advice pleaz
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shoebp12
- Contributor

- Posts: 11
- Joined: Tue 30 Dec 2008 10:10 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Spectacles
advice pleaz
Hi everyone, I have keratoconus, i wear spectacles at the moment, my eyesight is good with them, my eyes hurt whilst using computers and nighttime driving is slightly straining on the eye otherwise everything is fine. I recently went for a contact lens referral for rigid lens gas permiable lens i belive its called, for a Trial, they were absolutely painful and very annyoing whilst only been worn for an hour or so. can you tell me is it worth it. Is it worth me wearing contact lens or shall i stick to wearing glasses Thank You
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dizzzy
- Newbie

- Posts: 5
- Joined: Tue 30 Dec 2008 7:42 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Contact lenses
Re: advice pleaz
I first tried RPG lenses about a year ago and I felt about the same as you do.
When I first put them in I couldn't even open my eyes for the first five mins then when I did my eyes they didn't stop watering for the whole hour I had them in. Think of it like a new pair of leather shoes when you first put them on they are a bit uncomfortable but after a few days of wearing them for short periods it gets better but in the case of the RPG lenses its your eye lids getting used to feeling the lenses.
That said I am not going to say that it is easy wearing RPG's even after a year of getting used to them there is still days when I need to take them out because they just irritate my eyes to much but that might be just me, but on the whole I would say they are worth it and my eye sight is much better when I wear the lenses. It takes longer to get used to them then you might think I was about a couple of months before I would say I was used to wearing them and I still use contact lens drops to ease the irritation on bad days.
The best tip I can give you is when you get to the point when you are wearing them for most of the day try putting them in during your morning routine. If you are anything like me you do that as habbit and once you get used to it being part of your routine you will have them in before you know it. Make sure you put them in before you clean your teeth as getting menthol in your eyes in no fun.
Hope this helps
Matty
When I first put them in I couldn't even open my eyes for the first five mins then when I did my eyes they didn't stop watering for the whole hour I had them in. Think of it like a new pair of leather shoes when you first put them on they are a bit uncomfortable but after a few days of wearing them for short periods it gets better but in the case of the RPG lenses its your eye lids getting used to feeling the lenses.
That said I am not going to say that it is easy wearing RPG's even after a year of getting used to them there is still days when I need to take them out because they just irritate my eyes to much but that might be just me, but on the whole I would say they are worth it and my eye sight is much better when I wear the lenses. It takes longer to get used to them then you might think I was about a couple of months before I would say I was used to wearing them and I still use contact lens drops to ease the irritation on bad days.
The best tip I can give you is when you get to the point when you are wearing them for most of the day try putting them in during your morning routine. If you are anything like me you do that as habbit and once you get used to it being part of your routine you will have them in before you know it. Make sure you put them in before you clean your teeth as getting menthol in your eyes in no fun.
Hope this helps
Matty
- Andrew MacLean
- Moderator

- Posts: 7703
- Joined: Thu 15 Jan 2004 8:01 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Other
- Location: Scotland
Re: advice pleaz
shoebp12 and Dizzzy
Welcome to you both.
For many people with KC, glasses that compensate for the astigmatism will be enough. For others, contact lenses will be an important addition to their arsenal: IU guess that most people with KC will wear contact lenses at one time or another, and for most of them Rigid Gas Permeable Corneal lenses seem to work pretty well.
For some, however RGP's do not do the job; for them there is a vast array of different lens styles and materials.
Is it worth trying lenses? I'd say yes. If one does not sit comfortably or give good vision, go back and try another.
All the best
Andrew
Welcome to you both.
For many people with KC, glasses that compensate for the astigmatism will be enough. For others, contact lenses will be an important addition to their arsenal: IU guess that most people with KC will wear contact lenses at one time or another, and for most of them Rigid Gas Permeable Corneal lenses seem to work pretty well.
For some, however RGP's do not do the job; for them there is a vast array of different lens styles and materials.
Is it worth trying lenses? I'd say yes. If one does not sit comfortably or give good vision, go back and try another.
All the best
Andrew
Andrew MacLean
- GarethB
- Ambassador

- Posts: 4916
- Joined: Sat 21 Aug 2004 3:31 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Graft(s) and contact lenses
- Location: Warwickshire
Re: advice pleaz
RGP's do take time to get used to, it is very un natural to put a lump of plastic in your eye.
Many of us start at one hour and work up, but there are occasions you need to take it more steady and start at 30 minutes and then extend the lens wear once you are happy with the time achieved. Never rush it, If you find you manage one hour one day and 30 minutes the next just take the lenses out when they become uncomfortable and repeat the 30 minutes the next day. It took me well over a month to get to a lens wear time of 8 hours and 2 months by the time I could wear them for 12 hours.
Part of the disocmfort may well be down to the sudden changes in vision, going from good vision RGP's usually give followed by extremely poor vision.
It is worth it, it just takes a lot of self discipline and patience but the benefits are well worth it in the long run.
Good luck.
Many of us start at one hour and work up, but there are occasions you need to take it more steady and start at 30 minutes and then extend the lens wear once you are happy with the time achieved. Never rush it, If you find you manage one hour one day and 30 minutes the next just take the lenses out when they become uncomfortable and repeat the 30 minutes the next day. It took me well over a month to get to a lens wear time of 8 hours and 2 months by the time I could wear them for 12 hours.
Part of the disocmfort may well be down to the sudden changes in vision, going from good vision RGP's usually give followed by extremely poor vision.
It is worth it, it just takes a lot of self discipline and patience but the benefits are well worth it in the long run.
Good luck.
Gareth
- pepepepe
- Regular contributor

- Posts: 137
- Joined: Sat 16 Aug 2008 12:13 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Re: advice pleaz
Hi everyone, I have keratoconus, i wear spectacles at the moment, my eyesight is good with them, my eyes hurt whilst using computers and nighttime driving is slightly straining on the eye otherwise everything is fine. I recently went for a contact lens referral for rigid lens gas permiable lens i belive its called, for a Trial, they were absolutely painful and very annyoing whilst only been worn for an hour or so. can you tell me is it worth it. Is it worth me wearing contact lens or shall i stick to wearing glasses Thank You
I bumped in to an old neighbor today, he had tinted glasses on, he said that it helped with his eye strain, may be tints could help you (?)
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