URGENT - any opticians around or people who know lots about contact lenses?

[womanwithbooks]

I'm at Heathrow, travelling hand luggage only and have just had my contact lens solution taken off me at security. I wear rigid gas permeable contact lenses and Boots at the airport here has no solution.

I'm going to Ibiza - will I be able to get what I need there and if I can't, what should I use instead? I have some saline solution so could use that in an emergency but I understand that using soft lens solution for hard lenses is a firm no.

Any ideas/help welcome! I'm there for three nights. Many thanks.

I use GP lenses too and I wouldn't be to hopeful of getting solution abroad. There are fewer and fewer solutions available for GP these days. Annoyingly mine comes in a 120ml bottle which is no use for airports so I usually decant some into 100ml bottles which is not ideal as it isn't sterile any more.

They will be fine in saline overnight - probably a bit less comfortable to put in the next day. There are a few brands you can use.
Was your cleaner confiscated too?

Yes. Just go into the first chemist or optician you get to and buy some.

Boston and Total Care both available on various Spanish websites as are a multitude of Spanish brands.

You must be luckier than me if that's the case. I can only find one GP solution in Boots in this country. Specsavers do their own horrible watery one that's really uncomfortable to wear.
If that's the situation here, I'd think it would be harder abroad.
Everything seems to be about soft, disposable lenses these days.

I used to clean them with a dab of shampoo, and rinse well (when I was really broke and the solutions seemed to be much more expensive). If you can get eye wash like Optrex you could try that as a sterile wetting/soaking solution. I use that sometimes to help lubricate a lens if it gets stuck in an awkward position in my eye.

Can’t you get it online and sent to where you’re staying?

I found my eyes swelled up when I used saline solution because I couldn't get any Boston. The skin was,so sore and red. However, I have bought Boston solution in Tenerife. I just had to slog round a few chemists to find it - very much like here.

I've managed to get it in Switzerland. If necessary I've also used cooled boiled water.

You have one set of eyes. 😱

My optician at the time said shampoo was OK to use, just a drop on the lens then a rub between the fingers to clean and then rinse off very well before use, long time ago now. You put Optrex in your eyes anyway so that should be fine for wetting.

With tap water?

I'm in Italy and stock up in Boots in the UK, Asda, or Wilko tbh. Occasionally from Amazon.
For the OP, I just googled GP solution in Spanish and it took me to Vision Direct España which has about 6 brands.

Can you order from Amazon and get delivered?

I have no idea btw, just an idea.

I wore GP lenses for many years. My optician said they could be cleaned overnight by soaking in very dilute Milton. I did this occasionally and never had a problem.

Yes, but then used sterile wetting solution before using. I still use the cleaning solution and then rinse that off with tap water before using the wetting solution and inserting. If you've ever managed to get a trace of the cleaning solution in your eye it's very painful, so I rinse it off thoroughly. UK tap water so potable, if abroad bottled or sterilised.

I've just always been told under no circumstance to use tap water on my lenses.

Same here.
My optician would not approve of using tap water to rinse cleaner off. Even though it's drinkable, there are still bacteria in water that shouldn't be introduced to your eyes.

That's good 👍

Could you boil some salted water as soon as you get to your accommodation and use it when it is cool?

But tap water doesn't get in your eye any remaining is rinsed off with the wetting solution. I don't know what you do but I put the cleaned rinsed lens in the palm of my hand and flood with wetting solution, before inserting in my eye. I have been wearing RGP lenses for more than 45 years (not the same ones I hasten to add) and never had an eye infection, or any problems. How do you all get the cleaning solution off?

To be honest, I often do the same but I have been forbidden by more than one optician from doing this. They say rinse using saline, not tap water..

Thanks so much for all advice. In case anyone in the future searches for this thread, I happily was able to find some Boston solution in a pharmacist in Ibiza!