Anyone got experience with gas permissible contact lens?

[mrhasan]

Got tired of wearing glasses for the last 18 years and with the new high index poly carbonate lenses, its just a PITA due to distortion. So got an appointment for contact fitting this Saturday and I am looking forward to it. My power is quite high (-6.75 and -7.00) so I was thinking of getting GP instead of more popular soft ones since GP seems to allow more oxygen, less chance of infection and better vision. But the adjustment period seems to be the only concern and all I found was contradicting opinions all across the web (not surprising!). Was wondering whether anyone has any 1st hand experience with GP, even better if GP and softs. Thanks

[GoFish]

Before those contacts came out that allow you to sleep in them came around I was wearing mine for weeks or months at a time. Still do but now I use the thinner ones, I'm guessing that's what you're referring to? They're harder to put in your eyes because they're softer and harder to handle but....thanks for the reminder these have been in my eyes for months time to go change them haha. Just make sure you dry your finger tip well before attempting to put them in or they turn inside out on your finger, that's a bit frustrating

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by GoFish

Before those contacts came out that allow you to sleep in them came around I was wearing mine for weeks or months at a time. Still do but now I use the thinner ones, I'm guessing that's what you're referring to? They're harder to put in your eyes because they're softer and harder to handle but....thanks for the reminder these have been in my eyes for months time to go change them haha. Just make sure you dry your finger tip well before attempting to put them in or they turn inside out on your finger, that's a bit frustrating

Thanks for sharing your experience

GP are rigid (to some extend) and are much smaller than soft ones. I guess you are wearing the soft contacts.

You better change those

BTW don't you have to (at least) take them out while showering?

[NU-2reef]

Glasses are a pain but I think your main problem are the polycarbonate lenses. The material itself is less superior to a normal high index plastic lens. Nikon makes a 1.74 index lens which basically means a thinner and clearer lens. Polycarbonate has an index value of 1.586 and no matter how the company labels their product polycarbonate is polycarbonate.

Your prescription isn't very high. I have -4.50 prescription which isn't too far off of yours and I've been wearing contacts for the past 17 years along with glasses. Can I ask if you know if you have an astigmatism? That would be the second number on your prescription underneath the "cyl" column. A high or irregular astigmatism may change my opinion.

I would encourage you to try a soft lens first before using gas perm lenses. For ease of use and care as well as comfort. Many brands have lenses that allow more oxygen through the lens and are disposable daily, weekly or monthly depending on what you prefer.
Gas perms require more delicate care and must be fit by someone with a great deal of knowledge as it has to match the curvature of your cornea to achieve the most comfort and stability. Really I could go on for ever but I'm probably gonna bore you with lame facts. So I recommend you to go soft lens and go from there.

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by NU-2reef

Glasses are a pain but I think your main problem are the polycarbonate lenses. The material itself is less superior to a normal high index plastic lens. Nikon makes a 1.74 index lens which basically means a thinner and clearer lens. Polycarbonate has an index value of 1.586 and no matter how the company labels their product polycarbonate is polycarbonate.

Your prescription isn't very high. I have -4.50 prescription which isn't too far off of yours and I've been wearing contacts for the past 17 years along with glasses. Can I ask if you know if you have an astigmatism? That would be the second number on your prescription underneath the "cyl" column. A high or irregular astigmatism may change my opinion.

I would encourage you to try a soft lens first before using gas perm lenses. For ease of use and care as well as comfort. Many brands have lenses that allow more oxygen through the lens and are disposable daily, weekly or monthly depending on what you prefer.
Gas perms require more delicate care and must be fit by someone with a great deal of knowledge as it has to match the curvature of your cornea to achieve the most comfort and stability. Really I could go on for ever but I'm probably gonna bore you with lame facts. So I recommend you to go soft lens and go from there.

Thanks for such detailed comment

I am not 100% sure whether mine is polycarbonate but I am sure that I got a high index lens and the distortion is too much. Having to work with two monitors, I need to look at the screens directly in order to overcome distortion, which is irritating (1st world problem ).

My right eye does have a -0.75 cyl and left has none. Never really bothered about that number (I had none for both eyes until my most recent checkup last year. Wonder if that will be an issue with contacts.

