Optimum Comfort RGP Lens question

[tigger1969]

I have a call into my O.D. but am looking for some supplemental information, as the tech I spoke with wasn't conversant with the materials.

I was fitted with Optimum Comfort RGP lenses, and I'm EXTREMELY impressed with the clarity of vision on the RGP's. I think we still need to do some re-fitting, as one of the contacts is slipping off the cornea pretty frequently, and the other is doing it occasionally.

My question is about the material these are made from. All I can find on it with extensive Googling is that it's made from Roflufocon C. Every indication I can find is that it's a variant on fluorosilicone-acrylate. Can anyone tell me if this is true?

I'm asking because I'm having problems that I believe may be due to the rewetting solution that was recommended. I have been wearing the contacts for about 3 weeks now, and am having significant problems with dry eye and significant itching. I've handled it so far by taking the lenses out when it gets too bad, putting more rewetting solution on them, and re-inserting.

Someone suggested that I could be allergic to the re-wetting solution, and I had already been told that I could use saline to rinse with rather than tap water. So this morning instead of the rewetting drops for insertion, I used the saline I'd found at the drugstore that said it was safe for RGP lenses. I am now 5 hours into my wear, and while I'm still having a bit of dry eye, it's not horrible, and I have had no itching.

I called the OD's office to find out if I can use ANY saline, even if it doesn't specify RGP on it, because the one I found that said RGP is an aeresol, so I obviously can't use it directly in the eye. I'd like to use just saline for a couple of days as comfort drops and see if that works. Alternately, I'd like to find a preservative-free comfort drop to try. The tech said she couldn't tell me if I could use any regular saline, because these lenses are a different material (all she could tell me was Optimum Comfort) than the other RGP lenses.

I can't make it into my OD's office until next week, so if she can't answer my question over the phone, can anyone give me some additional information on this for the weekend?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[drk]

Saline is inoccuous, so you can use it, for what it's worth.

Let's go back to your symptom, instead of your diagnosis and treatment plan. You are dry and itchy? Are you really, really itchy, like you want to scratch your eyes out, or you would like to take the lenses out and rub your eyes, and then it would feel better? A true solution allergy would be the former, and your eyes would be red, likely swollen, and would itch even when your lenses were not in. I doubt you have a solution allergy, and it's rare.

You possibly are feeling dry, and that gives a mildly itchy feeling. If in-eye lubrication with a drop like Refresh Tears, Tears Naturale, Hypotears, Aquify, Clerz, even saline, takes the itch away after a few drops, then you're probably dry. Dry eye results in obvious staining that your Dr. can see, especially in the evening.

You are possibly releasing histamine because you are not adapted to the lenses, yet (if you are a new wearer). If an antihistamine/mast-cell stabilizer drop clears it up, you may be able to use that while you adapt.

[tigger1969]

Saline is inoccuous, so you can use it, for what it's worth.

[...]

Dry eye results in obvious staining that your Dr. can see, especially in the evening.

You are possibly releasing histamine because you are not adapted to the lenses, yet (if you are a new wearer). If an antihistamine/mast-cell stabilizer drop clears it up, you may be able to use that while you adapt.

Thanks for the response! I'm not trying to 2nd guess my OD, but I can't get into see him today, and my appointment for my re-check is next Friday. I really think the saline will be the way to go, but I didn't want to compromise my lenses. :-)

I wasn't aware that the histamine release could even happen. Is that drop something my OD can prescribe, or would I need to see my MD? With my history of seasonal allergies, an allergic response to something wouldn't surprise me in the least.

I'm sure that my OD will do all of the staining, etc. when I see him next week as well as prescribe drops if he can give me something to help. He's very thorough.

The odd part about all of this is because I don't have any saline I can use as drops, and I wanted to test this theory, all that has been on my contacts today has been the drop of saline in each eye I used to insert the contacts this morning. I haven't added any or used any rewetting drops today (now going on 7 hours) and I'm a *little* dry, and it feels like I could use a couple drops of something in each eye, but it's nowhere near uncomfortable.

However, every day I've worn my lenses with the rewetting drops (including yesterday), my eyes have itched horribly and been so dry I was putting drops in almost every 30 minutes or so, and taking the lenses out every 3 or 4 hours to put more drops behind them. The itching goes away about 30 minutes after I take my contacts out (and yes, I rub the hell out of them once the contacts are out). My eyes are a *bit* red when I take the contacts out, but they go back to normal within an hour. Right now after 7 hours, I'm seeing less redness than I did after 4 hours yesterday. Still some, but no worse than I usually have after a day on the computer. ::grin::

Anyway, thanks again for confirming that I can use the saline without damaging my lenses. My OD's office still hasn't called me back, and with it being Friday, I'm not sure they will... and though they gave me a pager number, I don't really think this is significant enough to bug someone on a weekend. :-)