Anybody tried monovision contact scheme?

[Buckeye]

I am trying out a single contact for reading (2.0) in my non-dominant eye as I don't need any correction for distance. I'm not too sure I'm pleased with the result. I've worn glasses (progressives) for about 2 years due to presbyopia (got tired of constantly trying to find my readers) and have decided to try contacts.

Anyone else tried this out?

I'm wearing a Ciba Vision Air Optix Night and Day Aqua soft contact lens which is good for a month. Technically, I could wear it for 30 days straight but the optometrist said to take it out every night.

Why can't I safely follow the manufacturer's directions for extended wear (after I get used to it)? There's nothing unusual going on with my eye. Seems like I could cause more of a problem by introducing germs into my eye by handling the contact every day. Also, they are a pain to handle!

 

[travelover]

I wore a single contact for about 10 years. I needed it for far vision but I could read OK. For the last year or so, I've also needed reading glasses for the small print.

I'm no expert, but was told that contacts deprive the eye of oxygen. I take mine out every night and find it an easy task once I got used to it.

 

[MBAustin]

I've worn soft contacts for about 30 years, removing them (almost) every night. The handling is awkward at first but it gets to be routine - I have only dropped/ripped/lost one a handful of times over the years. I'm also wearing Air Optix monovision but quite different from your situation as I have one farsighted and one nearsighted eye. (That's called anisomatropia for you geeks out there.) BTW, Air Optix are much easier to handle than other brands I have used.

That said, regardless of the brand of contacts and what the mfg says, I think taking contacts out most if not all nights is better for eye health. As Travelover noted, contacts do limit oxygen to the eye, and also you will find after you sleep in them (even a nap) they will tend to be "stuck" to your eye. After a nap they loosen up with some good blinking, but overnight they are really stuck and need some serious drops or saline (my experience, YMMV). I figure if they are stuck to my eye that's not a good thing, so I put up with taking them out every night.

It does take a while to get accustomed to monovision so I would give it at least a month before giving up. Good luck!

 

[Sarah in SC]

Yes, please take it out every night--way better for your eyes!
And I've been contemplating a single contact for far away, because I'm now to the point where I can't really wear contacts and still see up close, dang it old age!
I lost a lens out of my glasses during a rowdy party in Peru and had to spend several weeks with just one lens in the glasses or both contacts, and I found that the single correction was maybe just a bit easier. Now that I've replaced the lens in my glasses, I'm good, but I keep thinking about that one lens being better.
Let me know how you make out with it.

 

[travelover]

...... Now that I've replaced the lens in my glasses, I'm good, but I keep thinking about that one lens being better.
..........

I'll bet that with one lens you sure looked cooler.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I'll bet that with one lens you sure looked cooler.

Omg I felt like an idiot! But we we were on our way to a club, with five of us crammed in a mototaxi when I lost it, so I just chalked it up to adventure!

 

[Buckeye]

I've worn soft contacts for about 30 years, removing them (almost) every night. The handling is awkward at first but it gets to be routine - I have only dropped/ripped/lost one a handful of times over the years. I'm also wearing Air Optix monovision but quite different from your situation as I have one farsighted and one nearsighted eye. (That's called anisomatropia for you geeks out there.) BTW, Air Optix are much easier to handle than other brands I have used.

That said, regardless of the brand of contacts and what the mfg says, I think taking contacts out most if not all nights is better for eye health. As Travelover noted, contacts do limit oxygen to the eye, and also you will find after you sleep in them (even a nap) they will tend to be "stuck" to your eye. After a nap they loosen up with some good blinking, but overnight they are really stuck and need some serious drops or saline (my experience, YMMV). I figure if they are stuck to my eye that's not a good thing, so I put up with taking them out every night.

It does take a while to get accustomed to monovision so I would give it at least a month before giving up. Good luck!

My first contact lasted two wearings. It felt very uncomfortable when I put it in the third day so I removed it immediately and inspected it with my loupe. A sliver was missing from the outer rim making a flat spot. How in the heck did I do that? It was amazing how sharp that flat edge felt in my eye.

I had to wait 2 days to get another lens because the optometrist was closed. I have now worn the second contact for 2 days and so far so good with respect to the integrity of the contact. Also, I can get the lens into my eye in one try and out in one try.

I'm a little phobic about keeping my hands clean and not touching anything after washing them. I really shouldn't even touch the solution bottle and then touch the lens or my eye. The solution inside the bottle is sterile but not the outside of the bottle. Got to get everything laid out just right! Mirror-check. Glasses-check. Lens case-check. Solution-check. I guess it will all be second nature soon.

 

[zinger1457]

I am trying out a single contact for reading (2.0) in my non-dominant eye as I don't need any correction for distance. I'm not too sure I'm pleased with the result. I've worn glasses (progressives) for about 2 years due to presbyopia (got tired of constantly trying to find my readers) and have decided to try contacts.

