Anyone Else Have Astigmatism And Wear Contacts??
Lounge By Anna31 Updated 9 May 2007 , 1:41pm by ncdessertdiva
I have astigmatism and have hard (rigid) contacts. I have had them for five years and have never liked them. I'm going to the Optometrist next week to get new ones but have no idea what if available these days. Does anyone have soft contacts? Do you know if I can get colored soft contacts with this? I'll find out next week but I'm to anxious to wait that long! Thanks!
Anna
YES!! don't let them tell you that you can't wear them. One optometrist told me I couldn't but then I found a very understanding optometrist who was willing to work with me to find the right lense to set on my eye correctly. It took four tries with different brands but I now can see very well with them, actually better than my glasses.
The lenses must sit still on your eye. (I am 48yrs old and have finally got out of glasses just 3 weeks ago.)
YES!! don't let them tell you that you can't wear them. One optometrist told me I couldn't but then I found a very understanding optometrist who was willing to work with me to find the right lense to set on my eye correctly. It took four tries with different brands but I now can see very well with them, actually better than my glasses.
The lenses must sit still on your eye. (I am 48yrs old and have finally got out of glasses just 3 weeks ago.)
I've been wearing contacts for five years but wear my glasses most of the time. I can't wear my contacts for long periods of time or they get really dried out and my eyes start to burn. Been getting allot worse lately which is why I think I need new ones. Maybe I never got the right ones in the first place!?
Anna
I have soft disposable lenses with astigmatism. I got them about two years ago, they're some new kind that is acutally approved for extended wear in Europe. (sorry, I can't remember the brand and I'm not at home.) They're just as comfortable as my usual soft lenses (the astigmatism recently developed).
Don't know if you can get colors, but you can definitely get soft lenses! I had rigid lenses for many years because I get a lot of build up, but these are SO much more comfortable.
Me too! I have astigmatism and have worn soft contacts for years. You just need to find a dr. who is willing to play around with different brands and see what works.
There are also these soft lenses that are "toric" lenses - somehow they are "weighted" so that they always sit the same way on your eyeball instead of truly floating as much as the regular ones do. This is supposed to help for peole with astigmatism but for me - NOT comfy at all. I've tried them on and IMMEDIATELY take them out. But for some people, they work.
Don't give up hope! I really like my soft lenses and definitely see better in them than my glasses. Currently I am stuck in glasses for a few days because I have pink eye (I know - yuck! Not making any cakes though so that's good) and I absolutely hate wearing my glasses in comparison to my contacts.
I have a pretty bad astigmatism in my right eye that got worse as I got older. It was slight in highschool when I started wearing contacts, but I was albe to wear just regular soft lenses. Bausch and Lomb was the brand that I wore. For a long time I did not wear contacts and this past summer I finally got new ones. My right eye was pretty bad that the only option was a toric lense for the right eye and a normal for the left. It does feel a bit odd at first--like you have a hair in your eye because of the weighted end of the lense, but I got used to it real quick and really was not bothered at all. I believe the contacts were from Coopervision--not sure. My biggest thing was that my eyes were always seeming dry--both of them so I constantly had to have rewetting drops on me. I wore them for the summer and then went back to my glasses--just so much easier! 
I have a pretty bad astigmatism in my right eye that got worse as I got older. It was slight in highschool when I started wearing contacts, but I was albe to wear just regular soft lenses. Bausch and Lomb was the brand that I wore. For a long time I did not wear contacts and this past summer I finally got new ones. My right eye was pretty bad that the only option was a toric lense for the right eye and a normal for the left. It does feel a bit odd at first--like you have a hair in your eye because of the weighted end of the lense, but I got used to it real quick and really was not bothered at all. I believe the contacts were from Coopervision--not sure. My biggest thing was that my eyes were always seeming dry--both of them so I constantly had to have rewetting drops on me. I wore them for the summer and then went back to my glasses--just so much easier!
Sounds like a pain in the you know what to have to keep rewetting your contacts! So much for eye makeup huh?! That was part of the problem with my hard contacts, drying out. What we women go through to look good!!!! It's quite rediculous really! And for what! The men in our lives don't seem to notice anyway. At least mine doesn't. I get far more compliments from other men than I do my own DH. Could it be that after nearly 18 years together he is just used to me? How depressing is that! It's sure nice to get a compliment from another guy though, at least I haven't totally lost my looks! 
