extended wear?
October 9, 2022 9:18 AM Subscribe
Should I try to get extended wear contacts even if eye doctors don't seem to want me to?
When I was in college twenty-odd years ago, I wore extended wear contacts. Psychologically, they allowed me to manage the transition from sleep to waking much more easily, and I could even think productively and write or draw in bed. For some reason, glasses, even a good pair, make it a little harder to stay wakeful and concentrated.
The doctor stopped giving them to me around that time. I did scratch my cornea a time or two, but I don't remember why he said I couldn't get them anymore -- maybe it was that, or maybe they no longer came in the strength I needed (which is now -11 and was definitely high then too). In the years that followed, I have asked ophthalmologists about them from time to time, but they talked about them like something in the past that nobody should really do anymore because it's too dangerous.
And yet when I googled them this morning I found that they are in fact still out there and seem to have improved. My prescription is up, and I need to get another exam. Should I press a request for this? I'm not used to arguing with doctors and I'm pretty bad at it, but you need a specific prescription for the contact brand. (In my state, I can't use the computer exam.)
When I was in college twenty-odd years ago, I wore extended wear contacts. Psychologically, they allowed me to manage the transition from sleep to waking much more easily, and I could even think productively and write or draw in bed. For some reason, glasses, even a good pair, make it a little harder to stay wakeful and concentrated.
The doctor stopped giving them to me around that time. I did scratch my cornea a time or two, but I don't remember why he said I couldn't get them anymore -- maybe it was that, or maybe they no longer came in the strength I needed (which is now -11 and was definitely high then too). In the years that followed, I have asked ophthalmologists about them from time to time, but they talked about them like something in the past that nobody should really do anymore because it's too dangerous.
And yet when I googled them this morning I found that they are in fact still out there and seem to have improved. My prescription is up, and I need to get another exam. Should I press a request for this? I'm not used to arguing with doctors and I'm pretty bad at it, but you need a specific prescription for the contact brand. (In my state, I can't use the computer exam.)
I mean, why not ask? If you're not a good candidate for this type of lens, a good doctor will explain the whys and present your options.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:21 AM on October 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:21 AM on October 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
ask, but there was probably a reason they took you off of them.
in my case I had blood vessels growing into my cornea in response to the lack of oxygen that extended wear had caused.
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:27 PM on October 9, 2022 [11 favorites]
in my case I had blood vessels growing into my cornea in response to the lack of oxygen that extended wear had caused.
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:27 PM on October 9, 2022 [11 favorites]
Definitely try a new doctor and ask! I switched doctors a few years ago and found out there were way better contact options out there. The previous one was nice but apparently old school and unwilling to change for no apparent reason other than habit. I found a nearby one who took my insurance by simply googling and choosing someone who had a high rating on Google. I trust her advice and also feel comfortable going against it to an extent. (I deciding to keep using up my expensive old boxes of contacts up before switching even if the newer option would be better.)
posted by smorgasbord at 2:03 PM on October 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by smorgasbord at 2:03 PM on October 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
What fingersandtoes said. Be very careful.
posted by billsaysthis at 5:10 PM on October 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by billsaysthis at 5:10 PM on October 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
I could be wrong, but I’d also bet that, like my dailies that are now moisture-infused, the state of technology for extended-may have improved over the decades.
posted by Pax at 5:25 PM on October 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Pax at 5:25 PM on October 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
Ask for it, but google "corneal neovascularization" first. My contacts (which are pretty cutting edge, they were only even invented about two years ago) are theoretically approved for a week's extended wear, but just reading the box leaflet I could tell how reluctant they were even to discuss it.
posted by praemunire at 5:49 PM on October 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 5:49 PM on October 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
I also used to wear these years ago but both my current and most recent optometrist (both contact specialists) are very much against them because they so often cause issues for people, particularly those prone to 'dry eyes' (as I am) and wearing a set of contacts for 30 days gives a lot of time for problems to become disasters.
There are definitely better options now than several years ago and you should not feel that you can't ask why you're not a good candidate for extended wear. Try another doctor if the doctor can't give you logical reasons why they wouldn't work for you.
Definitely ask about surgical options too, as these have got a lot better over the years. Something that works for you may not be feasible due to CST, but it's worth knowing what might work.
posted by dg at 9:46 PM on October 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
There are definitely better options now than several years ago and you should not feel that you can't ask why you're not a good candidate for extended wear. Try another doctor if the doctor can't give you logical reasons why they wouldn't work for you.
Definitely ask about surgical options too, as these have got a lot better over the years. Something that works for you may not be feasible due to CST, but it's worth knowing what might work.
posted by dg at 9:46 PM on October 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks, everybody! I really appreciate this input. Genetically I got weak eyes, so I have always been told to be very careful. I get that, but I also get frustrated. If I had extended wear, it would be easier to do stuff like camping, long trips, napping, or just avoiding the irritation and halos that you get on late nights. I need to learn what exactly I personally have to avoid that others might not, if that still applies, and write it down for once so that I remember. Although I don't think we should have to go every year just to get new contacts, I personally probably need to. I might inherit glaucoma, for one thing.
fingersandtoes: I am so sorry about that! That sounds horrible!
dg: now that you say that, I remember about somebody at my college who developed a corneal scratch that went very bad. I think but can't be sure it had to do with contacts. Looking back, I was lucky about that; I was going thirty days. They have told me in the past that my prescription was too high for LASIK to fix my eyesight, but possibly that has changed (although the fact that insurance wouldn't cover it has not). I also understand that something is very "thin" about my eyes, although I don't remember exactly what, and maybe that is a CST issue.
posted by Countess Elena at 6:08 AM on October 10, 2022
fingersandtoes: I am so sorry about that! That sounds horrible!
dg: now that you say that, I remember about somebody at my college who developed a corneal scratch that went very bad. I think but can't be sure it had to do with contacts. Looking back, I was lucky about that; I was going thirty days. They have told me in the past that my prescription was too high for LASIK to fix my eyesight, but possibly that has changed (although the fact that insurance wouldn't cover it has not). I also understand that something is very "thin" about my eyes, although I don't remember exactly what, and maybe that is a CST issue.
posted by Countess Elena at 6:08 AM on October 10, 2022
The thin thing preventing your LASIK candidacy might have been thin corneas.