Was your concern with the results due just to the hassle of taking the contacts out every night or do you also have concerns with the vision results? How is reading using this method compared to regular reading glasses, any difference?

 

[Bestwifeever]

I've worn monovision contacts in both eyes, one corrected for reading. They're gas perms, though, not soft, and come out every night.

Maybe your optometrist wants you to take the single one out every night so both your eyes get the same level of oxygenation etc. (that's my unscientific idea). When I did wear extended wear soft lenses a long time ago, the ophthalmologist told me to take them out every night regardless.

 

[omni550]

I wear gas permeable (Boston Equalens) lenses with monovision correction in each eye. Left for distance and right for up close/reading.

I take them out every night, even though they are extended wear (up to a week). When I've gone camping, I've usually left them in for multiple days, due to the hassle of trying to keep things relatively sterile and to not lose a lens.

I have tried various soft lenses over the years, and could never get the comfort and amazing visual acuity that I get with the gas permeable lenses. I never need supplemental glasses.

I do have a backup pair of glasses (which I never wear) just in case I were to have some issue with a lens or a condition which would preclude wearing my contacts.

My doctor mentioned that this brand of gas permeable lenses allows more oxygen to reach the eye than any other contact lenses.

omni

 

[Nords]

I am trying out a single contact for reading (2.0) in my non-dominant eye as I don't need any correction for distance. I'm not too sure I'm pleased with the result. I've worn glasses (progressives) for about 2 years due to presbyopia (got tired of constantly trying to find my readers) and have decided to try contacts.

Anyone else tried this out?

I'm wearing a Ciba Vision Air Optix Night and Day Aqua soft contact lens which is good for a month. Technically, I could wear it for 30 days straight but the optometrist said to take it out every night.

Why can't I safely follow the manufacturer's directions for extended wear (after I get used to it)? There's nothing unusual going on with my eye. Seems like I could cause more of a problem by introducing germs into my eye by handling the contact every day. Also, they are a pain to handle!

I've been using a monovision soft contact for a couple years, but mine are a 14-day variety.

You get better with practice at handling them. Today I can do it even without glasses. I've even put them in without solution during times when the only liquids available are a bathroom sink and (my) saliva.

The optometrist doesn't want to risk the liability of insufficient oxygenation of your eyeball, despite the manufacturer's directions. It's better to have them out at night (more oxygen to your eyeball) than in (less handling). Your eyeball & tear ducts flush away anything your fingers stick into your eyeball, but when you wear the lens constantly then the proteins build up the ridges & valleys that can hold bacteria and other scum. That leads to an infection more dangerous & painful than anything-- other than handling jalapeno peppers just before putting in your contacts.

Besides, I hate that morning dehydrated wake-up call where you have to literally peel the plastic off your eyeball. Assuming you can peel your eyelid away from the other side of the lens in the first place.

I don't wear the contact when I'm at home-- only when I go out. I literally put it in on the way to the car and then take it out when I'm home for the rest of the day. I might put it in for extremely detailed yardwork or microelectronic repair, but otherwise I only wear it outside the house.

When I only wear it for a few hours at a time, it's hard to switch back & forth between distance & reading vision. It takes a conscious effort. But when we're on travel then I'll wear it 8-10 hours/day, and by the second day my brain somehow flips a switch to make it automatic.

Spouse wears gas permeables, and she hardly ever takes them out. She cleans them once in a while but I couldn't tell you how often. It must be the absolute minimum. She's been doing this for 25 years with no problem. I tried gas permeables before I went monovision, and the gas perms drove me nuts. IMHO, monovision is one step better than full-time glasses. Everything else was worse...

 

[pb4uski]

....I lost a lens out of my glasses during a rowdy party in Peru and had to spend several weeks with just one lens in the glasses or both contacts, and I found that the single correction was maybe just a bit easier. Now that I've replaced the lens in my glasses, I'm good, but I keep thinking about that one lens being better......

You could always have one prescription lens (for distance) and a non-prescription lens for reading and accomplish the same thing without looking goofy.

 

[Buckeye]

Was your concern with the results due just to the hassle of taking the contacts out every night or do you also have concerns with the vision results? How is reading using this method compared to regular reading glasses, any difference?

The monovision (so far) yields a suboptimal result compared to my progressive glasses. The near seems to be less crisp (even with a higher correction) and there is some degradation in the crispness in the distance. Of course, this is not unexpected. It's just that my progressive glasses gave very clear near and distance.

Also, when I'm reading the eye without the lens is a little weirded out and when I'm looking into the distance the lens eye is a little weirded out (don't really know how to explain the sensation in the eye...pressure, tugging).

Maybe all this goes away with a little time.

 

[Ally]

While I don't wear contacts, I did have cateract surgery four years ago and they replaced my lenses with a sort of monovision. On eye is 20/20 and one eye they corrected to 20/30, so that I can see in the distance and also read most things without readers. At first it was a little odd, but now that my eyes or brain have adjusted to the differences between them, they work very well.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

While I don't wear contacts, I did have cateract surgery four years ago and they replaced my lenses with a sort of monovision. On eye is 20/20 and one eye they corrected to 20/30, so that I can see in the distance and also read most things without readers. At first it was a little odd, but now that my eyes or brain have adjusted to the differences between them, they work very well.

