allergic to solution

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cherishu2
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allergic to solution

Postby cherishu2 » Fri 18 Aug 2006 7:55 pm

Well i wore my scheral again today, i i stated yesterday my eye was red.
Today it went blood red and stung and is still really sore now and i took lens out over 3 hrs ago.
So as normal looks like im cant use total care.
Only ever been ble to tolerate oxysept 1&2, but of course these are for soft lenses.
I dont know what to do or what else i can use.
Have even thought of just using my neutralizer oxysept to fill the lens, but then its not getting cleaned is it?
I suppose water is out of the question?
Help please im at my wits end and have just sat and burst into tears, im so sick of this.Every lens i try i cant wear, not its the solution.
Trace

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GarethB
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Postby GarethB » Fri 18 Aug 2006 8:56 pm

Trace,

I can only tolerate one type of lens solution and it was not down to a preservative as such but I think other ingredients.

If you have used other solutions make a list of the ingredients and see what the ones that give this reaction have in common.

Alos to tolerate my lenses I need to use Systane and I know some who wear sclerals add a drop to the scleral lens before putting it in.

The other thing that would help remove anything from the lens cleaning solutions that you may be reacting to is to do the following.

1) Thoroughly clean lens with cleaner.
2) Rinse lens in neutraliser/conditioner
3) Thoroughly rinse lens with preservative free saline and store dry in case. I know many people who store sclerals dry.

When it comes to wearing lenses, fill the lens with preservative free saline and see if that makes a difference.

There are far less chemiclas in saline, so far less for your eye to react to.

Sorry if you have tried this, but as a non scleral wearer at this time this is all I can suggest but I will give it great thought.
Gareth

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Andrew MacLean
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Postby Andrew MacLean » Sat 19 Aug 2006 1:12 pm

I am in full agreement with Gareth. but, if this suggestion still does not give you comfortable lens wear, go back to the optometrist, explain the difficulty you are having and ask for advice.

They ought to be able to suggest something.

all the best

Andrew
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rosemary johnson
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Postby rosemary johnson » Sun 20 Aug 2006 11:19 pm

Trace,
SOunds like it would be a good idea to try some different solutions.
First, cleaning. Whatever you use to clean your sclerals, make sure you rinse it off very thoroughly.
Yes, you can store sclerals dry (I thought everyone did that!) Clean them, them dry on a tiddue or soft cloth such as a clean hanky and put away in case dry.
I use Boston (same stuff as Bausch and Lomb) wetting solution. Some people use Miraflow.
You have probably been told to fill the lenses to the brim with saline when you put them in. If not, try it - do it over a sink or washbasin (put a towel./tea towel/jay cloth inthe bottom if you're worried you might drop the lens, and put the plug in first. Bend right over, like you're washing your hair and keep the lens bowl-way-up.
SOme people use celluvisc, or a saline/celluvisc misture. Celluvisc and amidose saline come in unpreservared tubes (allegedly for single use, but you can put the cap back on and use over a few days.
Please DON'T fill up the lens with plain water - it is the wrong strength to put into eyes that are inherently salty and will cause problems because of this different solution strength (been there, done that......!)
Please DO make sure the lens is proeperly and fully weted before trying to put it in. If the wetting solution tries to "pull away" to leave dry areas, on its own or more likley when you rinse the excess off with saline, it is not propery wetted. With sclerals made of RGP material, if this happens it is probably because it has not cleaned thoroughly, so go back and have another go at cleaning them. Then wet again, thoroughly. Don't put them in with the patches where the fluid has pulled away.
And rinse the cleaner off fully, as above.
Please don't give up - there are lots of solutions out there!
[If you think it might be the cleaner you are allergic to ..... you should know there are people who have been cleaning their contacts lenses sucessfully and problem-free for years using washing up liquid and/or baby shampoo. The latter is specially intended to be non-stinging in case it gets in baby's eyes, and the former is meant to be "kind to the hands". The stuff is also readily available, plentiful and far cheaper than contact lens solutions, and Moorfields is very happy about its use. No doubt one of the other "professionals" on the list will now chime in with the obligatory Dire Warning message about how I shouldn't be doing this, which I'll ignore as usual.....! It's your decision, but if you think you are having solution allergy problems, do mention it.]
Good luck!
Rosemary

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John Smith
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Postby John Smith » Mon 21 Aug 2006 1:57 pm

I use Boston (same stuff as Bausch and Lomb) wetting solution. Some people use Miraflow.

