Scleral Lenses - I need help!

[Sweet]

Hey there

Sad to say that i gave up on sclerals so you are not alone, just wondering how you are doing with them?

I just found them dam messy and i couldn't get the hang of putting them in properly, though taking them out was very easy!! I also didn't get good vision at all, not enough to see to drive, so thought all that effort for what exactly??

I have gone back to a RGP for my right and just had my left grafted.

I tihnk it is great if you can get used to sclerals as i did find the whole idea that you can't lose them or get dust etc trapped behind them good news!! Just a shame they didn't like me! LOL!!

Sweet X x X

[Helen Turner]

Still Battling with the sclerals. Going today to see about some RGP scleral lenses. I have got 2 main problems with these:
1. The RGPs deposit quite quite quickly with my eyes.
2. Its a real art to putting them in without air bubbles in the solution. Any ideas?
My specialist reckons its down to technique.
Still getting some great reactions showing them to non lens wearers and even some lens wearers. The fun factor outweighs the problems i am having..... at the moment.

[GarethB]

Several posts here about scleral insertion, basically touching your chin on your chest while holding the lens full to the brim with solution.

The way some insert them is quite funny, but I am not a scleral wearer yet. Probably only a matter of time!

It does seem that most scleral wearers have a slightly different technique.

Keep practasing and let us know what works best for you.

[LittleMissssss]

Hi Kirsty,

I'd just like to say that i found scleral lenses do become more comfortable over time. I have only been wearing them for about a year now. I really hated them at 1st after wearing RGPs for about 4 years, as they felt really uncomfortable, and i didn't wanna change. But my doctor at Moorefields recommended that i wear sclerals as it would be hard to fit RGP's anymore as my corneas are so steep. So i've just stuck with them and now i can wear my sclerals all day from bout 7 in the morn till about 10 at night, even though they do tend to get a little dry towards the end of the day. But other than that they are quite comfortable now. I think if you kept wearing them every day for as long as you can, you'll get used to them and they'd start to feel more comfortable in time. I dont even notice mine are in anymore.

And i completely understand how ur feeling though. KC is a hard problem to deal with. I know coz ive had it for about 10 years now. But all we can do is deal with the problem as best we can and take the good advice that the docs give us.

Id just like to add that i am new to this site and its so nice to know that there are lots of people out there who have the same problems as me.

Good luck Kirsty, and just remember, your not alone

Sarah

[Helen Turner]

Just read the latest posts for this topic. I've been in scleral lenses for a few months now and am getting more wear time than i expected - taking into account dry eyes. I find using minims or celluvisc helps. I've actually found a positive use for wearing scleral lenses - you can chop onions with no danger of teary eyes! Bonus!

[Lesley Foster]

I have been wearing contact lenses for 26 years, diagnosed with KC for 24. I had a PMMA scleral fitted about 20 years ago, from a mould of my eye - not a pleasant experience, but never really got used to it and would only wear it if I went swimming or did something that risked the corneal lens falling out. However over the years I have had many problems with the smaller lenses falling out, especially the left one, that I was recommended to have sclerals for both eyes. These were fitted about six months ago and now I am wearing them for 10 or more hours a day. Yes they do tend to dry out a bit towards the end of the day so I just refresh the saline but apart from that and occaisional air bubbles I haven't had too many problems. I can even tolerate the PMMA lens for a similar length of time so I swap sometimes and still use that one if I go to the gym.

I usually put my corneals in first thing in the morning and wear them for a couple of hours, it's just habit, and sometimes I will wear them instead of the sclerals but not so often as I am finding that my eyes don't seem to tolerate them so well now.

Also, after reading Sue Ingram's experiences, I had my eyes tested with the sclerals in and now have glasses for reading and distance which has meant I have my independance back and my car much to my son's disappointment!

All I can say to anyone contemplating scleral lenses is give it a go, it gets easier with time and surely it is better to try everything before you have a graft rather than finding out about it afterwards.

[Kirsty Eldridge]

Just wanted to ask - when any of you started wearing sclerals, did anyone find it a weird sensation/feeling to look straightforward? I know that may sound bizarre but if ive got my head bent down i cant really feel them whereas when i try to look straightforward i find it uncomfortable. Is this maybe just a case of a poor fitting?
Ps thankyou all for your replies its been so helpful and nice to know there are people out there who go through the same as me!!
Kirsty

[jayuk]

What is the feeling?..does it feel like something is touching/stroking the front of the eye?...I only got this feeling when my KC increased and the clearance within the lens and the cornea decreased....and I used to get it when I kept my head straight and I looked slightly to the left, right, up or down

[Kirsty Eldridge]

Yeah it is that type of feeling. Presume my eyes must have got worse then and lens dosent fit quite as well!?

[jayuk]

From what you say Id suspect so....as that was what happened in my case....I guess time to get the fit and eye checked?