UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hello

My name's David and just registered with the site. Have been following discussion threads as an unregistered guest for a considerable time now and would like to express appreciation to contributers...been very informative indeed.

I was diagnosed with KC 30yrs ago now and up until the last couple of years have managed relatively OK with RGP's. Been numerous re-fits over the years...more so latterly to achieve lens fits with clearance of central scarring on both corneas. Vision with RGP's is excellent.

Latterly however RGP tolerance has reduced...my pattern of wear has become pretty unpredictable to a stage where lens tolerance dictates after work and social activities. Can have several weeks of relatively good tolerance or several of very little. Manage this by alternating lens wear between eyes..piggybacking and spent a fortune on high indexed specs that didn't work at all! Generally find that I'm reducing wear at weekends and in the evenings to protect my eyes for work which limits activities after work.

I'd been following with interest peoples comments about Kerasoft on this site and mentioned the possibility of trialling these with my optometrist recently. She wasn't a fan of Kerasoft and referred me to have discussions about Intacs/Kerarings etc. Am advised that PTK or Intacts followed by CXL are surgical options for me to consider however I still wanted to try Kerasoft...so I've gone privately now to another Health Board.

Prepared my right eye for the appointment...left the lens out for 3 weeks....very tricky when you're relying on a dodgy left eye but managed! Had my initial fitting last Friday and got to take the fitting lens home to become accustomed to the feel etc. Get reasonable vision with the fitting lens, however I wondered if anyone reading this with longer experience of K3's could give me any advice about my brief experience with this lens to date:

Many of the threads contributed by K3 users here indicate experiences of almost instant comfort...I've only worn mine for 4 days so am probably expecting too much too soon however I'm very conscious of the lens almost constantly...not in a painful way...think it's more of a lens thickness sensation. Am still wearing RGP in my left eye so am aware that it's maybe a contrasting lens sensation I'm experiencing...when my RGP's do behave I don't know they're there....just wondering if it's likely I'll get as used to the Kerasoft?

The other thing I'm noticing is that my vision with the K3 lens appears to fade in the latter part of the day. Am aware I've not received my correct prescription lens yet however have noticed there are things I can read in the morning that I cant read in the evening. I'm achieving K3 wear for 15 hours...not bad after 4 days and my eye feels fresh when the lens comes out...however removing it is another story!!! Have noticed Lynne Whyte advising people that the cornea can take up to 3 months to re-mould so perhaps the fluctuating vision is attributed to that?

Am desperate for a positive result with K3's...even if it does mean a bit of vision loss compared to sight with my RGP's. Hadn't actually realised how controlling my lens wear patterns had become until I thought about it recently...guess you just get used to coping.

Finally...I'm not that familiar with soft lens wear, albeit I know K3's are a completely different breed....but getting it out is a real challenge! Had to sit down and have a G&T at the weekend and try again later...however it's probably not practical getting inebriated during the removal process...any removal tips greatly appreciated! I can get the lens in fine.

Hope this hasn't been too rambling for as a newcomers intro...and any comments back much appreciated

Regards
David

Hi David...

Actually, although its received wisdom to leave RGPs out for a while before refitting in softs, I tend nowadays to fit my patients straight from RGP and I am finding that, paradoxically, there are less fluctuations in vision as the cornea settles down. Another reason for doing this, is that if you leave RGPs out for 2 or 3 weeks before fitting, then the cornea tends to regain its sensitivity and in fact, become slightly over sensitive, leading to the sensation you are reporting. Fitting straight from RGP allows the sensitivity to come back more slowly, without the wearer noticing. Don't worry - that sensation DOES go away.

The fluctuation in vision you report is a "coming out of the RGP" thing. This tends to vary depending on the fit of the original RGPs and the shape of your eye - so don't stress over this just yet!

Removing: Some patients go "Huh? What's the problem?" others continue to struggle. Its a slippy material, which is what makes the removal tricky for some people. One way to do it is to use your lids to remove them. If you separate your lids, push against the eye and then push together, the lens often simply pops out. Look at this demo

If you want more detailed info on the KeraSoft, you can pm me or contact me on any of the contact details below...

Lynn

Hi Lynn

Thanks very much for the response...sounds reassuring. Will have a look at the lens removal demo tonight...

Regards
David

David, welcome to the forum.

Like you when I first went into the Kerasoft 3 lens I could feel it in the way you describe and I put it down to the fact that the sensation of a comfortable soft lens was so different to the irritation of an RGP I had got used to.

I take my Kerasofts out just like an RGP lens.

There are quite a few optoms who as soon as you mention Kerasoft think of the original Kerasoft 1 and 2 whicha re a completly different lens material and design so it is inapropriate to carry those preconseptions over to the Kerasoft 3. Having spent the past working in sales, to me it is that they are apprehensive of trying something so different for managing KC, the silicone hydrogel soft lenses are too far out of their comfort zone.

Hope you find them as beneficial as I do. Been having perfect vision and wearing them all my waking hours for nearly 9 months now.

DavidM wrote:but getting it out is a real challenge! Had to sit down and have a G&T at the weekend and try again later...however it's probably not practical getting inebriated during the removal process...

why isnt getting inebriated a good idea during the removal process, it relaxs you at least

must admit to getting extremely frustrated when i tried to take synergise contact lenses out - they were attached to the eye it seemed. it took about 4-6 weeks before i was able to get them out easily, and i must admit to having resorted to a glass of wine when trying to take the CL out.

David, hi and welcome!
What you say about the vision deteriorating over the day, so what you could read inthe morning you can't in the evening, sounds just like what I found when I was piggybacking.
Piggybacking, in my case, meaning wearing a scleral lensover a daily disposable soft lens.
The vision was always a bit fuzzy with lots of ghosting. But whereas I could just about read print when I first put them in, there was no way I could by afternoon/evening.
They went on being fine for distance vision, though - well, ghosted distance visiona dn a bit surreal, but enough to see cars coming along the oad - for, oh, 12 hours a day and more, 4 days a week.
That was atributed tot he soft lens "drying out" gradually during the day (if I'd had the combo in for a long time, the soft lens did feel pretty dry when I eventually took it out). I don't know quite how accurate this attrinution was, and unfortunately, I no longer have the right eye I was doing the piggybacking in.
It sounds like something to discuss next appointment, Meanwhile, does it help if you give your lenses a "tea break"? - take them out part way through the day, rest the eye s for a bit, then clean, rewet and reinsert the lens?
If it's drying, or accumlating gunk, the cleaning and rewettinmay help.
SOmeone will probably suggest an appropriate variety of wetting/soothing eye drops for use with K3s (I never found such eye drops uch help, but some people do).
As for taking the lens out - sorry, no advice. Normally my soft lenses came out with the scleral, stuck together as it were, and if they didn't, it was mad panic time. Never did solve it properly.
Rosemary