Yes I do agree GP has some major drawbacks (comfort and correct fitting will probably be the most important ones to me) but there are too many people complaining about blurry vision through soft lens online. Since you have been wearing them for 17 years, what's your experience?

[Delphinus]

When I was about 15 I tried gas permeable lenses. It didn't really work out too well for me, my eyes were bloodshot all the time. I hated them. It took a long time to build up immunity (for lack of a better word) but even still I was literally bloodshot eyes all the time. People would be all "WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU" and I'd be all "I have contacts". And then there'd be this awkward silence. ".... oh. Oh! Well, you look good!" Uh, apparently I don't if your first reaction for fear for my well being????

I don't know what's changed since then (that was a loooonnnng time ago apparently) but now I can wear soft lenses. My prescription is very similar to yours, but it's the astigmatism that it really matters.

I only wear them for sports though (diving/snorkeling especially!!!), or if I on vacation or something like that and I want to wear "the nice sunglasses." Otherwise I seem to prefer the glasses. I never really get used to the way I look without them. Kinda weird I guess.

But yeah .. I would never go back to the gas permeable, unless something has really changed with them since my experience. Super uncomfortable. The soft ones are no comparison. I still have trouble sometimes with getting them in, especially if I'm in a rush, but that's probably because I don't tend to wear them very often.

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

When I was about 15 I tried gas permeable lenses. It didn't really work out too well for me, my eyes were bloodshot all the time. I hated them. It took a long time to build up immunity (for lack of a better word) but even still I was literally bloodshot eyes all the time. People would be all "WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU" and I'd be all "I have contacts". And then there'd be this awkward silence. ".... oh. Oh! Well, you look good!" Uh, apparently I don't if your first reaction for fear for my well being????

I don't know what's changed since then (that was a loooonnnng time ago apparently) but now I can wear soft lenses. My prescription is very similar to yours, but it's the astigmatism that it really matters.

I only wear them for sports though (diving/snorkeling especially!!!), or if I on vacation or something like that and I want to wear "the nice sunglasses." Otherwise I seem to prefer the glasses. I never really get used to the way I look without them. Kinda weird I guess.

But yeah .. I would never go back to the gas permeable, unless something has really changed with them since my experience. Super uncomfortable. The soft ones are no comparison. I still have trouble sometimes with getting them in, especially if I'm in a rush, but that's probably because I don't tend to wear them very often.

Thanks for sharing the experience Tony. Looks like I may not consider GP. Wouldn't want blood shot eyes, may convey the wrong message

I wasn't aware that I have astigmatism. Doc never told me about it (guess its not too much to talk about). Hopefully this will not be a deal breaker for contacts.

I am excited about getting my 1st "proper" sunglass if everything works out. Will get a Serengeti

[Etaloche]

My advice would be laser eye surgery, only been 2 years since I got it done but I've never looked back. Never have to worry about glasses or contacts anymore and the cost of the surgery is relativity "cheap" nowadays.

[NU-2reef]

Don't worry your astigmatism is pretty minor in comparison to what I've seen. Contacts should be ok for you. Just give them a try. The hardest part is getting over the fact that you are poking yourself in the eye with a foreign object. Once you get used to that its way better than glasses.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

When I was about 15 I tried gas permeable lenses. It didn't really work out too well for me, my eyes were bloodshot all the time. I hated them. It took a long time to build up immunity (for lack of a better word) but even still I was literally bloodshot eyes all the time. People would be all "WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU" and I'd be all "I have contacts". And then there'd be this awkward silence. ".... oh. Oh! Well, you look good!" Uh, apparently I don't if your first reaction for fear for my well being????

I don't know what's changed since then (that was a loooonnnng time ago apparently) but now I can wear soft lenses. My prescription is very similar to yours, but it's the astigmatism that it really matters.

Its not immunity, its just that they were so rigid you needed to develop a callous on the inside of your eyelid before the pain went away. I lasted about 5 minutes trying those out before going to regular.

Currently I use monthly disposables. My eyes leave protein deposits on the 2 year ones that just doesn't come off no matter what solution I use. I've been with the disposable ones for about 15 years now. I use the Air Optix ones, they're nice and thin. Love them but I'd like to get my eyes lasered and might look into that soon as I have astigmatism and the toric lenses never get the prescription quite right.