There is something new now that just got approved - a new kind of implant or something, I was just reading about it but can't remember what it's called. It's worth asking what new correction options have come onto the market in the last few years.
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:10 AM on October 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
There is something new now that just got approved - a new kind of implant or something, I was just reading about it but can't remember what it's called. It's worth asking what new correction options have come onto the market in the last few years.
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:10 AM on October 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
have told me in the past that my prescription was too high for LASIK to fix my eyesight
I have astigmatism, which is why LASIK won't work for me. My previous optometrist went through all the possible options with me and had me try a variety of different contacts to arrive at a solution. The only surgical option that would work in my case is lens implants and that's not an option for cost reasons.
With regard to camping etc - I do a lot of camping and, while it can be difficult to get set up to remove/replace contacts, it's definitely not impossible. But I most often leave the contacts in at night when camping and my optometrist is OK with me doing this for a couple of nights occasionally. My eyes do feel a bit dry when I wake up, but using drops before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up helps. So, you may be able to find a middle ground that doesn't require the use of extended wear contacts.
Perhaps make a list of questions you have/scenarios that make contacts difficult and ask your optometrist next time you see them what your options are. You have every right to ask as many questions about your own eyes as you need in order to be comfortable with your treatment and the recommendations your doctor is making.
posted by dg at 2:47 PM on October 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have astigmatism, which is why LASIK won't work for me. My previous optometrist went through all the possible options with me and had me try a variety of different contacts to arrive at a solution. The only surgical option that would work in my case is lens implants and that's not an option for cost reasons.
With regard to camping etc - I do a lot of camping and, while it can be difficult to get set up to remove/replace contacts, it's definitely not impossible. But I most often leave the contacts in at night when camping and my optometrist is OK with me doing this for a couple of nights occasionally. My eyes do feel a bit dry when I wake up, but using drops before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up helps. So, you may be able to find a middle ground that doesn't require the use of extended wear contacts.
Perhaps make a list of questions you have/scenarios that make contacts difficult and ask your optometrist next time you see them what your options are. You have every right to ask as many questions about your own eyes as you need in order to be comfortable with your treatment and the recommendations your doctor is making.
posted by dg at 2:47 PM on October 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
They have told me in the past that my prescription was too high for LASIK to fix my eyesight
I am not an eye doctor or surgeon and I don't want to repeat things and get them wrong, but in the interest of giving you questions to ask your doctor: I just had cataract surgery, and as a prerequisite I had to see a retina specialist. He said (almost in passing) that I wouldn't have been a good candidate for LASIK, for what I presume are the same reasons you aren't. He approved the cataract surgery, but I understand that high myopia (mine's bad, but not -11 bad) presents an additional risk factor for retinal detachment after cataract surgery.
I was scared by the idea of cataract surgery and delayed thinking about it when my regular doctor first said I was a candidate. Now that I've had it done I wish I hadn't delayed, because it is truly life changing. Even if your doctor doesn't approve LASIK for retinal reasons, or extended wear contacts for whatever reasons, everybody does get cataracts eventually, and the surgery is covered by health insurance in the US. I still need reading glasses, but I'm 20/20 in both eyes for distance vision.
posted by fedward at 9:43 AM on October 17, 2022
I am not an eye doctor or surgeon and I don't want to repeat things and get them wrong, but in the interest of giving you questions to ask your doctor: I just had cataract surgery, and as a prerequisite I had to see a retina specialist. He said (almost in passing) that I wouldn't have been a good candidate for LASIK, for what I presume are the same reasons you aren't. He approved the cataract surgery, but I understand that high myopia (mine's bad, but not -11 bad) presents an additional risk factor for retinal detachment after cataract surgery.
I was scared by the idea of cataract surgery and delayed thinking about it when my regular doctor first said I was a candidate. Now that I've had it done I wish I hadn't delayed, because it is truly life changing. Even if your doctor doesn't approve LASIK for retinal reasons, or extended wear contacts for whatever reasons, everybody does get cataracts eventually, and the surgery is covered by health insurance in the US. I still need reading glasses, but I'm 20/20 in both eyes for distance vision.
posted by fedward at 9:43 AM on October 17, 2022
Response by poster: Updating this for others' reference in the future: apparently the reason I couldn't get extended wear contacts is because they do not make them over -10. Or at least that's the case with the brand that the new eye doctor's office carries. I am having trouble checking online about that.
He did reduce my prescription by a diopter, which makes it -10, so that I would not need to wear reading glasses anymore, and technically I could ask for the extended wear contacts. But this new prescription seems to give me a headache after being at the computer for a while. So we'll be sorting that out --
posted by Countess Elena at 4:43 PM on October 21, 2022
He did reduce my prescription by a diopter, which makes it -10, so that I would not need to wear reading glasses anymore, and technically I could ask for the extended wear contacts. But this new prescription seems to give me a headache after being at the computer for a while. So we'll be sorting that out --
posted by Countess Elena at 4:43 PM on October 21, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
You're asking, not arguing. It's your health. If the discussion feels like an argument, maybe visit a different ophthalmologist. Best wishes.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:12 AM on October 9, 2022 [7 favorites]