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Lawrence Harris8 · 2004-08-10T09:48:34+00:00

So, I’m finally trying to get used to these contact lenses—it’s only day four, but honestly? It’s been a struggle. And not even a balanced struggle, either. It…

Michael Fisher8 Member

11 messages
joined May 2006

#41 · Dec 25, 2005

I’m pretty "sensitive," so I honestly thought I’d never be able to handle contacts... like, at all. But when I first got my soft lenses, my sister was at the eye doctor with me and she put one on her finger then told me, "Go ahead, try it yourself." And I actually did it! :) It was a bit harder once I got home, though. I think you just get the hang of putting them in and taking them out pretty quickly. You'll adjust in your own time—maybe an extra half hour of struggling every day. Eventually, you'll be fine wearing them from 7 AM until 1 AM. Just a tip: don't bother buying those little suction tools. If some dust gets in your eye while you're out walking down the street, you'll need to take the lens out right then and there. It's way easier to do it manually. Just look straight ahead, pull your eyelid, and it'll pop right out. Just keep practicing. : )

Chloe Palmer2 Regular

266 messages
joined May 2009

#42 · Dec 25, 2005

Sean Nguyen4 said:Quick question for the contact lens crowd: How long did it take before they actually felt comfortable enough to wear all day? I’m using hard lenses, though I’ve only had them for two days, so I suppose I'm still adjusting.

I gave up on them entirely. When the nurse first put them in for me, it looked effortless, but at home, it took me nearly thirty minutes just to get them in—and even then, I couldn't stand them and just waited for the moment I could take them out. Maybe I'll give it another shot. 😁
Does anyone have any advice on how to get them in quickly and easily?

Sean Nguyen4 Active Member

183 messages
joined Sep 2007

#43 · Dec 25, 2005

Chloe Palmer2 said:I gave up on them. When the nurse put them in for me the first time, it looked easy enough. At home, it took me like thirty minutes just to get them in, and then I couldn't stand them, so I just waited to take them out. Maybe I'll try again. 😁
Anyone got tips on how to get these things in fast and easy?

Yeah, I totally get you. 🙏 I guess putting them in isn't actually that hard once you learn, you just have to make sure you don't blink too fast when you're setting the lens, otherwise it might slide into the corner of your eye. You probably dealt with that. 😬 Don't give up too soon. If you already did, maybe at least keep the lenses if you ever decide to give it another shot.

Yesterday was my first time walking around outside with contacts. I walk into a grocery store, see this super hot cashier, and I'm stuck staring at the floor because my eyes are irritated. "Half a pound of cabbage, please." 🙂

Plus, my left eye is acting weird. Some time ago, some dish soap splashed into it, and my vision hasn't been great there since. Now, when I wear a contact, it feels foggy in that eye and I have to blink constantly just to make it feel "normal" again. It’s also annoying how light scatters off the edge of the lens, so if I want to look left or right, I basically have to move my whole head instead of just my eyes.

Basically, it's not quite what I expected. Or maybe I'm just overthinking it. 😢

Chloe Palmer2 Regular

266 messages
joined May 2009

#44 · Dec 25, 2005

Sean Nguyen4 said:Don't give up too quickly; if you already have, at least keep those lenses maintained just in case you decide to give it another shot at some point.

I suppose I am doing that. 👍

Sean Nguyen4 said:Something else is bothering my left eye; a while back, some dish soap splashed into it, and since then, my vision has been a bit blurry on that side. Now, whenever I put a lens in, it feels constantly foggy, and I find myself blinking far too often just to try and "normalize" things. It’s also incredibly irritating because light seems to scatter off the edge of the lens, so if I want to look left or right, I practically have to move my entire head instead of just my eyes.

I went through something similar, though nothing ever actually splashed into my eye. 😁
Maybe it's just a matter of the eyes adjusting to them...

Sean Nguyen4 Active Member

183 messages
joined Sep 2007

#45 · Dec 25, 2005

Chloe Palmer2 said:That happened to me too, but I didn't end up getting anything sprayed in my eye 😁
Maybe the eyes just need time to adjust to them...

I guess I always give up pretty fast if things don't work right away. Whatever, I'm going to go try putting them back in now. 😁

Daniel Diaz6 Member

22 messages
joined Sep 2005

#46 · Dec 26, 2005

Bradley Smith said:Just Google "ortho-k" 🙂

Thanks for the tip!
🙂

David Jackson2 Active Member

55 messages
joined Mar 2023

#47 · Dec 27, 2005

I spent about six months trying to force myself to get used to hard contacts. I was doing it bit by bit every single day—just following whatever my eye doctor told me to do, stretching out the wear time slowly. Honestly? It was such a massive headache 😢.
Eventually, I made the switch to soft lenses—mostly Acuvue and some Surevue—and man, what a difference. There was practically zero adjustment period. Now? I can barely even tell they’re in my eyes.

