Extended wear contact lenses

[herecomesthsun]

Does anyone wear these? I am thinking of getting them as I actually wouldn't have time to sort out daily contacts before work and have not tolerated solutions well. I have been wearing glasses most of the time since DC1 but feel much more confident and more myself in contacts. I was ordering 10 daily contacts a month and wearing them on special occasions till about 3 years ago, but wasn't getting into the way of wearing these. I think extendeds might be just the thing for me, I really wouldn't mind wearing glasses 1 or 2 days a week, prob at weekends. However, I am wondering about the prevalence of problems (vague recollection of something about oxygenation to the cornea?)

Oh, and where would you recommend getting them? Asda (someone once told me they are good)? Anywhere else especially recommended?

[casabevron]

Do you mean the 30-day wear ones? I have these, and I can honestly say they've changed my life!! I couldn't get on with gas permeables at all, felt as though I had needles sticking in my eyes, and the optician recommended I try these. I have to admit I do sometimes forget to change them - I find the easiest way to remember is just to swap them over on the first of each month - and I may have worn them for as long as two or three months in the past before I remembered to change them . Now I put myself a reminder on the calendar so that I don't forget. Never had any problems with infections, irritation, etc.

From the optician, I found that it was costing as much as £75 for 3 months supply, but if you have a good google you can find them for far less. Many places will only supply them in six-month packs, but currently I get this many for £50, so far less than the optician was asking. You do have to have a valid prescription to order over the internet from most places.

HTH

[AppleOgies]

I used to be on the 30 day ones, but couldn't get on with the extended wear part. I used them for 8 years, but took them out each night. When I did attempt extended wear I couldn't see properly in the morning and needed to take them out, wash and put in again, so I couldn't see the point in sleeping in them. They also irritated after 20 days or so.
I'm now on dailies.

[AnitaBlake]

I have these. Bloody love em, had no bother in nine months, only took them out as I was having an op. Can't wait yo get them back in!

[ChunkyPickle]

I've been wearing them for more than 10 years now. I use the Ciba vision ones normally (have used the Bausch and Lomb, but found them a bit thicker and didn't like them as much)

I get them from VisionDirect.co.uk (I used to get from visiondirect.com, but now they charge import duty and put it through customs it's just not worth the hassle for the very small amount of money you save). I haven't tried Asda, so I don't know how the prices compare.

I find that the opticians give me a more thorough eye test when I tell them I wear them, but I've not had any issues, and I absolutely love not having to worry about making sure I have solution/case/whatever. I wear them continually for a month, then give my eyes a rest for a couple of days (or not, if I don't have the opportunity.. )

I think the issue is keratitis which is where your eyes get infected by anaerobic bacteria (or possibly I'm talking rubbish) - but I've never had an issue with my continuous wear as opposed to the monthlies which I used to have all sorts of problems with excessive gunk accumulating (lovely!).

We're on about the 3rd generation of continuous wear now - they're really very good

[AppleOgies]

I'm with boots btw, they were £19 a month by DD, so under £60 for a 3 month supply.

[LoveMyBoots]

Can you wear them in the shower/swimming pool?

I know you shouldn't with normal soft lenses due to the possibility of infections from water.

[ChunkyPickle]

I wouldn't - both because of infection, and because it's so easy to wash them away if you open your eyes underwater by mistake (voice of experience...)

Bath and shower is fine though..

[StrawberryApple]

I've been wearing them for about 10 years without any problems, I keep them in when having a shower or bath and have been known to keep them in whilst swimming, you just have to be very careful about opening your eyes under water.

I'm with Specsavers which costs about £16 a month by DD and included a yearly check for your contact lenses and a normal sight test every 2 years and various discounts on glasses.

[gemma4d]

I've had them 10-ish years too. You are meant to take them out if you go swimming, have a bad cold, or do anything dirty/dusty like sanding wood. I'm with Specsavers and its £10 a month for lenses and the contact lens check - doesn't include the sight test or solution.

From an infection pov, you are meant to put drops in daily and nudge the contact lens when you do. These extended wear ones are more permeable than short wear lenses, so can cause less problems. I can't remember having problems myself, and I find them generally comfy. Often the only way I can tell if they are in is to close one eye and look into the distance - if I can see then they are in!

[strumpetpumpkin]

I had the weekly ones for a while. Brilliant and lifechanging.
Ive had to go back to dailies again now because of dry eye problems, but i really miss the sleep in for a week ones.

[dizzy77]

My husband uses them and loves them - tends to have a weekend of specs once a month just to give his eyes a rest. I'm a regular swimmer as well as blind as a bat so stick to dailies to minimise the risk of pool related infection - they're never in my eyes for long after a swim. I have the silicone lenses which are good for 14-16 hr days and don't find they take time in the morning.

[mycatlikestwiglets]

Just to give you another point of view, I wore them for a few years but had to change to daily disposables recently as my eyes were tolerating the continuous wear lenses for less and less time. They are great for convenience but I know a few people who've had a similar experience to me eventually - i find dailies much more comfortable. I also had a corneal ulcer as a result of the continuous wear lenses a few years ago and it was excruciatingly painful (and could have resulted in lost vision in that eye had it not been treated quickly) - they can be caused by a small piece of dirt becoming trapped under the lense and rubbing against your eye.

[MacaroniAndWalnut]

I'd worm them for about 3 or 4 years and have just been forbidden from using them anymore. Apparently the long term use age has started to cause ulceration or cysts on my eyes. I've just bought done glasses. I miss my contacts :(

[FantasticMax]

I wore them for maybe 5 or 6 years, loved being able to wake up in the morning with clear vision! But then I started getting eye infections, dry eyes and just generally finding the lenses extremely uncomfortable. It was as if my eyes could no longer tolerate them.

I switched to Daily Disposables and, although a bit of a faff in the morning, I'm used to it now and I get fewer eye infections (say once every couple of years as opposed to two a year with the extended wear lenses). I also like that my eyes get a bit of a break overnight.

I do worry that my eyes will eventually no longer tolerate the disposables and if that happens I'm going to bite the bullet and get laser eye surgery. I hate wearing my glasses.

[2madboys]

I wear them and love them. I have very bad eyesight and an astigmatism so being able to wake up in the morning and see is quite a novelty! My eyes can be a bit dry first thing but are generally fine within a couple of minutes. I have a day of glasses at the end of each month.
I've had no problems with infection but only had one in 5 years of monthly contacts so I don't think I'm particularly prone to them anyway. My optician says he has much less problem with people who wear these as they aren't being handled as much.

[janmoomoo]

I have been wearing for two years and love them. Try to remember to take them out for one day mid month but usually forget. I just put new ones in on the first of the month. When I wake up my eyes are very dry and I put an eyedrop in each and then they are fine.

I think they are a brilliant invention. When I got my first pair of contacts in the eighties you were given one pair which was supposed to last you forever and you had to rub gel in them then rinse and soak, and do protein tablets once a week, what a faff.