Hi gang!

I am fairly new to this forum, but I am trialing multifocal lenses, and I am having issues. I have a slight astigmatism (-.75 both eyes), but the fitter is trying to fit me in standard multifocal lenses by increasing the power. I am experiencing the issue of less-than-sharp distance vision, and if I get the distance to a point I can stand, the reading is poor and working on the computer requires readers. Also, I have distortion if I look at things in the distance at an angle. In your experience, is that the astigmatism that is not being corrected?

The fitter has ordered Proclear Multifocal Soft Toric lenses to try, but I am wary since they supposedly move slightly up or down as you look down to read and up to see in a distance. I did consider moving my monitor up slightly to see if I could use the upper part of the outer near vision ring to see it without readers. Does anyone have experience with these? I saw where one poster had used the C-VUE, and I see where they have a disposable lens out now. It looks like the same design as the Proclear. Does it move up and down? Do you feel that sensation?

I have a corneal scar on one eye just inside the field of vision, and I have some concerns about a lens moving up and down over that and comfort. (It is on the top of the pupil.) I have gotten pretty good comfort from the Air Optix Aqua multifocal lenses that are not toric, but again, in order to get distance vision to my satisfaction for safe driving and such, I feel I have little help with reading. I could almost live with readers for the computer; at least they would stay at the computer desk (where I work about 10 hours a day) if I could get adequate reading and distance vision. I could be comfortable working out, watching a movie, or driving with my contacts only, except the smaller buttons on the dashboard are blurry. With my torics and no multifocals, I get very frustrated when I want to read just one sentence on something or see a price tag or see the X to sign my name at the pharmacy, and I don't want to dig for my readers in my purse. If my 14-year-old daughter is with me, I am asking her to read this or that for me, which she is tired of doing, as you can imagine.

Why don't they just increase the power on the near vision portion of multifocals to help people see at a distance and near? I guess I don't understand the design of a progressive contact lens versus a progressive lens in glasses.

I see better with my progressive glasses than these contacts. Of course, the glasses have correction for astigmatism. I am not sure if that is the issue or not. I have read that wearing multifocal contact lenses is a give and take, but a monovision system just does not work for me. I thought the progressives would be simultaneous vision, and I have read that you can wear two distance center contacts of the Proclear Toric Multifocals and use the near area on the bottom for reading and the top possibly for the computer (if I raise the monitor slightly?). That is a theory and may not work at all.

The person with the C-VUE success was encouraging, but again, there was the giving up of 20/20 distance vision, and I am not sure I can handle that. I may be back in my Softlens Toric 66 lenses with readers hanging around my neck or having driving glasses or something. I had high hopes for multifocals, but my vision is an important thing, so we will see how it works out. I would appreciate any words of encouragement.

I am begging to accept that, at least until technology improves, I may have to settle for keeping $14 readers all over the house and have some half readers to drive.

I will post back when I try the Proclear Multifocal Toric lenses and let others know my experience there.

Thank you for your time.