UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi,

I was diagnosed with KC about two months ago, and have been given RGP lenses to wear. I've had them for two weeks and cannot wear them more than a couple of hours a day (and that's doing well!) They're very painful, to the point that i can't really do anything required focused concentration while wearing them; as a teacher, that's clearly not sustainable.

Does anyone have any suggestions to make wearing them/breaking them in a bit easier?

Charlotte

Hi Charlotte and welcome to the forum,
Ah, wouldn't it be nice if contact lenses could be 'broken in'! But seriously, although it does normally take a couple of weeks to get used to lenses and build up wear time, if they are still that uncomfortable and painful after 2 weeks it suggests that the fit isn't right for you. KC eyes are difficult to fit, and optometrists don't always get it right first time. So do go back to your optometrist and tell him/her about the problems. Hopefully a slight change in the shape will make them comfortable for you.
All the best
Anne

Sound advice there , you need to revisit your optometrist ASAP as that fit will need to altered. RGP 's do cause greater initial discomfort as say compared to a soft contact lenses but the intolerance should no be as great as you are experiencing if thefit is correct for you .

Persevere willbe worth it .

my advice- keep trying.. have the lenses checked and rechecked as necessary and just keep trying... it is hard sometimes but most of us eventually got through this process to a point where we hardly feel them in our eyes. i think your brain just learns not to notice the hard thing in your eye!
if you are a teacher you may want to try them at home first a few hours a day, and then when you are comfortable that you can handle a whole lesson, try that and slowly increase the time... keep something to clean your hands with and solution and drops and a little make-up mirror close at hand so that you don't need to rush off to the ladies...

good luck

Hi I am a hard lens wearer for last 22 yrs. To make wearing them easier you can take them off and wash your eyes with very cold water(close to freezing) for few minutes and then reinsert the lens with few drops of appropriate conditioning solution(boston in my case).You can also use ice-cubes to cool your eyes. It works most of the time for me but then there are times when nothing helps. These lenses irritate more in hot and dusty environment.
Hope this helps,
Regards,
Ali Rizwan

HI,

Maybe ask if they would consider letting you piggyback. This involves wearing a soft lens under the heard lens, and can reduce the amount of irritation from the hard lens. Have piggybacked in my left eye for two years following an operation, and I have no issues at all.

However, I have to agree with the other contributors, and say that it sounds like you need a possible refit, as the initial discomfort should have passed by now.

Adapting to RGP lens wear can be very difficult.Like other posters I would suggest that a return to the fitter would be essential to ensure the fit is correct. However not all wearers adapt to RGP wear and there are some excellent soft lenses out there these days.

I also suggest a large glass of wine