Multifocal Contact Lenses?

[lovetoscrap]

I have been in progressive lens glasses for a year and while my near and middle vision are great I have been very unhappy with the distance. Just the way my eyes are, they can't be corrected well enough with glasses. I tried contacts a few years ago and the distance vision was great, but since I couldn't see close up I decided to just stick with glasses. Time for my annual exam and now I want to ask about multifocal contacts options.

He did tell me that I could have a distance contact in one eye and near in the other but I don't think there is any way I would adjust to that, I get dizzy pretty easy. My dr didn't seem to think it was a good idea for me either. It looks like they make bifocal and progressive type contacts and I think that would be easier for me to adjust to. I had no problems with my progressive glasses.

If you have these types of contacts how do you like them? Are they horribly expensive (compared to single vision lenses)? I am thinking that if those wouldn't work I might just ask about far distance contacts and glasses for the middle and near. Not really sure if that is an option though.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I love mine $40 a box at costco

 

[lovetoscrap]

Are they bifocal or for all 3 distances?

 

[Lynne M]

I wore a multifocal in one eye and a single vision in the other for years, and it wasn't disorienting at all. Didn't even take any getting used to. I had to do it that way because multifocals were relatively new then, and didn't have the range of strengths that they do now.

I've worn multifocals in both eyes for a few years now, they're great. I still need reading glasses sometimes for things like knitting with very fine yarn, but I don't mind that.

 

[CF'er]

I am far sighted in one eye and near sighted in the other. One lens is multifocal the other isn't. I can see just fine. I can't read or focus up close. I just got readers to help with that. I prefer my progressive glasses except when riding my motorcycle.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm curious to see what people think, as my eye doctor said I will probably need them next time, but I also thought they would be disorienting. My Dad does the different correction in each eye, and loves it.

 

[Pakey]

I could not adjust to the multi-focal; some people can't make their eyes "see" in them. No amount of adjustment will make it happen. I then got the bifocal prescription contacts that adjust for astigmatism but at over $1000 a year, I decided that I just didn't see good enough to justify the cost. I wore those for 3 years and had perfect mid range vision in them but just didn't feel that my long distance vision was good enough in them. Now I just wear contacts that correct my distance vision and wear readers for when needed. I do not wear contacts at work-it's just too hard to take readers off and on constantly.

 

[MickeySP]

I'm curious to see what people think, as my eye doctor said I will probably need them next time, but I also thought they would be disorienting. My Dad does the different correction in each eye, and loves it.

I have this & what a difference it made. I no longer have to use reading glasses. I had no problem adjusting at all

 

[Christine]

This thread is very interesting to me now and I *hate* to hijack but my issue is close enough to the OPs that I hope I can ride along:

I am 51 and have never needed glasses. Distance was always perfect. Last few years I have needed the old-age readers! Anyway, I do a LOT of computer AND reading work and the readers have been tough for all that. On top of it, my distance is now going. Last year I tried the progressive lenses in glasses and it was a disaster. It never worked at the mid-range for the computer. I just won't get them again.

I'm considering bi-focal contacts (I've never worn contacts) but I definitely need distance vision now but I also need to read a lot.

How do you think that will work for me (I see a poster above had an issue). I really need them for driving (distance) but when I get to work, I need to have my eyes looking at spreadsheets and numbers all day. The reading glasses are driving me nuts.

 

[spacemountainmom]

I tried multi-focal contacts a few years back and they made me feel so dizzy. I never even bothered to fill the prescription.

 

[Pembo]

I have been near-sighted since I was 10. A few years ago I needed to add bifocals. Glasses are much better however I use contacts for summer and yoga. I tried the two different kinds in each eye and I couldn't adjust at all. I now have multi-focal. They work fairly well. The doc told me, contacts will never be as good as glasses for bifocals but this pair is pretty good.

Definitely try multi-focal - my doc gave me a trial pair and when I went back and said they weren't working, I got another trial.

Good luck,.

 

[spacemountain1971]

I have been in progressive lens glasses for a year and while my near and middle vision are great I have been very unhappy with the distance. Just the way my eyes are, they can't be corrected well enough with glasses. I tried contacts a few years ago and the distance vision was great, but since I couldn't see close up I decided to just stick with glasses. Time for my annual exam and now I want to ask about multifocal contacts options.

He did tell me that I could have a distance contact in one eye and near in the other but I don't think there is any way I would adjust to that, I get dizzy pretty easy. My dr didn't seem to think it was a good idea for me either. It looks like they make bifocal and progressive type contacts and I think that would be easier for me to adjust to. I had no problems with my progressive glasses.

If you have these types of contacts how do you like them? Are they horribly expensive (compared to single vision lenses)? I am thinking that if those wouldn't work I might just ask about far distance contacts and glasses for the middle and near. Not really sure if that is an option though.

The problem with multifocals for me was giving up decent distance vision. I tried many brands but they all work basically the same. My eye doc ended up working with a "modified monovision" with a weaker distance correction in one eye than usual. It seemed to make things a happy medium. At least I can read my cell phone and still see the street signs now.