JK.
Anna
I have astigmatisms and I wear soft disposable contact lenses. I get mine from Walmart, they are the flex toric 55 brand (generics) (i believe that's the name) and I love them. I tried switching brands to use my eye insurance and I couldn't see as clear with the same prescription, so I went back to Walmart's brand.
I love wearing contacts, I can see better and I don't have to worry about my glasses sliding down my nose. Of course some days it is just easier to wear your glasses, like when you want to be lazy.
Isn't Lasik SUPER expensive? DH mentioned that but we think it would cost too much, even with our good insurance. That would be awesome to not need contacts or glasses at all anymore! Talk about freedom!
Anna
super -- no
expensive --- yes
but they have payment plans -- just like for a car.
and yes, most insurance won't pay, as considered "cosmetic" --
mine paid because eyes to point could no longer correct w/ contacts or glasses (cataracts and extreme deformation of the eye due to long term use of RGPs).
Isn't the procedure well...... creepy?? I've seen it done on t.v. where they have you lay down then put some device on your eye to keep you from blinking and then cut into your cornea. I'm a WIMP. I didn't know that using RGPs. would damage your eyes!!!!!!!! YIKES!!! I don't wear them every day but on and off for five years! Now I'm gonna freak out! JK.
Anna
Isn't the procedure well...... creepy?? I've seen it done on t.v. where they have you lay down then put some device on your eye to keep you from blinking and then cut into your cornea. I'm a WIMP. I didn't know that using RGPs. would damage your eyes!!!!!!!! YIKES!!! I don't wear them every day but on and off for five years! Now I'm gonna freak out! JK.
Anna
the 2 worst parts of the whole thing:
1) FREEZING!!!!! -- they keep the laser room SOOOOO!!!!! cold!
2) the smell the laser produces -- not bad, not good -- but not nice either.
not creepy at all -- from start to finish only about 30 minutes and then they MAKE you go home and take a nice long nap to make the eye heal faster.
noticed results that afternoon!
don't feel much of anything -- except cold!!
and there are variations of the procedure you might find more pleasant.
I also have astigmatism. I have trouble wearing glasses. I saw one doctor that put me in soft contacts. For 2 years they would move all over my eye, dry out whenever any wind would come at me, such as walking. They drove me nuts. Switched doctors and he said "Why are you wearing these, they don't fit and are the wrong prescription." He put me in Night & Day soft contacts. I change them once a month. Love Them. I wear one for close and one for far. No problems.
RGP = rigid gas permeable contacts....VERY uncomfortable!! I had them for many years, too.
I checked my lenses, they are Bausch&Lomb SofLens 66 Toric. They were a little hard to get used to just because they're a little bigger (circumference) than regular lenses, but now I love them. They were quite a bit more expensive than my 'normal' lenses, but the insurance covers most of it. It's worth it to me, I can't see as well with my glasses...and I'm vain. 
I have a pretty severe astigmatism and finally about 8 years ago they told me I could have contacts. Mine were torics and they were soft AND they came available in custom colors for a very high price. After about 3 weeks and 3 visits to the optometrist for problems (apparently one lenses in particular was spinning with each blink of my eye they asked that I just consider glasses. I'm sure times have changed rapidly but that is my answer from my experience. Best wishes!
I also have astigmatism. I have trouble wearing glasses. I saw one doctor that put me in soft contacts. For 2 years they would move all over my eye, dry out whenever any wind would come at me, such as walking. They drove me nuts. Switched doctors and he said "Why are you wearing these, they don't fit and are the wrong prescription." He put me in Night & Day soft contacts. I change them once a month. Love Them. I wear one for close and one for far. No problems.
Ooh! Those sound great! Would be great to wake up and be able to see right away and not have to mess with them every morning. Something else to ask my Dr. about! Thanks!
Anna
I've worn soft contacts for over 25 years and I have astigmatism in both eyes! Lasik would be great but I also have dry eyes due to age (yuck)! They have so many different kinds of soft lenses these days. My doctor has me in lenses with more moisture specifically for my dry eyes. Find a doctor that is willing to work with you on the contacts and don't give up.
Leslie
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