Anyone wear Rigid Gas Permeable contact lenses?

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I'm trialling some of these lenses at the moment. First pair I tried weren't suitable & I wasn't getting on with the solution either.

Picked up my second pair yesterday, one is toric the other is just a regular lens. The optician gave me a different solution aswell.

My main point is: has anyone been successful in wearing these lenses & how long does it usually take for eyes to get used to them?

shebangs

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Gleeful

I used to wear them as a teenager before I moved onto softs - absolute agony if you get a speck of dust in your eye! If you can possibly avoid them and go for a different lense then do so. If not, then do persist with them as they do get more comfortable as your eyes get used to them. I think I wore them for about two years.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Thanks for the replies.

I did try them many moons ago & just couldn't wear them. However, I suspect there has been a improvement in technology & materials since then.

At the moment I wear dailies & have done for quite a few years now. The optician wants me to try RGP lenses because she feels it will be better for my eyes overall. Also the vision is so much better than the soft lenses.

Is there any way that the wearer can tell whether the fit is right? I know we rely on the optician for this info, but I'd like an idea of how I know they fit ok. I did read on a forum that fit was of utmost importance. Also, is there a particular brand that is more comfortable?

geri1965_2

I've been wearing them for about 25 years. They took a couple of weeks to get used to, by building up the amount of time you wear them each day. The first time I put them in was utter agony!

I have a complex prescription and they are better for me than soft. I have tried soft lenses and I prefer the RGPs.

pandora205

It's worth persevering as the costs are so different. You do need a build up time and to give your eyes a rest at the end of the day. Vision is equally good and they are much easier to get in and out!

I was a long term hard lens wearer and eventually decided to try soft lenses, as I like the idea of monthly lenses that I could sleep in. Unfortunately I didn't like sleeping in them, so I should have gone back but never have. My old lenses cost me £100ish and lasted for a few years before being changed. I now pay over £20 per month. Having said that, soft lenses are very comfortable.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I'm not bothered about the cost to be honest. The comfort of soft lenses is worth it.

Main problem I have found so far is the lenses move about on the eye when I blink. I know this is probably normal, but still it's really irritating. I get some comfort when I'm looking down. I've also noticed that my sight goes blurred mainly when I blink, which obviously isn't a good thing.

The lenses I'm trialing at the moment are really small. When I have looked on the internet, there is suggestion that bigger lenses are better for overall comfort.

pmduk

I'm not qualified, but surely one of the important aspects of a lens fitting is for the optometrist to identify the correct size of lens required. It sounds to me like they've prescribed the wrong diameter for you. Perhaps one of the optometrist users could comment?

the_devil_made_me_do_it

From what I understand fit is everything.

My mum got fitted with RGPs a few years ago. She couldn't have soft lenses due to having a really bad astigmatism. She couldn't get away with them at all.

My astigmatism isn't too bad. She fitted my left eye with a toric lens, as the first one I tried wasn't really giving the clarity of vision. Oh & there was some other reason, but I can't remember.

Blodwen

I wore RGPs for a few years in teens and early twenties as the optician said soft ones weren't suitable due to my astigmatism. They were ok, but I could always feel them and as someone else said, the slightest speck of grit would be hell, plus all the cleaning and rinsing was a chore, although this may have improved since I had them. Also it is quite easy to lose them, especially if you rub your eye as they just pop out. I've had monthly soft lenses (one toric) for a few years now and never looked back, no pun intended - don't find any difference in quality of vision between the toric soft and hard lens, as long as the toric is orientated correctly. Toric are more expensive but if you look after them the monthlies can easily last 3 months (confirmed by my optometrist SIL), although saying that I wear mine every day, use no-rub solution and each pair still lasts at least 2 months.

If you're having trouble with vision using the dailies maybe have a trial of a few different brands of monthlies and see if it makes any difference? If your astigmatism is mild can't see why a toric soft shouldn't be suitable, may just be a case of finding the right type.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Was thinking about the Silicon Hydragel lenses. From what I understand, they let more oxygen in then soft lenses.

It's just so frustrating. I have quite a high prescription, so the RGP lenses were giving me vision similar to what I get when I wear glasses. However, as you say, a toric soft might do the job just as well.

Has anyone heard about the hybrid lenses? The optical zone is RGP material & the outer skirt is made from soft lens material. I think they may only be available in America.