[kanovic]

Wish I could wear contacts but I just can’t put them in and when I manage to then I can’t take them out. I hate having my eye touched. Would also go lasik but I scared. Sorry don’t have anything useful to tell you.

[No one]

When I was starting to wear contact lenses I had to order a prescribed cleaning/storing solution in a drugstore, use a dropper to put solution into a lens to rub it (inside only) to clean and boil the lenses (using a suitable container) for 20 minutes every few days to maintain.

As times changed and I started to just buy ReNu (I never bothered to choose/compare, it was the only option available I guess ) all I do is use fresh solution (replace it) in the container every time I take the lenses off which is every night, of course! No rubbing/cleaning anymore (no boiling either ). Nor I count those 30 days to wear: when the lenses wear off I feel it (irritation) and replace them.

To avoid putting a lens into the wrong eye, as it has been mentioned already, always start with the same (left ) eye (to both insert and remove) and notice the container cap/cup marked for it.

[No one]

Originally Posted by kanovic

Wish I could wear contacts but I just can’t put them in and when I manage to then I can’t take them out. I hate having my eye touched.

It's a matter of practise. The first time I had the doctor insert the lenses into my eyes (they wanted to shoot some documentary but the doctor denied it pointing at me pouring tears , no crying, just the irritation). It was quite a relief to start doing it myself.

When I had to give blood samples for treatment every day there was a boy who had been afraid of blood, according to his mother, but he was getting used to seeing it as he had to give those samples too. Don't be a weakling.

To take a lens out shift it to the side (the less sensitive part of the eye) first.

[BMW F22]

Opti-Free was our preferred choice but switched to the Costco brand and it worked just fine. Switched to dailies for the last year just so I have a fresh pair every day and no need to carry solutions when traveling. I’ve always used Acuvue Oasys (first the bi-weekly and now the dailies).

[gqgambler]

So many variables here to consider. A lot is personal preference and how your body reacts and handles things; you are putting a medical grade plastic onto your eyeball. First place you should go is your eye doctor and talk things over with them. A good office will have a contact lens fitter that can help/recommend the best lens for your eyeball and care for that lens. Also look at what your contact maker recommends. After all these are your eyes that you are dealing with and I feel its one area your shouldn't skimp on because vision is kinda important.

I've used different contacts and solutions in the past, and currently have a mix of glasses, dailies, and monthlies. We all probably do it, but you shouldn't go beyond the maker recommendations for wear...again its your vision and bad things can happen. Its complex, but contacts are rated on duration by their oxygen permeability (letting oxygen into your eyeball) and FDA approval. There are some daily contacts that are good enough to be certified for longer use but the maker didn't seek FDA approval for it. I currently wear Focus Daily 1 (switched from Acuvue years ago and the feel of these Focus I found superior for my eye) and my eye doctor was involved in their trials; he told me they were good enough to wear beyond dailies but company didn't get them certified for longer use. I mix and match things up; glasses when I'm lazy or working at night, dailies if I want to just pitch something or planning a long day of use or travel/sporting activities, and monthlies for when I'm just wearing contacts for a couple of hours or a short work day where it isn't worth it to waste a daily lens. I use Renu or Bausch & Lomb Bio true solutions on all my contacts and keep some Visine allergy solution around for when my eye get irritated. A 6 month supply of dallies can last me over a year because I don't wear them every day.

Its not advisable to wear contacts continuously and you should give your eyeball a break from having them in all the time, as many have mentioned the complications that can occur. If you have to wear for long times each day, dailies may be your best choice. I've found the longer I keep my contacts in for the day the worse they feel and begin to affect my vision. If I sleep or nap in contacts they stick to my eyeballs, so that's a no-no for me.

I use to dread touchy my eyeball, but now its no big deal.

[eluded]

Alcon opti free.

If you have lenses that last three months or longer you will need to clean them at night. You can do this by applying pressure and rubbing them between your fingers. The key is you need to do it nearly hard enough to tear the contact lens and or disfigure it. Use slightly less pressure than that and you will discover you can make a three month lens last for five or six months.

If you have a lens that you don't keep for over 30 days who cares. Just take it out and put it in any solution.

[UncleWede]

Clear Care.
H2O2 solution, with some sort of metal in the bottom of the carrier that converts to H2O, but bubbles and makes the protein disappear. Just make SURE you give it the required 6 hours of soaking. This past weekend the bottle got knocked over and the solution mainly drained out. I tried to insert in one eye, got it in, then scrambling to remove as fast as I could.

Would you rub your fingers on your paint with some water, and expect it to be just as shiny when you dry it off?????

[TheWatchGuy]

i wear dailies so no need for solution. I like them much more than my old 2 weekers. Like you said, they tend to wear out after a few wears and youve always gotta worry about solution and stuff. With dailies, every day is a fresh day

[UncleWede]

I just ordered 4 boxes of AO bifocals, runs me $160 considering my insurance. That should last me 4-5 months, since I wear them for 3 weeks instead of 2.

How much would equivalent be for dailies???

[TheWatchGuy]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

I just ordered 4 boxes of AO bifocals, runs me $160 considering my insurance. That should last me 4-5 months, since I wear them for 3 weeks instead of 2.

