contact lens discussion thread (merged)

Rebekah24

Hey

Wondering if I could have some advice, havent had lenses for maybe 2 years.

Going in for an eye test and booked a lens fitting

£50 for this, then if I order with them £25 off

I had trouble with the generic solution burning my eyes, so am wondering if I should try daily - but I need torics

The optician quoted me £59 for 30 days, the same are £31 for 30 days on ASDA

...Really wondering if
a/ I should go with monthly or try the daily torics?
- I can get monthly toric a lot cheaper, but the only solutions they stock burn my eyes to bits. As in sitting in agony for 30 minutes before I can leave the door!

Ordering 10/10 solution on amazon is simple enough, but all added costs!

b/ if I should just pay the £50, take the prescription and go elsewhere for the lenses??

Bit of a long post sorry lol...asking well in advance of my appointment in a fortnight!!

Thanks in advance

pmduk

Couldn't you ask for an alternative solution? Although personally, I love the convenience of dailies, no faffing around cleaning and solutions to worry about.

ALLY957

Hi. I have had contact lenses for years and while I have always had to have regular CL check ups, it has always been entirely up to me whether I had actual sight tests regularly - in other words I was never threatened with having my CL supply cut off if I didn't have sight tests.

Now my usual optician says the law changed last May & that if I don't keep my sight tests up to date every two years, my lens supply will be cut off.

I don't know why, but somehow I don't believe this. Is it actually true, or are they just after the chance to do a sight test - which isn't covered by my aftercare package so I would pay separately - and the chance, as they see it, to flog me a new pair of back-up glasses?

pmduk

I'm not sure about the legal requirement, but how can they adequately dispense lenses without knowing your accurate prescription?

Additionally the eye test should be seen as an integral part of your health regime. Why not take advantage of one of the free test offers?

ALLY957

I want to know what is actually the law, so I don't get bounced - by the threat of a cut-off lens supply - into having a sight test when it isn't convenient. My usual optician, where I would more or less have to go to get the test done in the time frame, won't be offering it free. The fact that a sight test was not compulsory is, as far as I know, why it wasn't covered by the aftercare package, unlike the CL checks.

It is only just over 2 years since my last sight test, but they check your sight is corrected using the letter chart, the red/green circles &c in the CL check and they study your eye with the various machines. If I choose to go less frequently than every two years to check the other bits of my eye, bearing in mind that my sight is corrected up to date (and my glasses are fine) surely that's up to me?

All I want to know is what is actually true, rather than what they would prefer me to do.

pmduk

I know that when I had my lenses fitted I was told that I'd need an up to date prescription. I already had one, so didn't enquire about the legal requirements. Check the Royal college of optometrists site?

Rebekah24

Have made a thread for this opposed to adding into contact lens thread..as its about comfort/ sight..opposed to cutting the cost!

Anyone tried the toric dailies? know they are a fairly new thing, didnt have them last time I went for a fitting. Wondering if the vision is just as good as with monthlies?

Am being quotes £31 online or £49 @ optians for a months

Was having trouble with monthlies and the solutions, think I must be allergic to the generic brand vision express! Going to see if they can put me an alernative in this time.

dizzyg_2

I have been using Bausch and Lomb PureVision Torics. These are extended wear monthlies and are the most comfortable lenses I have ever used.

I order them online from lensway.co.uk and they cost about £80 for a six month supply.

http://www.lensway.co.uk/product?lensgroupid=100065&

chivers1977

I get my lenses from the NHS due to my prescription and although I normally have annual lenses they gave me monthly toric from Pro-clear which were really confortable to try. They always always recommend Opti-free solution. See if you can get this on your deal if you can't tolerate what they want to give you (the cheapest, I'm sure!)

GlasweJen

Proclear are the cheapest I can think of in the monthly torics (cooper vision lenses are cheaper than any other company). I wouldn't recommend dailies for anyone who wants to wear their lenses for more than a few days a week because they work out to be an absolute fortune.

OP you can get freebie solution, the same as when you're being fitted for lenses you get the 1 pack diagnostic lenses to try out you can get small trials of contact lens solution as well, you just need to know how to butter up your optom. Most opticians will only have freebies of two maybe three solutions but you should ask and then when you've found one you like try and get it when it's on sale. I can't use the new opti-free replenish but loved the original opti-free. I'm now using bausch and lomb's renu solution.