 

[bethbuchall]

I have multi-focal contact lenses (Air Optix Multifocal Max add +2.00). They work very well for me, but they aren't perfect. I can read most any print as long as I have decent lighting. They are fine for the computer. My cell phone is generally legible. They still aren't the same as my vision used to be, but I guess now nothing will be. The eye doctor did say as he needs to increase the near vision power, I'll experience some loss in distance vision acuity. I'm not a great candidate for monovision because of the correction that I need for distance. I will stick with these contacts for a while longer and hope that technology improves as my eyes deteriorate further. Getting old isn't always fun, but (as my grandfather used to say) it beats the alternative.

Edited to add: I had no trouble at all adapting to the multi-focal contact lenses. I just put them in and suddenly I could read fine print and still see distance. It amazed me because I was worried about having to learn to use them.

 

[phamton]

Could you try the mono lenses? I have an astigmatism and problems with distance and also reading close up (age related), My left eye has the contact for reading and the right eye is a toric lens for distance and the astigmatism. It took less than a day for me to adapt. My doctor gave me a sample to try for a week first before ordering them. Maybe you should give them a try. I also get dizzy easily but they did not cause me any problems at all. I read without reading glasses and distance is perfect also.

ETA, I have been using the mono vision for nearly 20 years now. I started with only one contact for reading and then as I got older, the distance became a problem also so I had 2 contacts. In fact last year, I had to switch the contacts so that my reading was in my right (dominant) eye and the distance in my left (non-dominant) eye because of an issue with a blank spot on my vision. So my brain had to adjust to mono vision on different eyes. It took me a day or two but it was fine. Now I am back to reading from my left eye and distance on my right eye since the blank spot corrected itself.

 

[lovetoscrap]

As a school secretary/receptionist my head is always moving! I rarely spend more than a minute looking at any one thing so I do like the ease of the progressive glasses. Otherwise I would be taking glasses on and off constantly to look far off (someone walking into the office), close up (at a note) and mid range (my computer ). I am just frustrated that I can't see the TV as clearly as I should and can't read the road signs from as far away as I used to!

I may just have to accept that with old age comes vision changes that just can't be corrected all the way. My dr is very good at allowing you to try different things so maybe we can come up with something better. I am willing to try the 2 different lenses in each eye since some have had good results. I was told it might take weeks to get used to the progressive lens glasses and I never had any issue so maybe I will surprise myself and have good results!

 

[Sweeney1996]

My distance vision is so bad(been that way since I was 12), that this past eye exam, the doctor had to correct so much with prescription strength, it threw me into needing bifocals, earlier then expected. Tried the distance contact in one eye, near in the other, felt I lost out on clear distance vision. I chose to just get contacts for distance, and wear reading glasses if needed when wearing my contacts. When wearing my glasses, I am in a progressive lens, and was happy that I didn't take long to adapt.

 

[kirstenb1]

I've used multifocals for a couple years. You sacrifice distance clarity for the ability to read fine print. I notice it when I'm driving someplace unfamiliar, and trying to make out street signs. Otherwise, not a problem.

 

[goofyernmost]

I tried the one in each eye thing and it drove me crazy. It also depends on your age because no matter what you do, eventually you will probably lose the ability to see clearly up close without some type of lens (for me it is just a cheap set of reading glasses that you can get anywhere without any RX.

I am scheduled to have a cataract removed from my left eye and replaced by a new lens that will correct my distance vision in that eye. At that point I will still need a contact for my right eye but not my left, however, I will still require reading glasses for both. That doesn't fix as easily.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Thought I would post a quick update: Saw my eye dr yesterday. Apparently I am not a good candidate for the bifocal or multifocal contacts due to some astigmatism. He said I could try the different contacts in each eye (distance and reading) but I would still have to compromise distance like with the glasses. Right now trying contacts for distance and he said to try drug store readers and I will see him again in a week to see how it is going. Right now I feel like the contacts are better for distance than the glasses but still not great. Can't see the oven clock unless I am standing right by it and couldn't read any further road signs than I could before. But I don't seem to be straining as much to read the guide on the TV.

Don't like the drug store readers, they don't seem to be helping-- I have tried 4 different strengths and my eyes hurt trying to use them. Right now I am typing this with my screen zoomed in about 175% and I my arms extended as far as they will go to get the screen further away, but it is still blurry.

Hoping that my eye muscles will adapt to the contacts with a few more days of wear to help the distance. He said we can discuss custom prescription readers/computer use glasses next week and make adjustments to the contacts if needed. He wants to work on one major change at a time. He seems confident that he can get my vision "perfect" but I am not really convinced right now!

 

[kathyj1104]

I've used the multifocal contact lenses for a little over a year now, and they work great for me. I have a distance one in my right eye and a near one in my left eye. There is a bit of a blur when I try to see distance, it's not perfect, but it's worth it to be able to read and to see stuff on my phone and read fine print with no problem. It did take a while for my eyes to adjust and I'd love to have clearer distance vision, but I'll sacrifice the perfect vision for the close vision without reading glasses.