"Preservative Free" Contact Lens Solution

Hi everyone,

I had a contact lens patient yesterday that said she can only wear preservative free contact lens solution and that anything with preservatives in it would burn her eyes after removal from the case and insertion. I'm thinking its more of one bad experience with one brand over another.

I am not sure what she is using now, but I told her I would try to get some names of brands that had this solution available. I have heard of like ReNu having a pres. free rewetting drops, but storage solution??

When speaking to the doctor, he said that was the first time in 3 years he had heard a patient requesting preservative-free solution specifically.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am still learning the realm of contact lenses. I would like to do something for her before her trials come in.

Thanks! Jaron

Clear-care by Ciba, a one step peroxide system. Our OD has been switching a lot of patients to this with a silicon lense (Purevision or Day & Night) because Calgary is so dry. You might not believe it but Calgary was less humid this winter than the Sahara desert.

We also use Ciba's Clear Care solution for patients that are sensitive to the preservatives in the multipurpose solutions. AOSept Clear Care is a one bottle no rub no rinse hydrogen peroxide based solution without the preservatives and harsher chemicals that the multipurpose solutions contain. We have had patients that have actually said that they feel it cleans their lenses better than renu.

I'm a big fan of Clear Care, but a lot of BC clinics are also finding good success with a hydrogen peroxide system called Panasept.

www.panasept.com

The website is a bit old (the tablets have been replaced with capsules to reduce dissolving time), but it does give you an idea of how it works. And please don't be turned off by the whole "you have to mix your own solution" process. It takes me 5 minutes once every 2 weeks. I, like your patient Jaron, did end up with an intolerance to a certain brand of MPS. Nothing like personal experience to make you see the patient's point of view (no pun intended).

I'm not too sure what availibility is like in your area, but I'm sure you could e-mail them if you're interested.

Thank you too all of you who have replied...your information is greatly appreciated! :D

Panasept is very comparible in $$ to MP and from what I am told by patients, an awesome product........

I'm also a big fan of Clear Care. I use it and about 50% of our soft lens patients use it as well. I've also had really good results with the Aquify drops from Ciba as well.

I've recently been told by my rep that Clear Care has been approved for use with RGP's and I am curious to see how it works out.

I agree mullo. The price for Panasept isn't bad at all. My clinic retails the set for $50: the microfilter which lasts about 1.5-2 years, enough capsules for 30 fills (a little over a year if you're refilling every 2 weeks), and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide that lasts for 4 years. All you need to get on top of that is a $2 4L jug of distilled water (and I'm still using the same bottle I bought last August).

The only major drawbacks I see from a consumer's point of view is that
1) Panasept is only available through an OD's office. And patients often get very suspicious when I tell them that.
2) The filter is awkward when you're travelling. It's a lot bulkier than those nice little travel size bottles of MPS.

You may also want to try a product called Puri-lens. It uses a spinning motion to clean with non-preserved saline and UV light to disinfect the lenses. I have a few very sensitive patients using it with no problems. I think the unit costs about $50 plus the cost of non- preserved saline. You can use your own but if you want to keep the warranty valid you need to byt the saline from them.

Stopper,

How do you find the quality of the Purilens unit? At the last clinic I worked in, we had a number of patients exchanging the unit for a new one because theirs were leaking or just plain not working. The company is good about taking back defective product, but it was a little bit of a hassle. There is no Canadian branch office to contact and sending stuff across the border is always a risky venture. I'm told the US postal system is great; can't say the same for Canada Post...

That being said, I did like Purilens. It's a bit much for 2-week or monthly disposable lens wearers, but worth it for quarterly or conventional lenses.

mlm,
I haven't had any returned.:cheers:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mlm

Stopper,

How do you find the quality of the Purilens unit? At the last clinic I worked in, we had a number of patients exchanging the unit for a new one because theirs were leaking or just plain not working. The company is good about taking back defective product, but it was a little bit of a hassle. There is no Canadian branch office to contact and sending stuff across the border is always a risky venture. I'm told the US postal system is great; can't say the same for Canada Post...

That being said, I did like Purilens. It's a bit much for 2-week or monthly disposable lens wearers, but worth it for quarterly or conventional lenses.

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I used the have the purilens system too and we had a lot that went defective. Yes, they always took them back, but it was a pain. And if I remember correctly, you had to prove that the patient was only using their solution. Also you had to remember to explain that the UV causes the inside of the unit to turn yellow. Worked nicely though and you didn't have to worry about people putting peroxide in their eyes!

Puri-lens and Addipak is what we use for our Maxim Scleral lens patients. Completely preservative free. Can be purchased on Amazon.