How long can your wear disposable "monthly" contacts?

Factual Questions
1

I have some contacts that I am supposed wear for a month and throw away but instead I wear them for about three or four. I think I have even gone as far a six but I usually tear one of lose one or something to that nature. This morning, I went to put on my contacts and one of them was laying beside the container crispy looking at that point (yeah, I drank a little too much last night) so I picked it up and threw back in the container until it mositened up and then stuck it in my eye.

Anyway, I am curious about this. My eyes seem fine and I want to keep them that way. I just have a hard time believing these contacts are no good after a month.

2

So, in other words, you don’t have any faith that the manufacturers know what they’re talking about, that they might have done tests and found out that if you wear them longer than the recommended time period, you can get nasty eye infections, so they put all kinds of disclaimers on the packages about not wearing them longer than a month, but that those disclaimers are there, not to protect the manufacturer from lawsuits by people who persist in wearing the contacts longer than recommended, and who end up with the predicted eye infections, but just because the manufacturer likes the way it looks on the package, all official-like?

I see.

Well, the whole point of the disposable contacts is to cut down on eye infections. Start wearing them longer than recommended, and you start running the risk of eye infections.

http://webmd.lycos.com/content/article/1685.52831

It’s your call. << shrug >>

3

If you’re going to keep your contacts for any extended period I would suggest you invest in a disinfectant system for your contacts and use it frequently. I do pretty much what you do, I buy disposable contacts and wear them until I decide they’re done, BUT I take them out and disinfect them every night. (I use the AOSEPT stuff). I haven’t had an eye infection for several years, and the last time I did it was from being careless in my hygene.

YMMV.

4

I listen to the eye doctor. My eye doctor prescribed Surevue contacts and told me that I could wear them for 3-4 months. The box says wear for a month, then throw away, or wear as prescribed by your eye care professional.

5

I have disposables that are technically supposed to be changed every 2 weeks. But I had a long talk with the doc before I extended the wearing time, and he informed me that for this brand (I don’t know what it is at the moment), that 2 weeks is set for people who never take them out. I remove mine every evening, clean and disenfect them and I use an enzyme cleaner (Renu effervescent enzymatic, not the 1 step). Hearing that, he told me to change them if I felt the cleanings weren’t doing their job, if I ripped one or if they were uncomfortable for any reason. Otherwise, I could keep wearing the same pair. I’ve had one pair that I wore for about six months, and have had no problems.

6

My contacts (Acuvue 2), are meant for 2 week usage, I can usually go much longer then that with them though (4-8 weeks maybe, never really payed attention). I know I should clean them, but I don’t…ever. Anyways, I just wear them until they start to get uncomfortable (that is I can start to feel the edges of them in my eye, after they’ve been in for 10 or so hours, or when I start feeling the need to take them out as soon as I get home from work). But I still haven’t gotten any nasty eye infection, knock on wood.

7

Let’s see . . .

Wasn’t there a law suit against a contact lense mfg. because they were selling extended wear as disposables? Can’t remember the details but no, I do not automatically believe everything everyone tells me, including contact lense mfgs and especially since I have had not one eye infection by wearing them longer . . .

I will however, check out the links you posted and I appreciate you providing them . . .

8

Well, I usually wear my one month disposables for roughly 3-6 months. I’ve never had any trouble, and I probably could wear them longer, but after about 6 months I feel like I should probably just get a nice clean lens. Not that I don’t clean and disinfect them every night.

When I bought my contacts, they gave me 12 pairs of contacts…enough for one year. Well, it’s been roughly 2 years now, and I still have 5 pairs left. Sounds like a nice investment to me. :slight_smile:

Jman

9

How much do these things cost?

10

I wear disposable contacts as well, 2 week contacts. I usually wear them for a month though, and I wondered if it was damaging to my eyes. I asked my eye doctor about it, and she said that as long as I clean them every day they should be ok. However, she did mention that wearing them for very long periods of times effects the prescription. I don’t remember her exact words, but it had something to do with them breaking down in UV light or something. (slowly over time) I guess if you never tan, or work nights they can last longer. Might depend on your brand.

