Tell me about contact lenses

[FlamesPuck12]

Originally Posted by Jayems

The eye guy I'm seeing on Wednesday is already doing a fitting. Do I have to do one at each store? That doens't seem right.

You have to do one at where ever you're going buy your contacts from. I think the contact fitting session at costco / walmart is free, you just have to book a time.

[Jayems]

So why the hell do I have to pay $85 at the optometrist for a fitting if I could get it for free at walmart? Can I get it done for free at Walmart then take that over to the optometrist?

[FlamesPuck12]

Originally Posted by Jayems

So why the hell do I have to pay $85 at the optometrist for a fitting if I could get it for free at walmart? Can I get it done for free at Walmart then take that over to the optometrist?

Just get the prescription from the optometrist and get the contact fitting done at the store you're going to buy it from. If you're going to buy it from your optometrist, you'll have to get your fitting session done by them.

All you need is the prescription from the optometrist, and then you can buy your lenses from anywhere. Optometrists will sell the same brand of lenses as walmart or costco, except at a higher price.

[Jayems]

Yeah, Walmart is $15 for the fitting and $70 for the exam. But they can't get me in for another 3 weeks. lol. But, they're not as accredited? I'd rather pay a little extra to have it done right. But if it's all the same crap, whats the difference?

Yeah, they also said I couldn't get fit at one place and then take that to another. It has to be done at the same place.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Jayems

So why the hell do I have to pay $85 at the optometrist for a fitting if I could get it for free at walmart? Can I get it done for free at Walmart then take that over to the optometrist?

You can get it done at Costco, and their prices are slightly cheaper.

Free fitting.

Oh, and you need your last prescription at Costco.

I just faxed mine in, and picked up the contacts a week later.

[RW99]

This conversation starts and ends with Focus Night & Day.

They are a bit pricey, but IMO well worth it. I put them in on the first day of the month and I don't have to worry about them for a full month. Short of getting the surgery this is the most convenient option.

[Rathji]

I wear my contacts for a couple weeks, even while I am sleeping. I take them out on weekends to give the eyes a rest. I order mine online, through Clearlycontacts.com since I buy a year at a time and put it on the insurance. If I didn't have the insurance, I would probably do WalMart or Costco.

My optometrist charges 100 bucks a box for lenses,and I get them for ~35 a box online when I buy a years worth. You do need to go to the optometrist first to get the prescription and ensure that the contacts you are choosing are right for your eye etc but after that anywhere you get them is essentially the same. I would not trust a guy from Walmart to tell me if I am sticking the correct thing in my eyes.

[OilersBaby]

I used to have contacts. Once a year I would go to the optometrist to get my eyes checked. Then I would get the prescription from the doctor..order 1 box of contacts for each eye so I had something to start with.

Then I would go home to 1800contacts.com and order them online. It's a very easy ordering process. You put in your contact info, prescription, and doctors information. They verify the data with your optometrist to make sure you're not making it up and then voila, you get the shipment of however many you ordered delivered to your house. It's as cheap as ordering from the optometrist and no hassles of going there. If your prescription is older than a year, they require you get a new one for safety reasons.

I did that for years until I got LASIK because my prescription was really bad (-12) in both eyes and I got sick of contacts..my husband let me get LASIK for my CHristmas present. It was a while ago and cost 4000 total. I have a lifetime guarantee should my eyes change...

But yeah, regarding contacts, 1800contacts is THE way to go!

[T@T]

Just a little note about Lasik. and those who are afraid of it.

According to a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, October 2006 edition, researchers have confirmed that LASIK surgery as performed this year is safer than contact lens use. Sight threatening infections from contact lens use occur in 1 in 2,000 contact lens wearers, whereas the study confirms that only one in 10,000 patients risk significant vision loss due to complications from LASIK, making LASIK the safest elective procedure being performed today.

http://www.floridaeyecenter.com/lasi...s_contacts.htm

Lasik cost me about $2800.00 about 8 years ago at Mitchell and that included the nightvision (think that was $300.00) best thing I ever did to my body ...better than sex...well close!

Oh and the cost is tax deductible.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by RW99

This conversation starts and ends with Focus Night & Day.

