5 years! Whohoo! They had to inject Botox around my eyes to calm the spasms. Again, I had something totally different than you. But I did add that to let you know that it was due to the second opinion that I was able to move forward with my eyes.

Good luck and pixie dust. I totally understand your concern.

Let us know how it works out for you. We all care!

 

[Christine]

disneyaggie--good info.

I also had the dry eye test (where they put the strips of paper in your eye). I think it's important to have that test because a lot of other conditions can mimic dry eye.

Also, I have had the temporary duct plugs put in once. My doctor said that if the temporary plugs didn't help then it meant that this was not your problem. He would have never gone with the permanent ones since the temps didn't work. Sounds like you had a nutty doctor.

 

[Rajah]

Sounds suspicious to me that it's the new contacts.

I used to wear Acuvue contacts, but my eyes were drying out too much.

Switched to Focus Night & Day and I don't have a problem any more.

Try a different brand, and if your dr won't work with you on that, try a different dr AND a different brand!

 

[luvmyeor]

My eyes started drying out at the beginning of this month. I have been wearing contacts for over 20 years and the only other time I had a problem like this was when I worked in a department store over 15 years ago. My contacts just felt really dry and then one of them just fell out. The next day I was driving and one fell out again. I was leaving on a cruise in three days and was concerned that I might have to wear my glasses the entire time. I stopped at the doctor's office to see what kind of eye drop they recommended. The doctor said as you age (I wasn't to happy to hear that as the big 40 is quickly approaching) your eyes tend to be drier. He gave me two sample pairs of a new contact: O2 Optix by Ciba Vision. They are "breathable contacts." I just saw a commercial the other day that said you could even sleep with them in. I don't normally sleep with contacts in but the other day I fell asleep for a few hours with them in and it was no problem. I really liked these new contacts so I went back to the doctor's to purchase some more. I used to wear contacts that you disposed of every two weeks. These new contacts are to be disposed of every 4 weeks. I paid $35 for 6 pairs. The clerk that waited on me said she just switched to this brand also and that she really like them too.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

Thanks for all the great information and advice!

I have already seen two differents doctors for opinions (one an optometrist,one an ophthalmologist) and they both agree I have dry eyes. After reading all your responses, I've decided I'm going to go back to the ophthalmologist, and ask if I should start with plugs or cyclosporin eye drops or both (his resident had already offered to put in the plugs when I was there in December for an unrelated retina problem).

Once my eyes are somewhat back to normal I will talk to the ophthalmologist about contacts for people with dry eyes. I like the optometrist and think he has generally done a great job with my vision but I am not happy that he denied my dry eye problems could have anything to do with the contacts. Hopefully the opthalmologist will be willing to work with me more on the type of lenses that will work best for me.

 

[VickiVM]

Yes, I wear contacts, and I had trouble with them during this whole time. However, in my case, I was diagnosed with blepharospasms (spasms of the eyelids). The glasses that I was told to wear by the first doctor were actually creating more issues. Again, when I sought a second opinion, it all worked out fine.

My spasms were caused by severe stress. Now, don't panic, but in my case, I had to have Botox injections (two seperate occasions) to calm the spasms. It worked like a charm. Been Botox free for about 5 years! Whohoo! They had to inject Botox around my eyes to calm the spasms. Again, I had something totally different than you. But I did add that to let you know that it was due to the second opinion that I was able to move forward with my eyes.

My mother in law was diagnosed with blepharospasms a few years ago. Unfortunately her condition has not really improved with Botox - very often she talks to us with her eyes closed. Believe it or not - she still drives! (Makes me so nervous).

I'm glad to hear that this condition can be improved.