slightly anxious

[Loopy-Lou]

My RGP wear time had reduced by a couple of hours as in if I attempt to push it the eye hurts and for a few hours after removing it. This really concerns me given I rely on one eye, will obviously check it at forthcoming appt.
Anyone experienced reduced wear time after many years?

[Anne Klepacz]

Hi Lou,
Sadly this isn't uncommon. I've just got back from a long session in the eye clinic where I was complaining of exactly that in my left eye (though I have the luxury of the other eye being more or less OK). In my case, they reckon it's a combination of my dry eyes getting worse (one of the joys of getting old!) and the awkward corneal shape of the grafted eye which makes it difficult to get a good fit. The lovely optom I saw tried me with a mini scleral, but when he'd eventually got it in to my eye, it proved to be more uncomfortable than the Rose K lens I have - just in a different part of the eye! He suggested I think about full sclerals before my next appt. I know lots of people swear by them, though I'm not sure whether I'm not too old to learn new tricks with the different technique of getting them in and out. Then the doctor I saw prescribed different drops for the dry eye - something called Hylo so I'll be trying those to see if they do the trick.
So I hope you'll be able to find something - whether a different type of lens or different wetting drops that will help you. Let us know how you get on.
Anne

[Loopy-Lou]

Thanks Anne, the big fear in the back of my mind is always lens intolerance because I know there's little they can do about that, in some ways it's worse than graft failure. If it were a problem with dryness that would be easier to address I'm guessing. I'm wearing a Rose K too, and I empathise with you regarding sclerals, the one time I tried it after the arm wrestle to get it in, I never once succeeded in getting it in myself. Size matters for me with lenses, so whether it's an RGP, soft, any type, anything which touches or goes under the lids I simply cannot master. I'd need nothing short of local anesthetic. I really hope a new lens is not needed because the last lens change meant I lost some vision (hence glasses on op for all reading).

[space_cadet]

Anne - Hylo Tears and Hylo Forte are the best drops I have tried for Blepheritus, they are the only drops I have found that help me, altho St James (where the eye hospital is based cant rx them due to funding so I have to get my GP to who then has no issue with rx me 4 of each to keep me eye happy throughout the month)

Lou - sorry to hear your having lens issues

I don't think the recent weather going humid to grim n back again is helping with eyes (it isnt for me at least)

thinking of you n sending love x

[Loopy-Lou]

I think you're right weather sometimes doesn't help, and air quality/pollution

[GarethB]

What you describe is how my RGP lens intolerance started but a change to the soft lenses for KC fixed this and I have now been wearing soft lenses for KC for as many years than I was in RGP's. If you factor in the extra wear time I have with the soft lenses, I have actually been wearing soft lenses for longer than I was wearing RGP's.

RGP intolerance worked out to be a good thing for me because I can wear the lenses for such a long time and I get better vision compared with an RGP, the intolerance was the push the hospital needed to consider soft lenses for me.

[Loopy-Lou]

well it would be a complete disaster for me Gareth given I rely on one eye for sight, I tried soft lenses and they didn't give as good vision as an RGP and I can't physically handle any lenses which sit under the eyelids, I never succeed in getting them in.

[Lia Williams]

For me RGP intolerance has occurred with a new lens after two or three weeks. This has happened several times over the years, typically this has happened when the new lens was a new prescription or a new design - but it has also occurred when the new lens was theoretically the same as the old one. The problem was usually solved by having a different RGP described.

The last time it happened was about three and half years ago. The new lens that I'd initially been really pleased with, as the vision was excellent, suddenly became intolerable after an hour's wear. I could still wear the previous lens but the new lens was impossible. The new lens appeared to be a good fit - it's just that the eye didn't like it. The hospital adjusted the prescription design slightly but the vision was nowhere near as good as the new (now intolerant lens). The problem was finally solved by piggy backing and I've not looked back. As a bonus the High Street optician at my last eyesight said that my corneas are clearer since I started piggybacking.

So it maybe Lou that a different design of RGP could work for you. Or maybe piggybacking. Although it does take sometime getting used to putting the soft lens in and out after years of just wearing corneal lenses, but it was worth learning the technique.

Lia

[Loopy-Lou]

that's interesting you experienced that with new lenses Lia.

[GarethB]

I think it took me a couple of months to get used to putting the slightly larger diameter soft lens in but within a week I managed to get used to the new sensation of a lens being permanenty under the lids.