New to contacts!

[everylastbreath]

Hi - just got my very first pair of contacts, I needed for close up and eyes have been getting progressively worse for distance now too (age 56) anyway.... Dr prescribed contacts for 1 distance and 1 eye close up- said it would take some time for my eyes to get used to working that way- Well it's been about 4-5 days and I feel like it's getting progressively worse... the very close up is ok, but the distance of approx. 1-2 foot is blurry, then the 4-5 ft is ok and further is blurry- Along with that driving at night is horrible- every light is like a starburst and very distracting-

Has anyone else had these types of contact & did it get better??!! I so want to get used to contact, I am determined to wear them, please tell me how your experience was and did it get better? could prescription be wrong? - going back to Dr. tomorrow evening.... HELP is there anything I can do to speed this process along?? I want to see clearly!

 

[Marionnette]

Hi - just got my very first pair of contacts, I needed for close up and eyes have been getting progressively worse for distance now too (age 56) anyway.... Dr prescribed contacts for 1 distance and 1 eye close up- said it would take some time for my eyes to get used to working that way- Well it's been about 4-5 days and I feel like it's getting progressively worse... the very close up is ok, but the distance of approx. 1-2 foot is blurry, then the 4-5 ft is ok and further is blurry- Along with that driving at night is horrible- every light is like a starburst and very distracting-

Has anyone else had these types of contact & did it get better??!! I so want to get used to contact, I am determined to wear them, please tell me how your experience was and did it get better? could prescription be wrong? - going back to Dr. tomorrow evening.... HELP is there anything I can do to speed this process along?? I want to see clearly!

They're called mono-vision and I had them for a few years before switching to multifocal lenses. My prescription still allows for better distance vision with my left eye and sharper near vision with the right, but the overall difference is minor.

It take a while to retrain your brain to mono-vision. Four-5 days is not enough. It's more like two weeks. However, night vision may never be as sharp as you would like it to be, not because of the lenses, but because of the mechanical changes to the eye as you age.

But yes, the prescription could be off and sometimes it takes a couple of attempts to make you comfortable with the correction. Let your eye doctor know that it's not working out for you and why. He should be able to order you another pair of trial lenses with a slight change. Don't order two boxes of lenses until you are happy with the result!

 

[Lynne G]

I have that set up and no - I don't have blurry distance. If my closer eye is open and not the other, I can't see the far away as detailed as with my other eye when the close eye is closed. It did take some time to get used to, but I like it, as now only need reading glasses when very small print. I'd talk to the doctor and see if the contacts need adjustment. Wish you luck.

 

[eliza61]

No I went with the multi focus lenses.

but I will say it did take me a while to get use to contacts once my eye sight started it's downhill slide into "over 50-ville" LOl

right now I have air optixs

 

[everylastbreath]

I have appointment for tomorrow night, maybe there is a correction that needs to be done- I just feel like I'm so blurry- very close up is so crisp and clear, but anything a little futher is so out of focus, I just keep blinking my eyes trying to clear them.

I really really want these to work, I am so tired of the glasses on / glasses off thing and I really hate wearing glasses- Not sure exactly how I should be seeing, maybe I expected too much?

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I made the jump as first time contact user to mono vision. The doctor gave me a first pair. I learned to put them in and out a few times. Before I left he had me read, walk about so I would demonstrate if the weak eye was trying to be dominate.

I had no problems, when driving I can see the dash numbers and readings, the ability to see the food I'm eating, walk about better then if I had progressive lenses in too.

If you mentally "focus" on what you are seeing instead if letting the eyes feed the brain separately and individually, your just fighting them and not going to accomplish anything. Either get glasses for reading and disbands or contacts for distance and use readers.

Don't try to get use to them, let it happen. Don't focus or over think.

 

[everylastbreath]

just accidently "unsubscribed" to thread!! LOL

 

[Marionnette]

I have appointment for tomorrow night, maybe there is a correction that needs to be done- I just feel like I'm so blurry- very close up is so crisp and clear, but anything a little futher is so out of focus, I just keep blinking my eyes trying to clear them.

I really really want these to work, I am so tired of the glasses on / glasses off thing and I really hate wearing glasses- Not sure exactly how I should be seeing, maybe I expected too much?

