Anyone wear RGP contact lenses?

[Supermercado]

I've worn contacts for about 8 years and they've always been the soft contacts. Until the last couple of years, I never really had any problems with them but my last few pairs, they haven't been as comfortable (really drying my eyes out) and my vision hasn't been anywhere near as crisp as I seem to remember it being when I first got contacts. I had an appointment with my optometrist about a month ago and we tried Acuvue Oasys soft lenses but even those, supposedly about the best soft lenses available, were horrible. I had them in one Saturday and after about 5 hours, I was basically clawing at my eyes to get them out.

We decided to try rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses after that. They're supposedly much better for the eyes, can produce crisper vision, and should help correct my astigmatism better than soft lenses could. They came in last Tuesday and I went to get them and have been trying to get used to them since. They said to wear them 4 hours the first day and increase the time each day by an hour. I've been following that schedule as closely as possible but after 8 hours or so, I don't know if my eyes are just fatigued or what, but everything is going really blurry. With the soft lenses, my eyes would get extremely dry but with the RGPs, it seems like the exact opposite is true; I think the lenses are causing my eyes to produce more tears and the lenses are moving around.

I've got a follow-up appointment for 12/5. I was told it would take possibly several weeks to get used to the RGPs, but I just wanted to hear from some other folks who wear RGPs and hear their stories. How long did they take to get used to, etc.?

 

[nace186]

Do you use eye drops?

 

[nickbits]

I used to wear them. During the break in period I just noticed a difference in how they felt in my eyes. Nothing changed wrt to vision/tear production. How much xp does your doctor having with RGPs? They require more percise (and different) fitting than soft lenses.

 

[Supermercado]

I have eye drops for my soft lenses but they seem to make the problem worse, actually. I put them in and within like 10 minutes, I need more, and then more, and more. It's like the lenses just suck up the moisture and leave my eyes drier than they were before I put the drops in.

I bought some Blink brand drops recommended by my optometrist for the RGP lenses. They don't make my eyes drier but it seems like they cause the lenses to float around more than they were just on the tears. I think I'm so conditioned to putting the eye drops in when my eyes are uncomfortable that I do it with the RGPs even when I don't need them and it makes it worse in that regard.

 

[Supermercado]

Originally posted by: nickbits
I used to wear them. During the break in period I just noticed a difference in how they felt in my eyes. Nothing changed wrt to vision/tear production. How much xp does your doctor having with RGPs? They require more percise (and different) fitting than soft lenses.

I'm not sure on how much experience my optometrist has with the RGPs. When things are clear, they're clear and good. I think I'm square in the middle of the break-in period so I probably just have some more getting used to. I was just curious to hear some other folks' opinions, really.

 

[imported_Imp]

Nope. I considered them last year and decided against it for a number of reasons. Among them was comfort, actual physical change to the eyes (even for a month or so after you stop wearing them), the possibility of going blind since I rub my eyes so much, and the stories about them falling out.

From my research, I read that it could take well over a month to get use to them, so hang in there?

A sibling blew $400 on them about 10 years back. The were suppose to be better for controlling your prescription, but she thought that they were uncomfortable for a day, and just stopped wearing them. She still has that attitude...

 

[Gothgar]

I wore em for about a year, they were completely fine, then one day I got some kinda infection in my eye that went away pretty easily, but I could never ever get used to them again

 

[Supermercado]

Thanks for the input. I already was planning on trying to stick it out for the next week and a half until my follow-up appointment and see how things are then compared to how they are now.

 

[pwnagesarus]

I've been wearing them for about 7 years now, and have never worn soft contacts. It took me several hours to learn how to put them in and about a month for them to stop moving around and feel natural. It really sucks at first but it'll be fine after you get used to them. Once I got used to them, my eyes would begin to dry out once they've been in for a whole day.