Linda Hughes88 Active Member

89 messages
joined Jun 2006

#48 · Dec 27, 2005

Bradley Smith said:I’m honestly just getting used to the idea again... being able to rub my eyes or wash my face without a second thought, or even just running through the dust without constantly worrying that my contacts are gonna pop out or start scratching my eyes up...

well, I still do all that stuff while wearing my contacts
I even went out into the ocean and did some snorkeling with them in...
though after a few days, they were pretty much trashed...

Melissa Price6 Active Member

81 messages
joined Jan 2008

#49 · Dec 27, 2005

I mean, honestly, things still tend to fall out of my eyes sometimes, so I don't know if the risk is even worth it, but the biggest thing is how much slower my prescription has been changing, not to mention how much easier life is without having to constantly fiddle with stuff😁
Back when I was stuck wearing glasses all the time, my prescription would jump by a whole step in less than a year...
But now? It’s finally leveled off at a pretty normal number..
Though, man, whenever I think back to the absolute nightmare of dealing with those hard contact lenses..
I swear I was on the verge of getting constant eye infections every single week..

jadesailor14 Regular

314 messages
joined May 2006

#50 · Dec 27, 2005

David Jackson2 said:I tried getting used to RGP lenses for about six months. I wore them just a little bit every day, following my eye doctor's instructions to slowly increase the time. Oh man, what a struggle that was! 😢.
Then I switched to soft contacts (like Acuvue or Surevue), and honestly, there was almost no adjustment period at all. I can barely even feel them in my eyes.

That’s pretty much my experience too!
Except I actually started wearing contacts back in the late '70s, way before you could even find them easily at a local US optometrist.
First, I struggled through hard lenses, then moved on to rigid gas permeable ones.
Just thinking about how much those used to hurt brings tears to my eyes!
It took me a full month of adjusting before I finally felt comfortable enough to leave the house.
Ever since soft lenses became common, I've stuck with them—probably for at least 15 years now.
And everything has been great!

As for whether hard or RGP lenses stop your prescription from changing, I wouldn't know.
My vision actually got worse while I was wearing them (I started when I was about 14).
But prescriptions change even with glasses, and since my vision is just clearer with contacts, they're always my first choice!
In the last 10 years or so, my prescription hasn't budged at all.
But hey, I'm 42 now, so my development finished a long time ago!

My daughter has worn soft contacts since she was 10, and now that she's 17, her prescription has only gone up by 0.5.

jadesailor14 Regular

314 messages
joined May 2006

#51 · Dec 27, 2005

RandomUser said:I actually went out on the boat with them and did some snorkeling with my eyes wide open!

Mine works just like that too,
and honestly, I can go even deeper since I use full gear!

granitetiger25 Newcomer

7 messages
joined Dec 2005

#52 · Jan 3, 2006

So, I used to wear those semi-rigid contacts, and I really tried to make them work—I mean, I spent like two whole months just trying to get my eyes used to them—but they were honestly such a huge pain, and I could never go more than maybe two hours without feeling super uncomfortable. Eventually, I just gave up and switched over to the soft ones, though the catch was that I had to order them from some specialty supplier out of state and end up waiting like two or three months just for them to arrive in the mail. Ugh, thank goodness those days are finally behind me, though; I just went in to get my vision correction surgery done, so no more contact lens drama for me!

Sean Nguyen4 Active Member

183 messages
joined Sep 2007

#53 · Jan 5, 2006

granitetiger25 said:I used those semi-hard lenses once. I tried getting used to them for two months, but they were just too annoying. I couldn't last more than two hours before they bothered me. Eventually, I switched to soft ones, but I had to order them from out of state and wait two or three months for delivery. Honestly, I'm just glad those days are over now that I finally had my vision correction surgery.

Could you share where you went for the procedure? I'm wondering what your prescription was and how much the whole thing ended up costing you. 🙂

fadedtrucker19 Member

31 messages
joined Dec 2002

#54 · Jan 5, 2006

I adapted to contact lenses almost instantly.

I’ve been wearing soft lenses for... how long has it been... since fifth grade, so about 13 years now...

The instructions mentioned it, and my eye doctor reinforced it too: you’re supposed to wear them for just a couple of hours during the first week, then gradually bump it up to 4, 6, 8, or 12 hours...
It used to take me thirty minutes or even longer just to get them in or out; my eyes would constantly wander, and frankly, it was an absolute nightmare. I’d try to seat the lens incorrectly, and it would end up stuck against my sclera, making it impossible to move.
Ultimately, from day one, I figured there was no point in struggling for two hours just to put them in and then immediately take them out after two hours, so I wore them for about 8 hours on the first day, and immediately jumped straight into full-day wear (12+ hours).
For a while, I was lugging a massive kit around with me, until sixth grade when I managed to sprain my leg and realized I had to learn how to put them in without using a mirror—because when you have braces, trying to balance a mirror over a desk is a losing battle.
And so... everything is great now.

Sleeping in them isn't really an option for me; if I wear them for too long, some sort of gunk starts accumulating on them, so after a long day, I usually take them out, clean them, rinse my eyes, and then pop them back in... if I happen to fall asleep with them in, my eyes feel completely glued shut, and dealing with the aftermath—either cleaning the lenses or waiting for my eyes to clear themselves out—is just a total drag.