Slightly off topic, I was looking into those Day and night monthly contacts. I saw that you can wear them for a month straight, not taking them out at night. I asked the lady at America’s contacts and eye glasses if they had them, and she said not to use them. According to her, leaving anything in the eye that long was bad. However, I asked my eye doctor, (also at America’s contacts and eyeglasses) and she said they worked just fine and were safe. She did suggest however to take them out and soak them at least once a week. Trust your doctor, not the manufacturer or the clerk that sells you them. That is my opinion. Doctors know the truth and are generally objective about it. Of course the manufacturer wants you to change them every 2 weeks; (or a month) they make more money that way.

11

My wife and I use two-week disposables. Her OD told her that with one weekly enzymatic cleaning she could safely wear them (neither of us wear them to sleep) for about 4 weeks. This is what she has been doing for 5 years. I don’t and toss 'em every two weeks. As I purchase the lenses at Costco, my health insurance plan easily covers a year’s supply at zero cost to us. Why my wife continues her approach I’ll never know but that’s another thread. . .

12

I first got contacts in 1980 and have wore just about every type (of soft ones anyway). I started with daily wear, then extended wear, and finally (when I could afford them) disposables.

My disposables (Cibas® I think) are meant to be worn 1 week if you sleep in them, 2 weeks if you don’t. I take them out each night so I ditch them after 2 weeks.

Last month after I put in my last pair (I buy two boxes of 6 at a time) I wasn’t able to get to the store for an annual exam for about six weeks and consequently had to wear my last pair that long. I’d never wore a pair of disposables that long and was surprised to find that they never became uncomfortable. And I too never clean them. I only put them in multi-purpose solution each night.

However, when I did finally see the optometrist he told me that the lenses were pretty funky (not his exact words). One had a large protein deposit on it. Having wore dailies & extended wear before I wasn’t surprised. I’ve done the ‘cooker’ heat disinfection, the ‘fizzy’ protein remover soak, and of course rubbing them with daily cleaner, so I know that using nothing more than nightly multi-purpose solution on them will make them pretty nasty after not too long.

The moral is you can’t just go by how they feel. Its an absolute fact that protein deposits will form if you don’t use something to specifically remove them. And these are very unhealthy for your eyes.

Something 20 odd years of wearing them has shown me is this- if at all possible DON’T SLEEP IN THEM!!! I cannot overstress how significant this is. It makes wearing contacts about 1000 times less unhealthy.

If you can afford them go with the 2-week disposables, take them out at night, and throw them away after 2 weeks! You don’t have to use daily cleaner on them (daily cleaner doesn’t really do that much anyway) and protein deposits take longer than 2 weeks to become a problem.

And I’ve found that it’s not really bothersome at all to have to take them out, put them in multi-purpose solution, and put them back in in the morning. The cleaning, disinfecting, and protein removal routines are what’s a pain in the ass!

13

I have worn “daily” lenses for the past two years.

My doctor said I can wear them for a week at least. I usually change them every Friday evening. Never had an eye infection.

14

My eye doctor told me that monthly disposables are good for one month, assuming you wear them daily, for 12 hours each day, for ALL people. Some people can get away with more time, some with less, depending on what types of deposits an individual’s tears create. Since I generally only wear mine two or three days a week at most, my six month supply is going to last quite a while. Either way, he told me that while I could probably get away with two month’s total wear time on a set of monthlys, he only recommends a one month cycle.

I had an eye infection about 12 years ago, and it wasn’t pleasant, and I nearly lost the eye. If losing an eye is worth the risk to you of saving a couple bucks or beating the establishment, knock yourself out.

15

I’d like to add a few caveats here if I may;

First, when I said I wear my lenses until I figured they were done what I meant was that I visually inspect my lenses every morning before putting them back in and if they have any tears, divots, discoloration, or deposits, they’re history. I’ve had lenses last anywhere from only one day up to one superlense that lasted for 6 months, and probably would have lasted longer, except that I tossed it ‘just because’. Obviously your mileage will vary according to the time of year, what you do during the day, your own eyes’ physiology, etc. Use your best judgement, but I would urge you to be very, very careful, they’re the only eyes you’ve got.

