Contacts sticking to my eyes.

I got setup with contact lenses 6 months ago but gave up on them after
a brief while because they were murder to remove from my eyes. When I
try to pull them off my cornea they stretch like a rubber band and feel
like they are going to pull my eye out. This is true whether I wear
them for 2 hours or all day. My eyes tear up easily so I don't think
dryness is the problem.

The other method I try to use is to put a bit of Optifree Express
solution in my eye and then squeeze/squish/squash to dislodge the lens
from off my eye. After much effort this usually works, but my eye is
sore and red afterward.

I'd like to be able to use my contacts for bike riding, but intend to
where glasses other times because they correct better for my mild
astigmatism.

My contacts are Acuvue Advance brand.

I'd be grateful for suggestions including techniques or other brand of
contacts. My reply address is munged so I'll watch the board for
replies.

It sounds like the lenses are really getting dry on your eyes.

Silicone-hydrogel lenses are pretty good in dry eye situations because
of their low water elastomeric qualities. However, the Acuvue Advance
has the highest water content of all the silicone-hydrogels. Focus
Night and Day has the lowest. I would probably try you out in the
Focus Night and Day before I threw in the towel.

DrG

"geemike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
>I got setup with contact lenses 6 months ago but gave up on them after
> a brief while because they were murder to remove from my eyes. When I
> try to pull them off my cornea they stretch like a rubber band and feel
> like they are going to pull my eye out. This is true whether I wear
> them for 2 hours or all day. My eyes tear up easily so I don't think
> dryness is the problem.

Unless the lenses are fitting too tight, the problem is most likely to be
the lens drying out over the course of the day, either because they have
coated up or you have a lack of tears. Tearing up easily when irritated is
not a measure of the normal volume or quality of your nears.

> The other method I try to use is to put a bit of Optifree Express
> solution in my eye and then squeeze/squish/squash to dislodge the lens
> from off my eye. After much effort this usually works, but my eye is
> sore and red afterward.
>
> I'd like to be able to use my contacts for bike riding, but intend to
> where glasses other times because they correct better for my mild
> astigmatism.
>
> My contacts are Acuvue Advance brand.
>
> I'd be grateful for suggestions including techniques or other brand of
> contacts. My reply address is munged so I'll watch the board for
> replies.

If you stopped wearing these soon after fitting, return to your fitter. You
should have had a couple of follow up visits during which the fitter should
have addressed this issue. It may mean a different base curve of the
current lens, a different brand of lens or a different type (for occasional
sports wear, daily disposables may work).

Dr Judy

Thanks for the replies. I talked to a friend and they showed me how to
correctly push the lens off of my cornea to the side. It works pretty
well.

Only problem that remains is the fact that when riding "down on the
bars" my head is tilted up, meaning my eyes are rotated upward as well
to see the road. When rotated upward, the edges of my contacts touch
the very upper edge of my lower eyelid.

Sounds minor I know, but at best it tickles. At worst it's like a
chinese water torture that lasts the whole ride.
Can special lenses be ordered that have a thinner outer edge, or is
this simply a matter of rx?

Thanks for the replies
Mike

geemike wrote:
> Thanks for the replies. I talked to a friend and they showed me how to
> correctly push the lens off of my cornea to the side. It works pretty
> well.

THAT should have been done at the eyedr's office.
>
> Only problem that remains is the fact that when riding "down on the
> bars" my head is tilted up, meaning my eyes are rotated upward as well
> to see the road. When rotated upward, the edges of my contacts touch
> the very upper edge of my lower eyelid.
>
> Sounds minor I know, but at best it tickles. At worst it's like a
> chinese water torture that lasts the whole ride.
> Can special lenses be ordered that have a thinner outer edge, or is
> this simply a matter of rx?
>

Could be a lens diameter issue or a lens base curve issue (steepness or
flatness of fit) or both. The majority of Acuvue Advance fits in my
practice are the steeper base curve, and the sales rep acknowledges
this as well.

Get thee back to your eyedr as you paid him/her for follow-up care...?

DrG