scleral lens question/issues

[Kbthor]

Hi!  I am 11 years post surgery for my acoustic neuroma, and I have finally gotten a scleral lens just today.  I had no issues putting it in or taking it out.  However, after I left the doctor, my eye started to feel dry - but I thought it was just what it felt like to get used to the feeling of the lens in my eye.  I removed the scleral lens tonight, and oh my goodness my eye was so painful and dry. Does anyone have any tips for how to put it in? I think because the doctor's assistant had me look up and put it in, maybe all of the liquid leaked out of the lens??  Do you have to lean over a mirror and put it in?  Is there a cap on the number of hours I can wear it?  Any suggestions about daily use of the scleral lens would be helpful.  Thank you!

[Jill Marie]

Hi, So sorry to here the lens is causing you pain.  I got the scleral lens years ago, it worked great for me for a while then I had to stop using it.  I know others have worn it without any problems.  From what I remember I was told to wear it just 2 maybe 4 hours the first day and then work up to wearing it all day.  Perhaps you are like me and will still need eye ointment with the lens.  I don't remember how they told me to put it in.  Hopefully someone else reads your post and can help you. 

After about 5 years the scleral lens made my eye really painful, not sure why.  My eye doctor then had me try the ACUVUE OASYS® 1-Day lens with HydraLuxe.  The lens costs me about a dollar a day, I put it in first thing in the morning then throw it away at night. I still need eye ointment with the lens but not nearly as much as without it and I don't have any pain.  I've been using the lens for about 10 years.

I hope your eye gets use to the lens so it works for you, if not you may want to check out the daily lens I mentioned.  Let us know how you are doing?  Jill Marie

[Kbthor]

Thank you so much for your reply!  Well, its still not going well, I didn't even wear it today.  I'm also waiting for my doctor to get back to me.  But I am going to take your suggestion, and just do 2 hours tomorrow and then see if I can work up from there.  Or maybe just stay at 2 hours for a few days.

I too am having a problem with the ointment and not seeing through the lens - although, I have not been able to see through that eye for the last ten years because of the ointment, so I don't know why I would think all of a sudden I am going to see clearly.  Sigh. 

Is the daily lens a regular contact lens???

Kate

[Jill Marie]

Hi Kate,  So very sorry to hear that the lens is still causing you pain.  I loved the scleral lens when I first got it so I really don't know why it's bothering you so much, everyone is different.  Hopefully wearing it for only a couple of hours will help.  I too had hoped I could quit using the ointment but that hasn't happened.  I'm just thankful I don't have the pain I did before using the scleral then the daily lens. My surgery was in 1992 so I understand how you feel about not seeing clearly.

I hope your eye doctor got back to you and was able to help you.  You might also want to do a search on this site for the scleral lens as there was quit a bit posted about it over the years.  There might be someone that had the same problem you do or can explain how they put it in, how long they wore it etc. 

The daily lens is a soft contact lens.  I like it because I don't have to use all the cleaning products I did with the scleral lens, I don't have to worry about loosing the lens either (I dropped it down a drain while camping once).  The lens has more moisture in it compared to other soft lenses.  I have told others about it and some have said there doctors didn't recommend it, I was hesitant about it too but I'm so thankful that my eye doctor is always looking for and trying different things to help me and others.

Let me know how you are doing!  Jill 

[Jill Marie]

Hi again Kate,  I just did a search on this board for the scleral lens and found several posts and also several posts about the daily contact lens I mentioned.  There is a lot of good information that I had forgotten about as it's been a while since I first got the lenses, also feel free to ask me questions, I will hopefully have an answer. You can do a search for the scleral lens or you can just go to the eye issues topic and read the subject lines.  Good luck!  It will get better!  Jill