Contact Lenses and Finding Cleaning Solutions

I have worn contact lenses since 1969 and I just cannot see myself wearing glasses full-time for many more years yet. Right now I am having a terrible time finding Johnson & Johnson, Acuvue 2 lenses here in Ecuador. The past few months I have searched here in Portoviejo and had friends down in Playas even search there for this brand, no luck! Joe found a site in Canada that all I need is the prescription information, not even a prescription to order on-line and have it shipped to the US or Canada. Now who is making a trip from the US or Canada to Ecuador’s coast in the next several months? (hint, hint – there’s a nice seafood lunch with beer waiting for you at Viviana’s on the beach here from a grateful blogger).

It is also getting more difficult to find cleaning solutions that don’t burn my eyes. They all seem to have such powerful chemicals and each new product cost so much to find out you cannot use it because it burns the crud out of my eyes. I came up with an idea one night while I was unable to sleep. We can buy almost anything from the pharmacy over the counter here so why not buy a bag of saline solution from the pharmacy. So I went out and bought a 1000 ml bag for $2.36. The last contact lens solution I purchased was $15 for the Multi 20/20 for 120 ml. I can no longer find the regular Multi solution and the Solo Care as well as this new one AO Sept burns my eyes so bad they look like I am on a bender – totally bloodshot and it actually burns for hours after putting in my lenses. EDIT made June 5, 2013…A reader Katrina from Vision Direct in the UK commented on the blog. I have used AO Sept incorrectly all this time. The cleaning solution comes with a special contact lens container that has a metal disk in it. This container MUST be used when using AO Sept solution. I found the container and used it last night to soak the lenses, this morning I flushed them well with saline solution and popped them in. First the lenses did not burn my eyes at all, second the lenses are clear and clean to the point of being like new.  I would buy this product again, it works very well if you follow the instructions. Sorry to say I just assumed it was like all other solutions and did not bother to read the instructions. MY BAD! Thank you so much Katrina for you kindness in commenting on the blog article.

I remember when first starting to wear lenses the only cleaning solution was a saline solution and when you cleaned the lenses you used stronger stuff that removed any dirt or makeup from the lenses but then you would rinse and store them in saline solution.

Well I have tried it and it is working great. I will use the expensive cleaning solutions for the cleaning but will store and rinse the lenses with my cheap alternative of saline solution direct from the pharmacy.

Just trying to make what is available work for us.