Protein Problems in Biofinity

Georgiaonmymind · #1 (**permalink**) 09-12-2008, 02:25 PM

Did you ever have trouble with excessive protein buildup on your Biofinity contact lenses?

ariegel · #2 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 12:56 AM

I purchased the biofinity lenses a couple of months ago and had to dispose of them early the last few months because of protein build-up. I never had problems with soft contacts before.

Goldar · #3 (**permalink**) 06-24-2009, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariegel

I purchased the biofinity lenses a couple of months ago and had to dispose of them early the last few months because of protein build-up. I never had problems with soft contacts before.

Hi Ariegel,

Sorry to hear about your protein problems. When you say you never had problems with "soft" contacts before, what kind were they? According to lens.com, Biofinity contacts are 48% water, so they should be plenty soft, it just sounds like they're not as transparent as you'd like them to be.

What's your next move?

ariegel · #4 (**permalink**) 06-24-2009, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goldar

Hi Ariegel,

Sorry to hear about your protein problems. When you say you never had problems with "soft" contacts before, what kind were they? According to lens.com, Biofinity contacts are 48% water, so they should be plenty soft, it just sounds like they're not as transparent as you'd like them to be.

What's your next move?

I was just told by my Doctor that it wasn't protein but bacteria...has happened twice now. Will try one more time and have Dr. check it out if I get it with these new lenses...May switch to old brand

Georgiaonmymind · #5 (**permalink**) 09-04-2009, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariegel

I was just told by my Doctor that it wasn't protein but bacteria...has happened twice now.

Did you say your contacts had a buildup of bacteria? I've never heard of that happening before.

Ricardo · #6 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 03:21 PM

I wonder how the buildup of bacteria could be avoided?

Do you think that suggests a contamination from improper handling or storage, or is it a naturally occurring amount that just happens to be a problem for you with this particular kind of contact lens?

packerbacker · #7 (**permalink**) 09-09-2009, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricardo

I wonder how the buildup of bacteria could be avoided?

Do you think that suggests a contamination from improper handling or storage, or is it a naturally occurring amount that just happens to be a problem for you with this particular kind of contact lens?

I don't know. I'm assuming that ariegel was cleaning his/her Biofinity contacts properly. If you expose your contacts to cleaning solutions regularly, I don't see how bacteria can survive, much less "build up."

Georgiaonmymind · #8 (**permalink**) 09-25-2009, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by packerbacker

I don't know. I'm assuming that ariegel was cleaning his/her Biofinity contacts properly. If you expose your contacts to cleaning solutions regularly, I don't see how bacteria can survive, much less "build up."

I'm sayin' . . .

packerbacker · #9 (**permalink**) 12-31-2009, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariegel

I was just told by my Doctor that it wasn't protein but bacteria...has happened twice now. Will try one more time and have Dr. check it out if I get it with these new lenses...May switch to old brand

How are things going, Ariegel? Are you seeing more clearly now than when you posted this originally?

jomac · #10 (**permalink**) 04-04-2010, 03:53 AM

For many years ive been wearing lenses made by Bausch & Lomb called Purevision, i never had a moments problem with them, and enjoyed the experience. I moved area and transferred to a new branch of the same chain of opticians here in the UK, where i was (incorrectly) told that my old lenses had been downgraded from monthly's to dailies and that they had been replaced by Easyvision Adan Opteyes ( Cooper vision Proclear) all went fairly well for the first 2 weeks, then i started to get the tired eyes and could feel the lenses, the sort of feeling you get when you are a little late in changing the lenses. The following day i woke up with one eye, a very dark bloodshot red, and the other eye dark red. My eyes felt as if i had poured acid into them, they hurt, and my left eye, the worst one, had foggy vision. As much as i tried, i couldnt remove the lenses, so i went down to our local emergency clinic, where it took a doctor and 2 nurses, aneasthetic, and saline to remove the lenses. I was then referred to the main hospital eye clinic, where after tests, they discovered i had contact lens related Keratitis, caused by a virus, Spaphylococcus which is MRSA

After many treatments, and visits back to the hospital, week later my eyes are still very red, and i look like the demon from hell, but it left me VERY light sensitive, i even have to turn the brightness down on my laptop because it hurts.

Has anyone come across this before, or am i the only unfortunate victim?

