If you wear contact lenses...

[MrsWhirling]

Hi all,

I had a sight test yesterday & was told I needed to wear glasses all the time.

I fancy contact lenses but wondered if they were easy to use & how expensive they were?

Any experiences would be grately appreciated xxx

I think you need to try and see how you get on with them. I know plenty of people who love them, I tried them and lasted just a few weeks (of making myself give them a go!) before I went back to my glasses.

If you have a simple prescription they're not that expensive. I have a relatively complex prescription and am a 'bad patient' for lenses, mine are £30/month for two weekly disposables. Maybe £10 - £15/month if you are less awkward?

If you have daily disposables they are incredibly easy - put in am, take out & chuck when done. But even the longer life ones are pretty easy these days, I have an all-in-one solution so no fiddling with cleaning, rinsing etc.

I've worn them since I was 16 so well over 20 years. I used to find them uncomfortable at times but they have improved enormously over the years and the ones I have now are so good I pretty much forget I'm wearing them - I sleep in them and just take them out once a week or so to give my eyes a break.

You do need to be scrupulous about hygiene and you're not supposed to swim or shower in them due to water-related nasties - I'm not as religious about this as I should be I have to say .

Gas permeable, about £200 a pair, last good few years, cleaner £5 lasts month or two, I have glasses for mornings, nights and emergencies.

I have worn contacts lenses for years without problems. At present I have the daily disposable pairs as I prefer these as they feel fresher and I don't wear them every day as I also wear my glasses.

I pay £25 per month for 20 pairs a month but I know you can get them cheaper but I like the optician where I get mine from and have been going there a long time.

I have been wearing them for 30 years! I currently use daily disposables as I am prone to eye infections.

The only ones I could not get on with were the gas permeable, but daily, monthly, yearly, I have had them all and all fine

I love mine! I use continuous wear ones, basically I change them once a month and then forget about them . I do occasionally suffer with dry eyes when I'm tired but I just use some dry eye drops and that sorts it out.

I use Specsavers lensmail, I think I pay around £15 a month, that includes yearly checkups, eye tests and I can see an optician every time I have problems, usually they fit me in the same day.

You will need to build up slowly, I wasn't allowed the extended wear ones for the first six months of using lenses.

I love wearing contacts and getting to choose when to be glasses-me. I pay for two weeklies but I probably use them for longer so save money.

I have a toric lens for astigmatism but it took a little bit of getting used to when I got it recently. When I originally got contacts it was just normal ones and I adjusted within a couple of days.

I think the fluid you use is quite important. I used cheaper stuff for a while and was more uncomfortable. I use BioTrue now (and rub the lenses before putting them in) and most of the time I can't even feel lenses in my eyes. Love them.

I hated wearing glasses. I use Focus Dailies which you chuck at the end of the day and have never had a problem with them, used them for 10 years now and in swimming pool, shower and (sometimes sleep in them when utterly knackered, ok for a nap, not so all night!). I have brought them on line, I found buying them from an optitians to be extortionate. I get them from the contact lens shop, free postage, and turn up one or two days after you order (which is a relief as usually order them when on last pair!). I used glasses still for first thing in morning before up, and on flights. Good luck x

I use lensmail too, Specsavers gave me a two week trial before I signed up so I knew what I was getting into. I suffer from dry eyes to but eye drops resolve that easily. Once I'd got over the idea of touching my eyes I've found them really easy to wear.

I have a hideous prescription (-10+ in both eyes and astigmatism) and lenses are my saviour! My glasses are really heavy even though I have astronomically expensive super thin lenses in them, because of my prescription the lenses are still really thick at the edges. But my lenses are just normal soft disposable ones, I pay about £13 a month for them (Vision Express). With lenses you get much better peripheral vision and after the first couple of weeks you don't even notice you are wearing them. Disposables require very little care (just wash your hands before putting them in, chuck them away at the end of the day). I've had lenses since I was 18, I'm 42 now. I dread the day when I'm too senile to cope with lenses! I do keep a spare pair of glasses in my car for emergencies (never had to wear them) and I have an old pair at home for night-time.
All the big opticians will give you a free trial of CL's - why not give them a go?

I've been wearing daily disposables for about 15 years now - no faffing about with solutions - just bin them at the end of the day. I still wear glasses 1 day a week to give my eyes a break.

I wouldn't be without them & would highly recommend.

My 8 year old daughter has just started wearing them so it can't be too difficult. I know some people just don't like them though.
My DH has the continuous wear ones through specsavers lensmail scheme for £15/month. As stated above, this includes all care and checkups plus one pair of glasses. I'm not sure how often you get the free glasses because DH never wears them.
DD wears monthly disposables and they cost £18/month through lens mail including the solution.

I wear daily disposables which I get from Asda online opticians for £15 per month. I also pay a d/d of £3 per month to the optician where I go for my annual lens check. it also covers any other visits to the optician lens related.

I've been using specs savers monthly lenses ( take them out every night and change once a month) for years. I love them and would never go back to full time glasses. They take a bit of getting used to, taking them in and out takes ages to start with.

I pay £18 a month, get regular checkups and a pair of cheap glasses for free!

I spend £30 per month and that gets me 2 pairs of lenses per month, all the solutions and check-ups every year. The lenses i wear can be worn for a long time so i'm wearing them 12+ hours a day.

I haven't had any problems with them and have been wearing contact lenses for 20+ years. But i've spend a small fortune over the years and am seriously considering whether i should have laser eye surgery this year.

I have hideous eyesight and different prescriptions for both eyes, including astigmatism in one. So much so, in fact, that my lenses aren't the sort kept in stock, they have to make them specially for me

I've been wearing them for ten years. I wear soft toric (no idea what that means) monthlies and I pay £60 for a six month supply from vision direct, although I made the last lot last for a year.

Hideous eyesight here too, and have had gas permeable since I was 17. Cost me £130 then, cost me £130 now, and I'm 47.

I have the toric ones described by twllbach, but mine aren't monthly.

Ask your optician for samples to try - most are willing to do this and it means you haven't wasted money if you don't get on with them.

Specsavers are doing a free trial at the moment.
They will examine your eyes, go through the different options and then give you lenses to try for a week.

They also teach you how to put them in and take them out.

I wear monthly lenses, they are 18.50 a month.
Dd wears dailies, I think they are £20

I do use eye drops sometimes because my eyes get a bit dry but I've been wearing them for years with no problems.

I still wear my glasses in the morning and when I am really tired.