I had one eye done this way, too. Having lived with severe near-sightedness all my life, it was marvelous. I am waiting patiently until the second one needs to be done.

Monovision: Wife has had it for years. Loves it. It is important to get the mix of near and far that you are comfortable with.

 

[Ally]

Ed, I was also extremely near-sighted all my life. My correction was -10. When I realized what cataract surgery was going to do for me, I felt blessed to have needed the surgery in my 50's. In fact, had I known what a miracle it is to suddenly not need glasses, I would have paid for the surgery myself, even if I didn't have cataracts.

I asked the doctor if very nearsighted people could have the surgery without cataracts, just to improve their vision. He said yes, that he did that and that you would have to pay the cost yourself. Insurance doesn't cover it. He said it was about $4500-$5000. Had I known, I would have paid that many years ago!

 

[Moemg]

I wore monovision contacts for years and while I had no problems with them I did not find the vision optimal . I had monovision implants after cataract surgery and my vision is great . I would highly recommend it . My adjustment period was minimal and being freed from glasses is the best.

 

[Nords]

I wore monovision contacts for years and while I had no problems with them I did not find the vision optimal . I had monovision implants after cataract surgery and my vision is great . I would highly recommend it . My adjustment period was minimal and being freed from glasses is the best.

I think the worst part of presbyopia is about five years into it-- when your eyes are bad enough to be an inconvenience (even a safety issue) but lens-replacement surgery is still "optional" or "cosmetic".

Well, maybe that's the second-worst part. The worst is when they bring out the lasers, cutters, needles, and eyeball clamps...

I keep hoping that paying my dues with multifocal monovision contacts will get us ever closer to truly flexible artificial lenses.

 

[kcowan]

While I don't wear contacts, I did have cateract surgery four years ago and they replaced my lenses with a sort of monovision. On eye is 20/20 and one eye they corrected to 20/30, so that I can see in the distance and also read most things without readers. At first it was a little odd, but now that my eyes or brain have adjusted to the differences between them, they work very well.

I did this too. First eye was in 1995 an the second in 2000. It was so unusual not needing glasses anymore. (The premature cataracts were the result of laser retinal surgery when I was young to repair a hockey injury.)

Some days I feel like I need to remove my contacts! Then I know I have been carousing too much!

 

[Buckeye]

Had my follow-up visit with the eye doc today. Based on my complaints about trouble reading at an acceptable distance (i.e. items on grocery store shelves and my computer in my lap), inadequate depth perception while driving and the feeling of my eyes fighting each other she gave me a +1.75 contact to replace my +2.0 contact.

What a difference! Now I feel like I'm wearing my progressive lenses without having glasses on. Awesome! Sub-optimal solution has changed to optimal solution.

 

[Ally]

Great news! I hope it continues to work out for you.

 

[donheff]

I have been using a single reading contact for about 10 years. I love it. I take the lens out every night and have never gotten good at putting it in. I have to use a magnifying mirror and lok at my eye while placing the lens in -- but it has became routine quickly. A couple of years ago I added a slight plus lens on my distance eye to improve distance vision. That is useful when I need a lot of acuity (the trip to Africa I just completed) but I skip it most of the time.

 

[Buckeye]

Update.

I found the single vision +1.75 contact to be too weak for reading so the doc gave me a +1.5 multi-focal lens. Yes!!! Perfect integration between the distance and reading eye and 90% of what I need for reading.

The doc also gave me a prescription for +2.0's dailies because they are useful when I know I'm going to be reading a lot or doing a lot of computer work on a particular day. Veeeeeeeeery thin contacts!

The doc gave me one more multi-focal sample to use until the multi-focal order came in because I had ripped the one I'd worn for 2 weeks. I've worn the latest one for only a week but I found (using my loupe) a small sliver of the edge missing. What in the heck am I doing to these things? Am I ever going to get a month out of one? They are "approved" to be worn for a month straight and I have a feeling that's the only way to get them to last a month. My neighbor has put them in on Day 1 and taken them out on Day 30 for many years and has never had a problem although he said they only lasted 2 weeks when he was going through chemo.

I am also trying out my new glasses. The optical folks at Costco have been very helpful. They were very uncomfortable to start with but I think we've got them adjusted so it doesn't feel like my head is in a vise! I've also discovered my old glasses are now much more uncomfortable than I remembered. The nose and ears much prefer the contacts!

 

[MBAustin]

I'm interested to know how your multifocal works out. They currently aren't available in my prescription (too much astigmatism and farsightedness) which is why I'm still on monovision with reading glasses for long periods of reading or computer work (and for singing, since I don't want to misread the notes). Good luck and thanks for sharing your story.