Second, sleeping in contacts can lead to a higher chance of bacterial infection in the eyes. I don’t know how this works and I don’t have a cite, but I’m pretty sure I’m right about this.

Third, contacts reduce the amount of oxygen available to the eyes, and wearing contacts for extended periods can cause little tiny veins to grow out across the lenses as your body tries to compensate by supplying oxygen through the blood. Again no cite, sorry, and I don’t remember what the official name for this condition is, but I know it happens, It happened to me. I know that there are some manufacturers who claim to produce lenses that are really, realy gas-permeable, so that this shouldn’t be a problem. I’m still sceptical.

Fourth, IANAD. For questions about contacts and eye health, see your eye doctor!

Sparticus, I buy mine at Costco, and IIRC I paid $18.00 + change for a box of 6.
If you have a prescription and feel comfortable doing so, you can buy contacts on-line for just a little more, depending on the brand, etc. I used to do that.

** Epimetheus** was that Americas Best Contacts and Eyeglasses? If so, I would suggest you get a second opinion.

16

I wear dailies three or four days at a time including sleeping in them. It’s not a terribly bright thing to do, but my eye doctor gave me a clean bill of heath not too long ago. Plus, I still haven’t mastered putting the damn things in. I never know if they are backwards or not. :frowning:

17

I use Focus one-month soft lenses and I usually wear them for about 6 weeks… no problems so far. I take them out every night and soak them in Opti-Free Express No Rub solution.

If they start to get uncomfortable, I put them in the palm of my hand and rub them with the solution before I put them in.

18

I’ve worn contacts now for a little over ten years, and for all that time, I’ve been pushing the limits of how long disposable contacts can last. I’m now reaping what I have sown. I have three eye problems, all of which are a result of wearing disposable contacts long past their prime:

1: I’ve got a lump growing in my eye. It’s diagnosed as a ‘dellen,’ is a bit smaller than a bb, and is right next to my tear duct. Yeah, it’s as uncomfortable as it sounds. Feels like a grain of sand in my eye every time I blink. Aesthetically, it’s pretty unnoticeable as it’s about the same color and consistency as normal eye mucas, only slighlty harder and very much anchored to my eye.

2: I have giant papillary conjunctivitis, or GPC. My inner eyelid is starting to resemble a fleshy rasp, as it’s swollen, red, and bumpy. The GPC aggravates the dellen, and vice versa.

3: Blood vessels are growing into my iris. As there are no blood vessels in a healthy iris, your eye aspirates instead via osmosis. Wearing contacts usually does not hamper this because the plastic is pourous enough to provide an air exchange; however, as the contact ages, its pores become clogged. Deprive your eye of the ability to get oxygen from the air, and it compensates by growing blood vessels into the oxygen-starved area. You know all those red blood vessels in the whites of your eyes? Imagine them growing right on in to the colored part, too. I’ve actually made it out worse than it is, as the capillaries are nowhere near my iris; they have, however grown inward a bit since my last visit and will continue to do so if my eyes don’t get the oxygen they need.

The good news here is that all this is pretty minor in the grand scheme of eye problems is farily easily treatable. No contacts at all for a couple of weeks, cold compresses (to reduce the swelling of the GPC) four times a day, and special eye drops. Once I’m back in contacts, I’m to limit the hours I wear them, and adhere to their prescriped lifespan.

So, while YMMV, here’s one person who will, from now on, take very seriously the suggested lifespan of contact lenses. Yeah, it’s expensive to stick to the disposal schedule, and a damn shame to throw out a contact that seems fine, but I figure I can probably afford more contacts; I just don’t have enough in the bank for a new pair of eyes. The most frustratring part of this is that I’m by no means a sickly person. I’m one of those guys who never seems to get sick, so I guess I just figured my eyes were indestructable (even if they were almost blind).
FWIW…

19

Well that’s all I needed to hear, I think it’s time for me to stop sleeping in my lenses.

20

There was a lawsuit against Acuvue (sp?) and you could get a piece of the settlement if you wrote into them with reciepts. I did and I got a whole $60 back. Yipee!