I have to buy non-preserved saline solution because I'm allergic to preservatives. The box says after you open it, you have to be really careful about keeping it clean and whatnot because there's nothing to preserve it...should I put it in the refrigerator?
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
beats me. Does this mean you couldn't wear disposable contacts? I've gone that route and it is so much easier!
AJ
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I can, and I used to, but they cost a lot more and I have this tendency to fall asleep in them, which is bad for the eyes. I wear Focus Night and Day now.
Posted by BYuCnslr (Member # 1857) on :
Nothing specific is said about caring for them, some that are completely preservative free have experation dates, and expire two weeks after opening, others have preservatives like hydrogen-peroxide that are eye-friendly, and disolve before contact with your eyes.
Oh, I use hydrogen peroxide to clean them right now. But I just need something to store them in when I don't have the 4-6 hours needed to neutralize the peroxide, and I just need to take them out for a little while.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Surely your own eye doctor can give you the proper guidance/answer to this?
I know that any time ANY question comes up about my daughter's contacts, we call the doc, and he knows.
Farmgirl
Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :
I wear disposable contacts, and it seems like every year there's a big rebate sale. Sure, it takes a few months for them to get the money back to you, but it's usually a damn fine deal.
On top of that, I've lost about 10 individual contacts lenses since I started wearing them. I would never switch to a long-term pair, for fear of losing them.
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
I'd recommend to put the saline solution in the refrigerator. That's what I do, and my contact lens are already two years old and still going strong (they tend to endure some three years).
Hope it was any help.
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
pH, I am not sure which preservative-free solution you are using, but the best kind is one that comes packaged as unit-of-use. What this means is that there are packets of saline that once opened, you use the contents of and throw the packaging away. If you have a "stock" bottle of preservative-free solution, it is very hard to prevent the solution from harboring contaminants.
And yes, refrigeration is best, but will not solve the problem. The recommendation to check with your eye doctor is a sound one. Your eyes are far too valuable to take chances with them.
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
After searching a bit, I cannot find a unit-of-use preservative-free contact lens solution. The next best thing is from Alcon, a product called Unisol 4 which is packaged in 4 ounce bottles. Each bottle is sealed and sterile, and after opening the manufacturer recommends to discard the container after 30 days. Also, the manufacturer recommends storing the solution at room temperature.
Hope this helps. In the pharmacy I am sometimes called upon to compound a medication from "scratch" or am required to compound together two other ingredients. In these cases, we almost always affix the prescription with a 30-day expiration date for the same reason. We do not compound preservatives into the medication.
[ April 01, 2004, 04:14 PM: Message edited by: Alucard... ]
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
My eye doctor knows nothing about contacts. She keeps sending me to the glasses/contact people across the hall (as in, they sell glasses and contacts) with general notes saying to trust their judgement, when they are worse than she is. I recently switched to Clear Care, which has hydrogen peroxide, but no one mentioned any special instructions to me. It's a lot easier on my eyes that the other stuff I had been using.