How much would equivalent be for dailies???

i think i spend ~600/yr w/ no insurance

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by TheWatchGuy

i think i spend ~600/yr w/ no insurance

Sounds about right for the Acuvue Oasys Dailies. They’re a out 2-3x more than biweekly (Bi-weekly ones are about $200-250 for a year supply) but no solutions or cases to worry about and you get a fresh pair every day. It’s really the convenience factor, especially for traveling it’s so much better than carrying all the stuff above. Also saves a bit of time every time you take them out (no need to rinse the lenses and store them in the case). Some people wear their dailies more than once but not sure if that’s recommended.

[lsturbointeg]

So I ended up getting the Bio True solution since my contacts are made by Bausch +Lomb. I'm happy to report that after doing the rubbing method and the new better solution over the generic brand my eyes feel 100x better.

[Megabrode]

I've worn contacts since 1966, when they were nasty pieces of hard plastic.

Nowadays I buy the cheapest solution available -- Target, CVS, whatever. My routine: take them out before bed, store them in solution without cleaning, clean them in the morning with gentle rubbing. Never sleep with them. I wear "monthly" lenses for three months, no issues. I could probably wear them longer but why push it? This routine works for me, definitely not recommending it to anyone else.

Related story I have no reason to doubt: A friend of mine is a production process consultant. At Bauch & Lomb, he examined two side-by-side production lines, one for monthly lenses, one for daily lenses. My friend to the supervising engineer: "These lines seem to be producing exactly the same lens." Supervising engineer: "Shhhh."

[dougt.ah3]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

I just ordered 4 boxes of AO bifocals, runs me $160 considering my insurance. That should last me 4-5 months, since I wear them for 3 weeks instead of 2.

How much would equivalent be for dailies???

Not sure about bifocals but I spend roughly $360 a year for aqua comfort plus dailies from Alcon. A 90 day box is roughly $45. If you buy 8 boxes (annual supply) at a time you can get a $100 rebate bringing the annual cost to $260.

May have to check out Cooper Vision Clear Sight dailies ... just noticed they are $35 a box for a 90 day supply ... $270 a year.

Been wearing contacts for 40+ years and dailies since the day they were introduced.

[saeyedoc]

All of you who are sleeping in your contacts are ticking time bombs. There is around a 15x increase in the risk of a corneal ulcer, even with contacts designed for overnight wear. For those who've already had problems, cutting back your overnight wear schedule isn't the answer, just stop doing it! It's like getting a terrible rash from wearing the same underwear for a week, so you cut back to wearing them for "only" 2-3 days, disgusting.
At least if you get a red eye, take them out right away and if your eye doesn't clear up in a day, seek professional help. A neglected corneal ulcer can eat through your eye in a few days if it's a virulent bug.
To answer the OPs question, as long as what you're using disinfects the lenses, the rest is a matter of personal preference.

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by saeyedoc

All of you who are sleeping in your contacts are ticking time bombs. There is around a 15x increase in the risk of a corneal ulcer, even with contacts designed for overnight wear. For those who've already had problems, cutting back your overnight wear schedule isn't the answer, just stop doing it! It's like getting a terrible rash from wearing the same underwear for a week, so you cut back to wearing them for "only" 2-3 days, disgusting.
At least if you get a red eye, take them out right away and if your eye doesn't clear up in a day, seek professional help. A neglected corneal ulcer can eat through your eye in a few days if it's a virulent bug.
To answer the OPs question, as long as what you're using disinfects the lenses, the rest is a matter of personal preference.

What if I'm taking a nap for like 2 -3 hours. Is that the same thing? I usually will take a power nap before going to work since I work shift schedule

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

What if I'm taking a nap for like 2 -3 hours. Is that the same thing? I usually will take a power nap before going to work since I work shift schedule

The best thing is to limit such occurrence. When you’re sleeping the lenses are not getting oxygen so they tend to dry out which isn’t good for your eyes. Protein also builds up. A short nap is okay and a long nap every now and then is fine. Short sleeps aren’t as bad as overnight though. Basically, IMO, the recommended amount of time every day is up to 14 hours. So as long as you’re within that window it should be fine. Wearing it overnight, however, is going over that and also dries them out which isn’t good for the eyes

[saeyedoc]

It’s not that the lenses don’t get oxygen when you’re sleeping, it’s that they prevent your cornea from getting it. That’s why gas permeable rigid contacts don’t have the same issues. Napping for a couple of hours is generally ok.

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by saeyedoc

It’s not that the lenses don’t get oxygen when you’re sleeping, it’s that they prevent your cornea from getting it. That’s why gas permeable rigid contacts don’t have the same issues. Napping for a couple of hours is generally ok.

cool! it just would suck to have to take them off...clean them only to put them back on in 2 hours or so

[UncleWede]

I've only had one issue from contacts/sleeping (knock on wood) and it was about a 45 minute nap. I woke up with BURNING and even taking the lens out didn't relieve. Dr. gave me some drops and I had to wear my glasses for a week. Scratched the cornea and had some bugs in there.

[saeyedoc]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

I've only had one issue from contacts/sleeping (knock on wood) and it was about a 45 minute nap. I woke up with BURNING and even taking the lens out didn't relieve. Dr. gave me some drops and I had to wear my glasses for a week. Scratched the cornea and had some bugs in there.

Exactly my point! Great job doing the right thing by getting it checked out.

[King Rudi]

I've been gone for a couple of weeks now. I pop in, see there is a new contact thread and not a single mention of hookers with 3 boobs and 4 arms.

I'm sorely disappointed in you gents.