They are a bit pricey, but IMO well worth it. I put them in on the first day of the month and I don't have to worry about them for a full month. Short of getting the surgery this is the most convenient option.

agreed, these are the only contacts I have ever worn and they are the greatest things ever, waking up with perfect vision is amazing after spending years wearing glasses.

totally worth paying the $85 to the doc for the fitting, as you can try as many different types of contacts as you want until you get the ones that feel best for you. Once you do that tho it has all the info about your prescription on the sample box. Then you can go where ever to get them. I buy online, usually around $40/box, so $80 for 6 month supply.

[FlamesPuck12]

Originally Posted by Swarly

agreed, these are the only contacts I have ever worn and they are the greatest things ever, waking up with perfect vision is amazing after spending years wearing glasses.

totally worth paying the $85 to the doc for the fitting, as you can try as many different types of contacts as you want until you get the ones that feel best for you. Once you do that tho it has all the info about your prescription on the sample box. Then you can go where ever to get them. I buy online, usually around $40/box, so $80 for 6 month supply.

Do your lenses ever become dry? Like when you wake up or spend alot of time in front of a computer?

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by FlamesPuck12

Do your lenses ever become dry? Like when you wake up or spend alot of time in front of a computer?

usually only become dry near the end of their life for me. I have very moist eyes tho, a friend of mine has dry eyes so he cant use anything other than daily use and throw ones. It really depends on your own eye type i guess.

In fact the focus night and day ones I use are so comfortable I've had them in for much longer than 1 month at a time before. I just forget about them until I feel them dry out a bit one day.

[Azure]

Contacts becoming dry are a thing of the past nowadays.

Even if you don't take the Focus Night and Days, there are a lot of other brands that you can wear 12-16 hours a day, and not worry about irritation.

Personally, I would say LASIK is the way to go. It doesn't cost as much as it used too, and the procedure has gotten a whole lot better and more reliable the last 10 years.

Problem is, there is a HUGE stereotype out there about laser eye surgery, which holds a lot of people back from getting the procedure done.

[RW99]

I used to have a dry issue with some Acuvues. But now with my Night & Days, I haven't had a problem.

If you are used to other lenses, these lenses are quite thick. But I got used to them in a couple of hours.

[Russic]

Big thanks to everybody in this thread. I've never even really thought to buy my contacts anywhere besides my optometrist. Great stuff people.

[loob job]

I've worn contacts for twenty years, don't give up on them during the first week. I remember the first week with lenses, or new types of lenses difficult but you do get used to them. If you're having troubles don't give up, keep wearing them and you will get use to them. Enjoy.

[FlamesPuck12]

Originally Posted by loob job

I've worn contacts for twenty years, don't give up on them during the first week. I remember the first week with lenses, or new types of lenses difficult but you do get used to them. If you're having troubles don't give up, keep wearing them and you will get use to them. Enjoy.

Are you talking about the hard lenses from twenty years ago? When you put in the soft contact lenses in for the first time, you don't even feel they're in your eyes.

[photon]

Use the optometrist to get the right prescription, and they'll also usually give you sample sizes of the brand they recommend, sometimes you have to try a few different ones to get the one that works well for you.

Once you get the right brand though, don't order your contacts through the optometrist, or at least compare prices first. My wife's optometrist wanted to charge her a huge amount and also lied and said it was illegal to buy contacts from anywhere else.

http://www.clearlycontacts.ca
http://www.visiondirect.com/

Or as mentioned 1800contacts.

These places sell the exact same contacts, often at 1/5th the price the optometrist will sell them for. My wife's had great service, if they screw up and send the wrong one getting an exchange is easy. Save tons of $$.

[loob job]

Originally Posted by FlamesPuck12

Are you talking about the hard lenses from twenty years ago? When you put in the soft contact lenses in for the first time, you don't even feel they're in your eyes.

No, i was talking soft lenses. Even two years ago when i changed to the oasis soft lenses i could feel a difference. I guess everyone is different.

[Jayems]

tomorrow is the big fitting day. Pretty excited to finally be able to see well again. thanks for all the info, I'll have a lot to ask when I go.