Don't worry about it! It takes time but it will happen if you don't fight it! But monovision is not an easy correction to make and your eye doctor may need to tweak the prescription a few times before you're comfortable with the lenses. I don't think that you're expecting too much. For my last prescription change, he got a little overly ambitious trying to correct my near-vision and I had a tough time focusing well enough to drive. Eventually, your doctor should be able to get it right. He just requires feedback from you and time for your brain to adjust to the new signals that your eyes are sending.

Just in case he didn't warn you - monovision will have a negative impact on your depth perception because your eyes are not working together like they used to. For some people, the difference is small but for me, who has always had bad stereo vision, 3D movies don't have the impact that other people get.

 

[SharonZ]

Mine was fine from the first time I used them. My right eye is my dominant eye and that is the one that they used for distance. I have heard of people that mono vision just doesn't work for. Hopefully, you will have your problems corrected after your appointment.

 

[everylastbreath]

If you mentally "focus" on what you are seeing instead if letting the eyes feed the brain separately and individually, your just fighting them and not going to accomplish anything. Either get glasses for reading and disbands or contacts for distance and use readers.

Don't try to get use to them, let it happen. Don't focus or over think.

I have been trying so hard to do this, it just gets very frustrating.. I just feel disappointed, like it was going to be magical when I used them instead I feel like there is a huge struggle going on between my eyes and brain.. LOL

 

[Gina]

Monovision -- UGH!!! I know some people are able to get used to it, but I thought it was horrid. Switched to multifocals, and think they're pretty much the greatest things ever invented.

 

[Pembo]

Hated monovision contacts. I too got the multifocal and adjusted very quickly.

 

[abitcloudy]

if it's your very first time wearing contacts, maybe wearing them for a for a few hours a day and then increasing that time a little everyday. Your eyes have to adjust to have the contacts.

 

[everylastbreath]

Going to ask about these Multifocal tonight when I go. Driving home last night from work was kind of scary- depth perception is off and with the starburst effects, it's had to judge how far the other cars are- those who did get use to Monovision, did this get better?

 

[Marionnette]

Going to ask about these Multifocal tonight when I go. Driving home last night from work was kind of scary- depth perception is off and with the starburst effects, it's had to judge how far the other cars are- those who did get use to Monovision, did this get better?

Depth perception did not improve over time with the monovision, but I learned to adjust for it. With the multifocals, it is less of a problem, although I still have a little bit of a monovision correction along with my multifocals lenses. IOW, my left eye correction is still pushed for distance and my right is still pushed for near-vision. The difference is not nearly as pronounced as it was with strict monovision.

Just so you know, the multifocal lenses will be more expensive than monovision. With monovision, you're getting single-vision lenses in each eye. With multifocals, you're basically getting a progressive lens in contact form.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I have been trying so hard to do this, it just gets very frustrating.. I just feel disappointed, like it was going to be magical when I used them instead I feel like there is a huge struggle going on between my eyes and brain.. LOL

Try using one in the eye for distance for awhile during the day. Then put in the other one. I wonder if your dominate eye, is the other eye?

 

[manning]

if it's your very first time wearing contacts, maybe wearing them for a for a few hours a day and then increasing that time a little everyday. Your eyes have to adjust to have the contacts.

That's what the doctor advised way back when I had them.

Of course I had to complicate things. I go on a 6 week driving vacation and left glasses behind. Big mistake after all day eyes felt like it had sand in them. Those were the days of hard contacts.

Then I reversed the contacts. That was interesting until I figured that one out.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I'm getting fitted for multi focal lenses next week. First time wearing contacts in 35 years!! My first experience with contacts was in the 70's!! Could never wear those old hard lenses. This was my NY resolution to try them again.

 

[everylastbreath]

Well just an update- went to dr. on Tues evening- he changed the prescription in my left eye- it seemed a little better while there but the next day at work it actually seemed a little worse- so I called and am going back again on Friday evening- but today seems a little better and I'm wondering now if I just need to give it time- every once in a while I think maybe and then I say no I can't go like this- I just want to not think about seeing things!!! LOL

on a good note- this morning was the first time I actually got them in easily- on the first try!! LOL

 

[Iamthequeen]

I've been wearing monovision lens for more than 20 years with no problems. My eye doctor told me that either your brain adjusts right away or it doesn't. Don't know if that's still true or not, but I think if you are still having problems, its wise to go back.

The star bursts at night are a common issue with contact lens wearers. It does get better (or you adjust to it better) with time.

Good luck!