HELP!!!!

[Sweet]

Hehe I am glad that two optoms have suggested anaesthetic drops now as I know that I can't as I'm not qualified to!! I do think that they will really help though if the problem is pain. I find them fantastic for a bad lens day.

[Christine Wallis]

I also fainted the first time I had contacts fitted, I don't think my brain could cope with all the new bright colours !

For the first few days they were agony and I was walking around with my head tilted up in case they fell out !!

I quickly got used to them though, and don't even notice them now.

Please persevere if you can, your quality of life will improve a hundredfold.

Take care, and good luck

Chris xx

[Stace234]

Thanks sooooooo much everyone who has posted i am feeling loads better now! have got an appointment in june so will be on here alot before those days!

When i got back they are going to try the same lens again and i should be taking my mum for support. i don't really no what i didnt like about the lenses, i think it was the shock of having something therei was not use to and that probably made it hurt more than it acctually does! i don't think i like any part of it and it took the nurse ages to put my right contact in because my eyes were watering so much and i was a bit reluctant! it also felt really strange looking round as everything was clearer and closer than it usually was.

A few people suggested anaesthetic drops but that do they do? and do the lenses ever stop hurting? i am usually quite good with pain and dont moan alot but having lenses in was a completly different sensation!

Thanks soo much everyone for your support i am really starting to feel a bit better now! some of it made me laugh as well!

Stacexxx

[mike scott]

hi stace
in answer to your questions, anaesthetic drops just numb your eye, it takes a few seconds thats all and doesnt hurt at all i promise, and it will allow the lens to sit on your eye without it realising so there will be no watering, the only sensation you may notice is that your eyelid may feel the edge of the lens when you blink. it will also give you a chance to view the world through the lens without watering.

how long does it take to get used to lenses?
not long at all, build up your wear time in stages say 1/2 hour per day until you get to a time frame you are happy with, general rule of thumb though is to not overdo it and only do what is comfortable for you, dont suffer unneccessarily. also dont feel like youre a failure cos you cant wear them full time straight off. baby steps to start with.

will the pain go away?

yes........very quickly

in no time at all given a good fitting lens they will be like your comfiest pair of slippers

good luck and keep up the good work and i'm sure you will be very pleased.

mike

[debbieo]

I had my first contact lens fitting on 25th January this year. it was agony just like you described. The first lens she put in was awful - the fit was all wrong but she needed to see it in my eye to decide what the correct fit should be. She tried a different lens on 25th January which was already better, then ordered my real lenses.

They arrived on 16th Feb - only 5 weeks ago! Already they were much better than the trial ones and a bit more comfy, although I didn't like the vision with the right one (made me feel dizzy) and it still felt uncomfortable, so she ordered another one which I picked up on 28th Feb.

Once I had two properly fitting lenses that gave me good vision I was off. They're still not 100% comfortable but most of the time the vision is just so good and the discomfort so minimal that I forget about them. I've built up very quickly and am now wearing them 8-10 hours each day, and feel like an old pro.

All contact lenses are not the same some will hurt more than others and the optoms are trained to find the perfect fit - just like shoes! Sometimes shoes hurt like heck when you try them on but it doesn't mean you won't find a comfy pair in the same shop - slightly different style, slightly different size!

It's also more scary I think having someone else put something into your eye. Once you break past that initial fear barrier and let the optom do his/her work to find the right lens for you it does get easier really really fast.

[Ali Akay]

Hi Stace
I totally agree with Lynne and Christine about local anaesthetics, I know some optoms are against using them, but certainly a good idea in your case.The only comment I'd add is if the consulting room is hot and stuffy (hospitals can be!)that wont help,so avoid wearing too many layers, also make sure you dont skip meals on the day, more chance of fainting on an empty stomach. Also worth avoiding sudden movements eg dont stand up too quickly, move in "slow motion".Patients who faint the first time are usually ok the next time, so the chances are you'll be ok.

[GarethB]

Hi Stace,

When I got fitted with glasses things were so different compared to my lenses I wobbled a bit!

Lenses I am fine, but things seem different somehow through glasses so we backed the power off to help me get used to seeing the world through glasses.

Lenses are my main sight management, the glasses are back up to allow my eyes to rest so I do not over do the lens wear.

[Stace234]

when i first went into the room i had on a coat, jacket, polo neck jumper and t-shirt!! that all probably didnt help alot lol opps!! stacexx