Nooooooooo!

Just an (urgent) message here. Nobody uses Miraflow as a wetting solution. It's a cleaner.

Trust me, if even one drop of Miraflow gets in your eye it hurts A LOT!

I'm sure that Rosemary knows all this, and it was just a slip of the brain, but PLEASE don't use Miraflow as a wetting solution!
John

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David Bennett
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Postby David Bennett » Tue 22 Aug 2006 7:31 am

Miraflow as a wetting agent...owwweeeee! Can I echo Johns comments! It's a bit like getting oxysept 1 in the eye (essentially Hyrogen Peroxide, so converts the tear layer into a dilute solution of sulphuric acid...no wonder it stings...

It's to do with PH you see? If you add in a solution to the eye whicg is either More acidic (Less than PH 7.4 ish) or less acidic then stinging, pain and epitherial loss will occurr. Hence the eye goes red and gritty. You only have to be o.2 or more from the eye's normal PH to get the effect.

Chemisty lesson over now.. thanks for listening!

David
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rosemary johnson
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Postby rosemary johnson » Tue 22 Aug 2006 7:53 pm

John Smith wrote:
I use Boston (same stuff as Bausch and Lomb) wetting solution. Some people use Miraflow.

Nooooooooo!

Just an (urgent) message here. Nobody uses Miraflow as a wetting solution. It's a cleaner.

Trust me, if even one drop of Miraflow gets in your eye it hurts A LOT!

I'm sure that Rosemary knows all this, and it was just a slip of the brain, but PLEASE don't use Miraflow as a wetting solution!


Huh???!!!
I was prescribed Miraflow as a wetting solution by MEH.
Little reddish bottles and a volatile alcohol-y smell?
Yes?
I think the idea was it was a combined cleaner-wetter - the instructions were to rub it on, then make sure it was rinsed off, before I put the lens in - but it should wet the lens so I didn't need any other wetting solution.
Was this an earlier miraflow solution and now they only make cleaners??? - it was a few years ago.
I certainly would never have had any if it were only a cleaner - I use fairy liquid for cleaning and there's no way I'd have paid a prescription charge for Miraflow for use as a cleaner.
(In fact, I cleaned the lenses with washing up liquid first, then rinsed off well, then applied Miraflow and rubbed t around, then rinsed that - and indeed it did seem all too easy to rinse it all off so the lens wasn't properly wet - and then filled with amidose.
I gave up on the miraflow because of the ease of rinsing it off too much and having to start again, but mainly cos I didn't like something with that volatile-chemical alcohol slovent smell right under my very asthmatic nose first thing inthe mornings.
Rosemary

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John Smith
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Postby John Smith » Wed 23 Aug 2006 1:03 am

Ok, you're actually right Rosemary. Ish!

Miraflow is NOT a wetting solution (and you did describe it perfectly, down to the smell), but it does have "special properties" when still on a lens in trace amounts.

That's why Ken Pullum recommends cleaning the lens with Miraflow, and rinsing almost all of it off with saline before insertion.

My concern was that unlike other wetting agents, Miraflow is most definately NOT eye-compatable, and should not come into contact with the eye under normal conditions. Trust me, I accidentally instilled a drop into my eye thinking it was FML (same size bottle, both white/pink). It hurt FAR MORE than a graft did, I can tell you!
John

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GarethB
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Postby GarethB » Wed 23 Aug 2006 7:24 am

Reason it hurts is the alcohol (iso propanol I think) displaces the water in the cornea so causing rapid dehydration of the cells and in some cases cell damage.

The last thing you want on an already damaged surface.

Where it would help in wetting in trace amounts is to break down surface tension of the saline and perhaps the tears of the eye.

Thats what we used it for in the labs I worked in at Briticsh Coal, powderd coal is hard to wet, but add isopropanol and it becomes an absolute doddle.
Gareth


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