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Original poster

Suddenly cannot tolerate contact lenses after 15 years.... Why?!

28 replies

chocolatecremeegg · 21/03/2009 19:52

Have been wearing contact lenses since I was 18. A few weeks ago my eyes became red and sore with a sort of burning sensation. I stopped wearing my lenses and took medicated eye drops. Eyes cleared up so after a few days started wearing the lenses again but the same thing happened- eyes became sore and were so red I couldn't go out in public without wearing sunglasses. Left the lenses out for a week and tried to wear them for an hour yesterday, but you guessed it the same thing happened again... Have now accepted defeated and bought a pair of glasses and have booked an appointment with my optician to check my eyes, though I'm pretty sure it's the contact lense they're rebelling against and not an infection. Why oh why after 15 years can I not wear the lenses. Never had a single problem with them before, so bloody annoying!

OP posts:
yomellamoHelly · 21/03/2009 20:08

This happened to my dh after about 10 years of wearing hard contact lenses. He then stopped wearing them for about 5 (?) years (new ones helped for a short while). He eventually got soft ones having asked some senior optician's opinion (not an unknown thing to happen with hard lenses apparently). Has had them about 5 years now. He doesn't wear them 24/7 like he used to (will cause his eyes to be sore), but does for evenings out and doing sport.

olivo · 21/03/2009 20:11

you did try different ones when you put them back in, didnt you, in case it was an infection? sorry if this is stating the obvious. i had to change types after about 14 years of wearing one type, to allow more oxygen to my eyes. they were much more comfortable and seem to have done the job.

Original poster
chocolatecremeegg · 21/03/2009 20:23

Yes Olivio, I wondered if this was the problem- a pair of infected lenses so I opened 2 new packs which still made my eyes sore! Am wondering whether daily lenses might be tolerated by my eyes, my current one's are monthly lenses. Good to know that a similar thing happened to you and yomellamohelly's dh and changing lenses helped, it gives me hope. Not getting on very well with wearing specs at the moment

OP posts:
Original poster
chocolatecremeegg · 21/03/2009 20:23

sorry, meant olivo not olivio, you can tell I'm not wearing my new glasses as I type...

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DumbledoresGirl · 21/03/2009 20:26

I wore lenses with no problems for well over 20 years. Then last year I was told my lenses were no longer fitting properly, no idea why (and no symptoms either) but new lenses sorted me out and today I went back after a year, and I am back to having healthy eyes.

Maybe your fit has just changed and a simple change of fit or material will sort you out.

tassisssss · 21/03/2009 20:26

i have this problem at the moment. it's doing my head in TBH as I've been wearing contacts for over 10 years. I have some kind of infection that won't shift. Really hoping it might clear but it's been about 6 months now.

Nontoxic · 21/03/2009 20:30

This happened to me after about 5 years of wearing (about 16 years ago).
I still can't wear even dailies, although I keep a few for evenings out. But, tbh, even that's too uncomfortable to be worth it - am pretty much specky four eyes these days.

LauriefairycakeeatsCupid · 21/03/2009 20:31

Yep, try a change of type of lenses. Also this happened to me a couple of years ago and my eye had changed shape from a rugby ball shape to a round shape (my age apparently) so check prescription.

A few weeks might make all the difference too- give any minor scratches on the eyes a chance to really heal.

Dottoressa · 21/03/2009 20:33

Poor you!

I wore lenses for about 15 years, and then started - all of a sudden - with dry, red, itchy eyes that made them more or less unwearable. I went to the optician, who said she thought it might be an allergy; I referred myself to a top eye man, who said it was dry eyes, almost certainly as a result of pregnancy. He said it's very common in women who've had children. Of course, it doesn't mean that this is true in your case - it may well be that a change of fit or material might help, as DDG suggests.

This specialist inserted some little plug things into my eyes to try to retain the tears (he did a tear-test, and I had no tears at all - evidently used them all up on frustration with the DCs ). He said I could try lenses again, but that the symptoms would return, and it was a case of whether or not I could live with them. (He also rather helpfully added that as I'd already got a bloke and children, I wasn't quite so much in need of contact lenses ).

Anyway, I am still wearing glasses (reluctantly) now. I still wear lenses for swimming and special occasions (daily disposables), but neither of those is exactly a regular event!!

I hope you manage to sort this out.

