Help! Advice on cleaning RGP lenses needed

[Roger Gibbens]

I am having a problem with my left lens causing discomfort on the outer edge of the eye. This reduces wearing time greatly. It has been happenning on and off for several years but I have managed to keep on top of it. I now realise that when I use a new lens the problem goes away for 3/4 weeks so this suggests it may be due to my cleaning regime.

At the moment I use Miroflow followed by Boston Cleaner (Miroflow on its own causes problems) and Boston Advance for soaking. I have also used Amo solutions but the eye does not tolerate these as well.

Any suggestions for a different cleaning procedure would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Roger

[Anne Klepacz]

Hi Roger
You might be getting protein build up on the lenses. Have you ever tried using protein removal tablets in addition to your normal cleaning routine? Quite a few people use them once a week and find that helps to keep the lenses clean.
Anne

[tneedham]

Hi Roger

I experienced a similar thing, my lenses get very uncomfortable after they are 1 month old, miraflow was good at cleaning but it took me a day or two for my eyes to 'prime' the lens before it felt comfortable again, and the same when i do protein removal.

What i use now and it had been excellent is Boots own brand preservative free deep cleaning system (for all types of contact lenses). see link below
It is a hydrogen peroxide based overnight soak with a special case that has an 'activator' attached that bubbles the Hydrogen Peroxide into saline over 6 hours(ish)

Since using this my lenses have been very comfortable, i have not had to use any miraflow at all, never had to do protein removal, and the lens is over 2 years old now. When i last got checked up on, i was told that my lens is very clean, so it must be working.

Good luck with whatever you try.
Tom

http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Preservative-Free-Deep-Cleaning-System-360ml-and-1-neautralising-case_48937/?CAWELAID=334499784&cm_mmc=Shopping%20Engines-_-Google%20Base-_---_-Boots%20Preservative%20Free%20Deep%20Cleaning%20System%20%20360ml%20and%201%20neautralising%20case

[Roger Gibbens]

Thanks Anne and Tom

Very helpful. Both suggestions are very useful. It gives me 2 more options. I will try the peroxide first.
Cheers
Roger

[Roger Gibbens]

Tom

Supplementary questions.

How often do you use the peroxide?

Do you insert the lens directly after cleaning and rinsing?

Thanks
Roger

[tneedham]

Hi Roger

Mine go in the peroxide every night, i use scleral lenses so they are too big for the holder and i put them in an eye bath with the activator disc from the case.
When i used RGPs they were small enough to fit in the case, hopefully yours will be this size.
As the peroxide breaks down overnight to saline, i dont need to clean and rinse too much, just a bit of fresh saline/whatever comfort liquid you use (boston?)

All the best

Tom

[Andrew MacLean]

I use the Total care system. I clean with the total cleaner and store and wet my lens in total soaking and wetting solution. I rinse with preservative free saline.

Once a week I still soak my lens overnight in saline that has a protein remover in it.

Andrew

[GarethB]

just a word of caution on the peroxide front, make sure it is OK to use with your particular lens. Contact lenses are made fronm a variety of materials that come under the umbrella of Rigid Gas Permeable. I was told not to use peroxide based cleaners on my slighthly tinted Rose K RGP lenses.

[Andrew MacLean]

Gareth how do they persuade H2O2 to surrender its extra Oxygen atom to become H2O? Would the process damage a lens, or is it that the bleaching effect of H2O2 would not be good for your tinted lens?

Sorry to ask a question that must be obvious to you; its just that I'm curious

Andrew

[tneedham]

H2O2 is unstable anyway and will always revert back to H2O,
They use some kind of disk with probably either manganese dioxide or silver as a catalist, this causes vigerous bubbling of oxygen which also acts as an aggitant(?) to the lens

The bottle says that it is suitable for all types of lenses however i might agree that it may cause bleaching if you have tinted lenses.

another issue with hydrogen peroxide cleaning is that the catalist is so good that the rate of decomposition may be faster than required to kill any Acanthamoeba that may be present.