The biggest issue with contacts is actually how excruciatingly painful it is when something flies into your eye... still, though, I wouldn't trade them back for glasses for anything in the world.

Kenneth Kelly5 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Oct 2004

#55 · Jan 6, 2006

fadedtrucker19 said:The worst part about contacts is how much it hurts when something gets in your eye... still, I wouldn't go back to glasses for anything...

I'm with you on the glasses—never worked out for me. Been wearing contacts for about a year now and got used to them pretty fast. My prescription is -1.75, so I wear soft lenses. I've actually fallen asleep in them a few times and woke up totally fine. It's just a bit of a hassle having to carry the solution and the case everywhere, but you get used to it...

Anonymous Veteran

3.6K messages
joined May 2005

#56 · Jan 21, 2006

So, we’re talking about contact lens solutions (the soft kind), right?

Ever since I started wearing contacts, I’ve been using CareCredit, but I’ve heard some whispers that they aren't actually that great. Apparently, the Boston brand is way better because it's an all-in-one solution—it handles both cleaning and storage. I'm wondering if there's any truth to that? Right now, my routine involves two different solutions (one for disinfecting/storage and one for cleaning) plus those protein removal tablets. Is switching to a single solution actually worth it?

Susan Gonzalez4 Member

42 messages
joined Sep 2008

#57 · Jan 21, 2006

I’m on Total too, but honestly, I’ve started skipping that cleaning solution regularly—it just doesn't sit right with me. My eyes end up feeling super irritated in the morning, and my lenses look all cloudy. To be real, I don't even notice when I skip it; I'd much rather just toss in one of those weekly tablets every seven days. 🙂

Roger Sullivan5 Member

13 messages
joined Jun 2006

#58 · Feb 21, 2006

I mostly stick to CareCredit myself. About two years back, my doctor was actually pretty horrified when I mentioned I was using CareCredit and insisted I switch over to Boston immediately.
The only headache is that even now, I can't find Boston products in most local pharmacies, which makes it impossible to stay consistent with my routine.🙄
Personally, I find it works better than CareCredit, though you have to remember they serve different purposes—one is for storage and the other is for cleaning.

Matthew Morris28 Active Member

55 messages
joined Jan 2005

#59 · Feb 21, 2006

Honestly, I’d much rather stick with two separate solutions instead of some "all-in-one" deal. My take? It just makes more sense to have two distinct products, each specifically tuned for its own job, rather than some weird hybrid. Like, one is meant to clean, and the other is for storage. I mean, what kind of "sterile" solution is actually full of detergent that you can just dump straight into your eye? Or if it's a storage solution, how is it supposed to clean like a detergent?

I used Johnson & Johnson for four years, but I switched over to CareCredit about six months ago because my lenses just feel "lighter" with them. As for stuff from Boston, I haven't found anything worth mentioning there.

My eye doctor hit me up this morning saying my new lenses—pardon me, my new contacts—are ready. Heading over there at 10:00, so looks like I'll be spending today cleaning my brand new pair.

How do you guys handle cleaning new lenses? I usually soak them in cleaning solution for at least 5 minutes, then let them sit in the storage/moisturizing solution for at least 12 hours. What's your routine?

Also, quick question... do any of you rinse your lenses with regular tap water? I know it's a big no-no, but I end up rinsing the cleaning solution off with water before putting them into the storage solution. Same thing when I take them out—I rinse them with water and use some artificial tears before popping them in. Otherwise, they feel heavy and my vision gets super blurry.

fadedtrucker19 Member

31 messages
joined Dec 2002

#60 · Feb 21, 2006

Matthew Morris28 said:How are you all cleaning your new lenses? I soak mine in cleaning solution for at least five minutes, then let them sit in the storage/moisturizing solution for at least 12 hours. What about you?

And one follow-up question... Do any of you rinse your lenses with tap water? I know it’s strictly forbidden, but I tend to rinse the cleaning solution off with water before moving them into the storage solution. I also rinse them with water after taking them out of the storage liquid and add a drop of artificial tears before putting them in my eyes. Otherwise, they feel heavy and my vision gets incredibly blurry.

As for me, whether they are brand new or old news, I am currently cleaning my lenses with standard dish soap (like Dawn) and plain water.

Granted, these aren't exactly new; I’ve definitely had these for four or five years now.

In my experience, the best detergent used to be Advisor, not to mention the good old LC-65-N.
I have no idea what my partner uses these days; Advisor isn't available anymore because apparently their distributor was completely unreliable—or at least, that's the story I've been hearing over at the Contact Lens Clinic.

Once a year, I usually head in there to get them polished; during the summer, everything seems to accumulate on them, which makes my vision start to cloud up.

I'm not sure what my partner's using; she claims this universal solution is fantastic, even better than Advisor... I might ask her about it, maybe even pick some up... though I might just head in for an eye exam soon, since everyone keeps telling me it's time to upgrade to new lenses, even if these ones still feel perfectly fine to me.

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