John

Knotlob · #11 (**permalink**) 04-04-2010, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jomac

For many years ive been wearing lenses made by Bausch & Lomb called Purevision, i never had a moments problem with them, and enjoyed the experience. I moved area and transferred to a new branch of the same chain of opticians here in the UK, where i was (incorrectly) told that my old lenses had been downgraded from monthly's to dailies and that they had been replaced by Easyvision Adan Opteyes ( Cooper vision Proclear) all went fairly well for the first 2 weeks, then i started to get the tired eyes and could feel the lenses, the sort of feeling you get when you are a little late in changing the lenses. The following day i woke up with one eye, a very dark bloodshot red, and the other eye dark red. My eyes felt as if i had poured acid into them, they hurt, and my left eye, the worst one, had foggy vision. As much as i tried, i couldnt remove the lenses, so i went down to our local emergency clinic, where it took a doctor and 2 nurses, aneasthetic, and saline to remove the lenses. I was then referred to the main hospital eye clinic, where after tests, they discovered i had contact lens related Keratitis, caused by a virus, Spaphylococcus which is MRSA

After many treatments, and visits back to the hospital, week later my eyes are still very red, and i look like the demon from hell, but it left me VERY light sensitive, i even have to turn the brightness down on my laptop because it hurts.

Has anyone come across this before, or am i the only unfortunate victim?

John

Hello jomac & welcome

Sorry to hear about these problems.

I am slightly puzzled by your post though. You say you used to wear B&L Purevision (which is a Balafilcon lens - silicone hydrogel). Then you got some incorrect advice and switched to Coopervison Proclear (which is an Omafilcon A standard hydrogel lens).

These Coopervision Proclear lenses are not silicone hydrogel and are relatively low oxygen permeable lenses, so should not be worn overnight, etc. (unless your optician said it was OK - but this is highly unlikely).

So wearing these Coopervision Proclear lenses overnight is likely to cause problems.

I am not sure what sort of disinfection regime you are using, but with proper daily disinfection, preferably with a hydrogen peroxide system, you should not get infections through dirty lenses.

It is possible that if you wore your lenses too long, this could cause damage to the surface epithelial layer of the cornea and provide a site for infection. Contact lenses make infection more likely and five times more likely if you wear your lenses overnight instead of removing them - even extended wear silicone hydrogel lenses. Many people are able to wear the newest silicone hydrogel high oxygen permeable lenses for 7 or even 28 days at a time 24/7 provided their eye care professional agrees, but as said, this does increase the risk of infection.

I guess you will have to give your contact lenses a rest while your eyes recover. I presume that your hospital has given you some antibiotic for your eyes to help?

knotlob

jomac · #12 (**permalink**) 04-04-2010, 08:44 AM

Many thanks for your reply Knotlob, your comments have been very informative, and 100% spot on in the areas i have researched so far, may i comment on some of your comments, to clear up any confusions?

"I am slightly puzzled by your post though. You say you used to wear B&L Purevision (which is a Balafilcon lens - silicone hydrogel). Then you got some incorrect advice and switched to Coopervison Proclear (which is an Omafilcon A standard hydrogel lens)."

When i moved to the new branch, which i discover is a franchise of the major opticians chain, it seems they are more interested in the $$$'s, they now purchase in bulk the vast majority of their lenses from Cooper Vision and get a better discount, this is , i suspect the reason why i was incorrectly informed that my old lenses had been downgraded to dailies, when the manufacturers still state they are 30 day lenses!

"These Coopervision Proclear lenses are not silicone hydrogel and are relatively low oxygen permeable lenses, so should not be worn overnight, etc. (unless your optician said it was OK - but this is highly unlikely).

So wearing these Coopervision Proclear lenses overnight is likely to cause problems."

Yes, they were fitted for me and i was told to come back in 3 weeks time for a checkup, and in the UK lenses are worn 24/7 for a whole month, my old lenses which i used for 9 years, virtually constantly were worn 24/7 for a whole month at a time....no problems!

"I am not sure what sort of disinfection regime you are using, but with proper daily disinfection, preferably with a hydrogen peroxide system, you should not get infections through dirty lenses."

There is no regime whatsoever, I go on the first of the month to have new ones fitted, and the same the following month, this is usual here, with the new lenses, i never made 10 days wear!

I have just returned from the hospital again today and they are very concerned, i have 6 or 7 ulcers on 1 eye and 3 on the other, i have limited vision which hasnt cleared up or improved in the last few days, i have to return on Tuesday to possibly have my cornea scraped in my left eye. My sensitivity to light is so intense, even wearing dark sunglasses, on a dull day, things are just too bright for comfort.