MmeLindt · 21/03/2009 20:35

I just got new lenses, haven't worn them in years. The first ones I tried I could not leave in as my eyes were itching and burning.

The optician told me that sometimes folk are allergic to the silicone in the lenses. I don't know if the latest ones are better (picked them up today) but it might be worth asking the optician for different lenses.

Original poster
chocolatecremeegg · 21/03/2009 20:38

Oh god this is what I'm worried about, my eyes never ever being able to tolerate contact lenses ever again . I'm such a vain creature! Interesting dottoressa about the having children connection, I wondered that too, a bit like how some women's teeth are never the same after giving birth or how some women's hair is never quite as it was pre-children.

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tassisssss · 21/03/2009 20:42

dott, i was convinced it must be hormonal/a pregnancy thing as i had exactly the same when pregnant with my previous baby...my optician didn't seem to think that was likely though...i think i need to find a better optician...

MrsTittleMouse · 21/03/2009 20:42

This happened to me too - it's really annoying isn't it? I had to stop wearing lenses at all for several weeks and then I went back to the optician and tried some different lenses. I'm now on dailies. They're the most expensive but they don't irritate my eyes. The optician said that sometimes it's the solution that you're actually reacting to - and dailies eliminate the need for solution - could that be you're problem too?

Original poster
chocolatecremeegg · 21/03/2009 20:45

Oh MrsTittleMouse, I hadn't thought it could be the solution, I wonder whether I'm using an out of date one (grasping at straws emotion). I am pinning all my hopes on dailies though how I will find the money I don't know, am bankrupt after paying out for glasses today, a grand total of £205

OP posts:
bloss · 21/03/2009 20:46

Message withdrawn

Original poster
chocolatecremeegg · 21/03/2009 20:48

bloss I have just inspected my eyes, I too have a lot of blood vessels near the surface, had never noticed before...

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Dottoressa · 21/03/2009 20:58

Choc - I'd try to get referred to an eye specialist, even if you have to wait a while. It might clear up while you're waiting as a result of different lenses/solutions [hopeful emoticon]...

Glasses should be free (and they should be nice ones!!). It's not like you can choose whether or not to be short/long-sighted...

pollywobbledoodle · 21/03/2009 21:07

not getting dehydrated this can change the shape of your eyeball and make your eyes dry

some meds/staring at computer screen (eg are you a newish mumsnetter) can also dry the eye

allergy to solutions/pollens?

twoluvlykids · 21/03/2009 21:10

This happened to me, I wore daily disposables and suddenly developed an allergy.

I now wear fortnightly disposables, and they're fine.

theDreadPiratePerArdua · 21/03/2009 21:10

Been wearing gas permeable 'hard' lenses for 28 years now (shortly before 12 birthday present), currently shortly before 40 an age I cannot possibly disclose. The only probs I had were due to a brief flirtation with soft lenses when they were being billed as lenses you can sleep in. Turns out that drunkenly falling asleep in, or randomly assigning eggcups to my gas-perm hard lenses were way better than the moisture-absorbing soft lenses that seemed so much cheaper (but had to be replaced each week, rather than every 2 years or so).

Who's your optician? Have you checked with an independant?

Original poster
chocolatecremeegg · 21/03/2009 21:17

Dottoressa, I agree, glasses should be free! Very naive as did not realise you had to pay for the glass part of the glasses, just assumed you paid for the frames I tried the cheapest on but they were uncomfortable and seemed very fragile so opted for a more pricey pair especially as it looks like I may be wearing them for a while.

the DreadPirate- my optician is vision express, think I will push for a referral. Can my optician do this for me I wonder. Couldn't get an appointment with my optician til Friday...

pollywobble, use computer screen for work but have done so for past 15 years so my lifestyle hasn't really changed.

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MERLYPUSS · 21/03/2009 21:19

This happened to me. the optiton said it was GPC - Giant papilloma conjuntivitis or something. The inside of my eyelids had become alergic to the lenses. I had my eyes lasered. Expensive but fab.

theDreadPiratePerArdua · 21/03/2009 21:20

You don't need a referral - just go see an independant optician - there's bound to be one on your local high-street. Just ask if you can gave a chat with an optician - they won't be bound by commission if they're not in a chain/franchise, and maybe they can give you some ideas?

bloss · 21/03/2009 21:21

Message withdrawn

tassisssss · 21/03/2009 21:44

yeah, i so need to go see an independent optician...i use specsaver...not convinced they're that great...