Trying contacts....again...

[Marilyn]

Okay, I'm near sighted and far sighted, so must wear bifocals. I so want to wear contacts. The no line bifocals I have are nice, but they hurt my nose, and I just don't like my world framed by glasses. Mine are rimless at the bottom, but still. I've tried multifocals before and they could never find a pair that worked for both distance and closeup vision. Well, I'm trying again. This past week I wore a pair that worked well at 3 to 4 feet, but closeup and distance were bad. Distance was so bad the I thought there were two highway patrol cars parked in a crossover when there was only one.

This evening, I got another pair to try, and so far, my distance is somewhat better, but not clear, and my closeup is so bad, I can barely read this post.

Have any of you successfully worn multifocal contacts?

I have tried a setup with one eye for closeup and one for distance and that just didn't work at all. So frustrating.

I did order new lenses for my glasses with my new prescription, just in case, but would like to hear your experiences.

[Janet]

I would love to go back to contacts, but my Dr. suggests I stay with the glasses. I have an astigmatism (sp). There are contacts for this, but I've heard they don't work for everyone and with the way my luck has been going....not worth losing money over...lol.

Hope you find what works for you.

[judy]

I don't know what multifocals are, but I wore one contact for distance and one for reading. They say that either your brain can put it together, or it can't. It's just that simple. The mid range clarity is not perfect, but was definitely good enough.

I then got lasix and had the same thing done. I have to close the distance eye to see real close up.

[DIANE W]

Hi Marilyn

I wear verifocals (think they are the same as your multifocals), distance and close up combined. I have had mine just 12 months and from the moment i got them from the store i have worn them with out any problems.

My husband however does have trouble with his verifocals, he has just ordered a new pair and they have told him his previous glasses are not measured correctly for him, which is why he is having trouble. Hopefully these ones will be better, they are so expensive and as he is diabetic he usually needs new ones each year.

To be honest i have never fancied contact lenses myself, i just dont think i could cope with them.

I hope they work out well for you though....

[DianaB]

I wish that I could help you but I haven't worn contacts for years because of dry eyes. I just went to the eye doctor yesterday and had new glasses ordered. I miss my contacts!!!

[gja1000]

I thought contacts were such a pain, I would never wear them again. I didn't have any problem with them, per se, but they made my eyes tired and when I got something in my eye - oh my! Even the soft contacts were a pain, I thought.

Of course, I haven't worn them since about 1990, so they are probably much improved. I doubt I could wear them now as my distance vision has worsened but my close vision remains almost perfect. So, the distance correction messes up my reading vision. I would be in the same boat, I think, having to wear one for distance and one for close.

Even with glasses, I have to take them off to see close up. Actually now I have the transitions glasses so that I don't have to take them off, but I still do, cause it's a pain to have to find the right lens space to see close up. :p

Good luck, Marilyn! I have heard Judy, of persons who wore one contact for close and one for distance.

[Marilyn]

Well, I'm still trying to adjust. The multifocal contacts are for people with astigmatism and/or presbyopia (basically what happens after 40 when we start needing glasses). People like me who once had perfect vision with no need for correction, but now have problems with both distance and reading. I have both astigmatism and presbyopia.

Using one eye with a contact for closeup and one eye with a contact for distance is using two monovision contacts. This is not recommended if multifocals will work. Using the two monovision contacts causes issues with depth perception and peripheral vision. I tried that once long ago, and it didn't work at all for me.

They changed me to a different multifocal on Monday. It's one for people with dry eyes and the feel much better. Yesterday, I was very hopeful that once my brain gets used to them and learns how to use them, I may be able to see well with them. Today on the other hand has not gone so smoothly. They feel fine in my eyes, but the vision is still blurry. If I forget they are in, I can see okay, but if I remember they are there, my vision gets fuzzy.

My brain just has to learn how to see with them. They are like progressive lenses in glasses only more difficult to adjust to. I have another appointment tomorrow afternoon for another adjustment. This is the common practice with multifocals. You have to go to an optometrist who is willing to work with you. Three adjustments are typical, but sometimes more are required.

I did order new high definition progressive lenses also with my new prescription. Some of the chemical plants I go into do not allow contacts, so if I do adjust, I will still need to have both.

I love not having my world framed, and my peripheral vision is much better with the contacts, so I think, if I can adjust, driving will be safer.

Keeping fingers crossed and trying to be patient. I read where it could take up to 2 weeks for my brain to work it out. Until then, my world is a little softer looking. LOL

[judy]

How are you doing with the contacts, Marilyn?

[DianaB]

I tried the mono lenses once and I just couldn't use them. My eyes kept trying to focus together.

My Mom used them for years though and didn't have any problems with them. She had eye surgery and it helped her eyes a lot but she still wears contacts.....I can't remember just why though. Her eyes were really, really bad before.

I hope that you have them all straightened out and are doing well with them.

[JJJ]

Contacts actually made my eyes extremely sensitive to lights. I opted for lasik.