UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

I've finally got my lenses and they're a pretty good fit and I managed 3 hours (recommended by optom) wear time last night.

Thing is I took them out before I turned in and then woke up this morning with all the vision of a mole who's vision is so bad that all the other moles pick on him.

Is this normal? Or am I just having a bad day? I can;t afford this to happen in my job and jut wondered if there was anything I could do.

Hi Marc,

I must admit, I've never felt like a Mole in the morning but I think I know the experience you're talking of

I only normally get that experience after I've abused my contact lens use - e.g getting up early, driving all day, not drinking much and then staying up late.

It usually comes down to, for me, dry eyes.

However, I would be concerned if it was just after 3 hours, even though you're learning. My advice, as almost always, is to call your optometrist. He/she will know your eyes, what they've fitted etc. and can advise better as to how you are feeling.

Once your lenses are sorted, it will get better and shouldnt affect your day to day life at all.

Ed

Hi Marc

I'd just like to echo Ed's advice.

I remember having all sorts of troubles with my lenses initially.

I seem to remember the advice being to wear them for an hour for a few days then build it up in hour or even half hour stints.

Maybe you over-did it a little, but it won't hurt to get professional advice.

I would urge you to persevere though. I have been wearing lenses for.....ohhh maybe four years now and they are just fantastic. Yes they are a pain sometimes, yes they pop out now and then, yes you have to take care of them and all that, but overall, they make life pretty normal, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Keep going - you will get there!

I've had RGP's for about a month or so now, and I've had a similar issue. I've noticed my vision is much worse when I take them out than it was before I got the lenses. It's especially bad for the first hour or two, and then it settles in some, but it still seems overall worse than it used to be with no lenses in. I've noticed that the ghosting and doubling of images has gotten worse also. This kind of scares me, but I figured it was just one of the side effects of getting good vision with lenses.

It might very well be too much too soon. It might be worth easing up on the wear time and giving your optom a call.
In the meanwhile, make sure you get plenty of worms and if that's you making all those piles of earth in my garden.....

It is also a possibility that the brain has enjoyed good vision so much that when you wake up, it has forgoten how to compensate.

I know when I remove my lenses, vision is really poor, but with little concentration it does come back to a point. The longer I go days and so on I am able to see more as the brain is re-adapting to all the blurs.

Thing is though if it is of concern give the hospital a call or go to eye casualty.

Hey Marc

It's a long time ago but I am pretty sure that when I started wearing my lenses it was one hour the first day, one and a half the second and so forth. Of course, lens materials have advanced since then!

Anyhow; I share the view expressed above that if you are concerned about this, a telephone call to your optometrist would put your mind at rest. If (s)he needs to see you then (s)he will say so.

Meantime; don't panic. It may be that your brain just got so used to having good sight with your lenses in that the adjustment back to poor vision was too much!

All the best

Andrew