HELP QUICK-If you have or had bifocal contact lenses, do you like them?

[HappyGrace]

Why or why not? Do they make you dizzy when you move your eye back and forth over the two different prescriptions? (I get dizzy easily.) Anything else I should know? THANKS!

 

(I had my ophthamologist appt. this morn and he said that is what I need; either bifocal glasses or lenses, and my Lenscrafters appt is for 3:00 so I'm trying to gather info very quickly about the bifocal contact lenses-thanks!)

[ereks mom]

Short version: I had them but did not like them, so I switched to glasses.

 

Long version: I started wearing glasses for extreme nearsightedness when I was 12, and wore glasses until I was 24 (except for the month or so that I tried hard contacts when I was 17). When I was 24, I went to soft contacts and LOVED them. When I was in my early 40s, my eyes began to change, but my doctor prescribed standard monovision contacts. That worked great for a few years, but then I began to need more correction (started having severe eye strain), so the doctor suggested that I move to multifocal ("bifocal") contacts. We tried and tried, but could NOT get the prescription right, so I gave up and switched to glasses.

[HollyDay]

Love them!!! My vision is much better with the mulitfocal contacts than with progressive lens glasses. My prescription is multifocal minimono. My vision improved immediately when switched to these from single vision minimono. I wear them as long as possible and avoid my glasses :) I have no issues at all with the contacts and had not "adjustment" period like I did when I started wearing progressive lenses.

[SMRB]

I used to wear reading glasses over contacts until my daughter was born and I couldn't see her eyes clearly up close when I played with her - made me so sad! So I spent about 3 months last year trying different contact lenses. I tried monovision (one eye for reading, one for distance), and although it was the cheapest solution, it just drove me nuts and I couldn't get used to it. I also have an astigmatism, which really limits the options. I tried multifocals and love them, but I had to give up my astigmatism correction. I had to play around with what reading strength to have in each eye to maximize my distance vision, but I can't tell the difference when I switch from reading to distance - everything is pretty clear. Mine are AirOptix.

[BMW]

Sniff. Sniff. I wish I could! My eyes are too different, one with astigmatism and my corrective lenses are actually tri-focals. My Dr. and I decided I would not be happy with contacts because I could only use harder ones, at this time and that would drive me batty.

 

So, I am envious!!! Hope they work out great!

[HappyGrace]

I'm about to leave for the appt! Thanks for the help-I really really hope I can wear them. I'm desperately hoping to not have to wear glasses.

 

As I've read more online, I realize I should have asked which *kind* everyone has-the kind with the line in between (up and down), the kind with the circles or the one that is like a progressive lens (aspheric, I think?)

[dirty ethel rackham]

I have been trying them, but we cannot seem to get a prescription where I can actually read. I am willing to wear readers for reading at length. However, if I can't function in public (like can't read price tags or food labels or forms to sign), they just aren't doing me any good. I had to get progressive lenses (which are very expensive) and am still working on getting used to them 2 months later. I am OK driving and just walking around. However, in large rooms or when rock climbing, I get a little sea-sick.

[HappyGrace]

AGH! See, I'm scared to death about the dizziness-I am SUPER prone to dizziness. I literally can't even *watch* my kids on a merry-go-round!

 

I'm glad to know that! Am I correct that you're saying progressive *contact* lenses make you "seasick", not progressive lens glasses?

[dirty ethel rackham]

No, the multi-focal contact lenses are fine as far as motion goes. I just can't read in them. It is my progressive lens glasses that make me seasick - but only in wide-open spaces. Funny how these bother me, but I can go on any spinny ride and not get sick.

[HappyGrace]

Thanks for getting back to me-what a relief!

 

Bummer though-I was still too dilated from the ophthomol. appt this morn! They couldn't do a good reading, but what he was getting was WAY different than what the doc said, so I have to go back tomorrow.

 

He thought I seem to be a good candidate for the multifocal, so that's great news!

 

Thanks! :)

[HollyDay]

Thanks for getting back to me-what a relief!

 

Bummer though-I was still too dilated from the ophthomol. appt this morn! They couldn't do a good reading, but what he was getting was WAY different than what the doc said, so I have to go back tomorrow.

 

He thought I seem to be a good candidate for the multifocal, so that's great news!

 

Thanks! :)

 

Don't try to fit multifocal when your eyes are dilated. You will be in too many fields of vision and that is not fun.

 

I wear Proclear. There are other brands out there, but I find the proclear gives me the best vision.

 

Progressive glasses gave me some grief getting use to. But, the contacts did not.

[katilac]

I have multifocals, and love them. I had zero trouble adjusting, not even when I very first put them on.

 

fwiw, I am insanely prone to motion sickness! we figured maybe that's the trick; the multifocals actually 'normalize' me in some way :D

[ELaurie]

:)

[katilac]

I also wanted to add that the normal procedure is to give you a pair to wear home from the appointment for about a week, until your followup appointment, before they order a supply. So it's no big deal to try them out; if you don't like them, they will simply give you another type to try until you are sorted out.