Toric Lenses

[yellowduck]

Hi. I have an astigmatism and therefore have to wear gas permeable lenses. But I recently went to the opticians and discovered so called toric lenses that astigmatism sufferers can wear. I was wondering if any of you has had any experience of these. My prescription is very strong (L: -6.5, R: -8) and so I'm not sure if they'll wrk for me. Plus what options are there in terms of monthlies, fortnightlies and dailies. I did speak to the optician but I was totally convinced that he was very knowledgable on the subject and that he wasn't just trying to sell me them. I'm just a bit sick of the gas permeable. Any advice would be great. Thank you x x x

[yellowduck]

sorry that's meant to be 'wasn't totally convinced' - fairly crucial to the meaning!

[Clanad]

I've worn toric lenses since their inception over 25 years ago.  They are extended wear and have gotten even more comfortable as the actual water content of the lenses has increased.  I wear Johnson and Johnson 30 day disposable lenses, but I've learned that if I clean them each night and soak them just like the older extended wear lenses they are more comfortable. The newer "no-rub" solutions work best for me, although I do clean them with lens cleaner first.  They are relatively inexpensive, costing about $350 U.S. per year (12 sets).  One draw back is that you can't lie on the couch and watch TV, since the lenses are weighted on one specific side they rotate on the eye and the vision is distorted... small problem for such convenience and comfort... Good luck!

[louadams6]

i dont need to wear toric lenses but i do wear daily ones and theyre great, no fussing cleaning etc, just put them in when i get up and take them out and throw them away at night! I had a bad experience with lenses when i was younger and vowed i would never use them again. Think it may have been through not cleaning them thoroughly enough or something but they made my eyes quite bad for weeks. But honestly these focus dailies are great. I buy mine online from  http://www.contactforlenses.com/index.asp. as theyre cheaper on there although they do take just over a week to be delivered. its worth taking a look at

[fairy!]

I've had toric lenses for a coupla years now.  I have monthly disposables from SpecSavers & they're �22 per month.  The problem that I have is that they have weights at the bottom to make them stay in place, but I find that the weights move off centre & my vision goes blurry.  Apparently not many people have this problem tho, so you should be ok!  My optician is trying to talk me in to trying gas permeable but I don't wanna!!

[Pythia]

I've tried monthly torics but they were too thick and not comfortable so 've gone back to dailies, which are lighter and great to wear, though I still need comfort drops to stop them drying out.  The sight's not as good but the comfort's better. You might find you can't get toric dailies in your prescription, as your eyes sound like mine.

But most of all - try another optician! There's lots out there and they should let you try several different sorts, free, for a week or two each until you settle on a pair which are comfortable for you. (It's your eyes, after all, and you are the customer.)