Soft contact lenses

[RaraRachael]

I've used hard contact lenses for years but now they're drying out too much to be comfortable. I had an appointment to trial soft lenses last week. The optician put them in but I could not remove them. I tried several times then had a panic attack and she had to come and remove them.

I'm going back to have another attempt next week but feel that I'll always be worrying that I won't be able to remove them.

They seem so big and flimsy compared to my old ones.
Any advice on how to overcome my fears would be welcome.

I switched from rigid gas permeable to soft about 20 years ago and it did take a bit of getting used to, but I use exactly the same technique for removing them, which is pinching them out with my eyelids, is that what you tried?

Also were they dailies? Those really are very soft and flimsy, I wear monthlies and they are a bit less floppy, also mine are licensed for being able to sleep in them so if you really can’t get them out on a given day it’s not the end of the world, you can try again later or in the morning,

I had a little tutorial by a junior staff member in Boots, who was a lot more patient and experienced with this than the optician was. There are a couple of ways to take them out - ask to be shown different ways until you find one you're comfortable with. I agree with the PP about monthlies - they are more solid; but also you have to be shown how to clean them.
Don't despair, OP - you've got over the biggest hurdle (putting something in your eye) so I'm sure it won't take you long to get the hang of it.

Also, get yourself a little bottle of 'tears', which lubricate the eye and make it easier to get them out.

I’ve worn them for years. I’ve never pinched them out. I slide them to the outer corner and they come out easily.

They're monthlies. I was told to slide them down to the lower part of my eye then pinch between two fingers.
She got me to put my left arm over my head to pull up my eyelid so I felt it was a lot to coordinate at the same time.

I’ve tried the sliding them onto the white thing but cannot do it to save my life, so I have been successfully pinching them out with mny lids for 20 years.

20 years ago when I first started wearing contacts, Boots had me doing this arm over the head technique for hours over multiple appointments. It’s ridiculous, never worked, and I don’t know a single contact lens wearer who does it like that!

I just use an index finger from each hand to “pinch” them out, and I find it’s easier to get a grip with dry fingers. Never needed to hold my eyelids open with my fingers, and I have quite heavy lids!

Look straight ahead and then gently pinch and lift off.

This. Get some that keep the shape such as Acuvue Oasys, I swear by them as my dalies and not like bits of cling film in your eyes.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've got an appointment next week for another attempt so hopefully I'll get on better!

Well I had another disastrous appointment today. Eventually managed to gett them in but could not remove them so have decided to abandon the idea altogether.

If you want to try again without the pressure of the optician watching, order some online and practice at home. I get mine from vision direct, they don’t verify your prescription and it’s only about £15

IOP, I had to have 5 appointments at the opticians before I could safely be sent home with monthlies, when I first tried them a few years ago.

The first time the optician put them in I felt fine, and then passed out about 30 seconds later. It is what it is!

Anyway I practiced, and got better. I now use dailies, which I actually find much more comfortable and much easier to get in and out despite them being floppier and thinner. Don't give up.

I’m sorry to hear that, @RaraRachael.

But across 40 years of soft lens wearing I’ve never attempted some of the strange contortions mentioned here. I’ve always just used my index finger to slide the lens to my lower eyelid and then picked it out. 🤷‍♀️

My main fear would be that I'd manage to put them in then I'd spend the whole day worrying that I couldn't get them out again.

Even the optician was struggling so that made it even worse.

Please don’t buy any online to practice with as what will you do if you can’t remove them? It’s not unusual to take a few appointments to be able to master putting lenses in and out, especially as you’re so used to rigid lenses! That’s the same for anyone trying lenses for the first time. Sometimes trying a different soft lens material helps as different materials can be easier to handle for some people. Trying different techniques is worth a try too.

I'm pinching them too. I can't do it sliding off. It helps if the eye is not so dry. Next time try an eye drop first before pinching.

I've just done a contact lense trial with Specsavers. I had to have four sessions before I was allowed to take my trial pack home and then I couldn't get them out so I had to have another ten days of practice!

But, I did it in the end and now I'm managing them just fine.

I used a video made by an optometrist called Dr Sunny.

Also, pinch wider than you think you need. You have to catch the edges

For some reason I just couldn't get the hang of putting my finger on them in my eye to remove them. They're like huge circles of clingfilm - my eyesight is so poor I can't even see them in the little pod.
I would never send away online as I doubt they'd do my prescription - I can't order cheap glasses online.

You can’t be worse at it than me. Honestly, four times I went. And once I couldn’t get them out at all, so I slept in one, then tried for about three hours the next day before admitting defeat and going in to specsavers to get it out. Then another time, I got one out but I couldn’t get the other one out. Tried and tried and tried. Could not do it. Slept in it because I was so exhausted. Got up in the morning, opened my eyes and I could tell that the one I had been trying to get out…wasn’t there. But the other eye was! So I’d been trying and trying to get it out of the wrong eye.

But now, a week later I can just do it.

Oh my Lord, @AllHoityToity - what a nightmare!

(I once found myself stuck in some brand new boots and after hours of wrangling genuinely thought I might have to sleep in them.)

For glasses, firmoo go up to -18 and are great for cheap spares and prescription sunglasses