Im on 5 different types of eye drops, taken hourly in the left eye, and 4 hourly in the right eye. There are steroids, and drops to try and close the iris which dont seem to work!

John

Knotlob · #13 (**permalink**) 04-04-2010, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jomac

Many thanks for your reply Knotlob, your comments have been very informative, and 100% spot on in the areas i have researched so far, may i comment on some of your comments, to clear up any confusions?

"I am slightly puzzled by your post though. You say you used to wear B&L Purevision (which is a Balafilcon lens - silicone hydrogel). Then you got some incorrect advice and switched to Coopervison Proclear (which is an Omafilcon A standard hydrogel lens)."

When i moved to the new branch, which i discover is a franchise of the major opticians chain, it seems they are more interested in the $$$'s, they now purchase in bulk the vast majority of their lenses from Cooper Vision and get a better discount, this is , i suspect the reason why i was incorrectly informed that my old lenses had been downgraded to dailies, when the manufacturers still state they are 30 day lenses!

"These Coopervision Proclear lenses are not silicone hydrogel and are relatively low oxygen permeable lenses, so should not be worn overnight, etc. (unless your optician said it was OK - but this is highly unlikely).

So wearing these Coopervision Proclear lenses overnight is likely to cause problems."

Yes, they were fitted for me and i was told to come back in 3 weeks time for a checkup, and in the UK lenses are worn 24/7 for a whole month, my old lenses which i used for 9 years, virtually constantly were worn 24/7 for a whole month at a time....no problems!

"I am not sure what sort of disinfection regime you are using, but with proper daily disinfection, preferably with a hydrogen peroxide system, you should not get infections through dirty lenses."

There is no regime whatsoever, I go on the first of the month to have new ones fitted, and the same the following month, this is usual here, with the new lenses, i never made 10 days wear!

I have just returned from the hospital again today and they are very concerned, i have 6 or 7 ulcers on 1 eye and 3 on the other, i have limited vision which hasnt cleared up or improved in the last few days, i have to return on Tuesday to possibly have my cornea scraped in my left eye. My sensitivity to light is so intense, even wearing dark sunglasses, on a dull day, things are just too bright for comfort.

Im on 5 different types of eye drops, taken hourly in the left eye, and 4 hourly in the right eye. There are steroids, and drops to try and close the iris which dont seem to work!

John

Hello jomac/John

Thanks for the clarification. I used to live in the UK and then in Ireland (with Jamaica & Canada in between). My optician here in Germany favoured Coopervision lenses, as they are more discounted than some of the others and in the case of Biofinity lenses, very good quality. It does sound technically incompetent if they prescribed a daily wear lens (i.e. wear waking hours only) as an extended wear (monthly) lens. The first problem is lack of oxygen and as you have now found out corneal ulcers through over wear. Some members have reported these and they can be very painful and in some cases can lead to permanent damage to eyesight if the ulcer is actually on the cornea and not to the side. They seem to take a while to heal in some cases.

There is absolutely no way that a Coopervision Proclear lens should have been prescribed as a Monthly extended wear lens - it is daily wear only. The B&L PureVision can be an extended wear monthly lens if your eye care professional agrees to this.

(Would you be willing to Private message (PM) me the name of the UK Opticians you use now - just out of curiosity as I am visiting the UK once a year for a few weeks to see my ageing Mother and may have reason to visit an optician there?)

Sounds like you have some form of opiate drops to close the iris to reduce the light sensitivity. I can only wish you luck and a speedy recovery. Out of curiosity, have the hospital commented on the use of these 'daily wear' Coopervision contact lenses, given that that is probably at least a contributing factor in cause of the corneal ulcers?

knotlob

jomac · #14 (**permalink**) 04-04-2010, 10:00 AM

Thanks again for the reply, Opticians are Specsavers, probably the largest chain in the UK, and up until now, certainly for me have been highly reliable.

The B&L website, clearly states my old lenses were suitable cor continuous use for upto 30 days, the C V website says for occasional overnight use or for upto 28 days as advised by your optician, these two statements to me indicate two completely differing products for two completely different uses.

But what i still cant fathom out, is why my optician, should tell me that my old lenses, were downgraded to dailies, when they hadnt been, and that the new lenses were much better and suitable when they werent, unles it was all to do with money?

John

jomac_uk@hotmail.com

Knotlob · #15 (**permalink**) 04-04-2010, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jomac

Thanks again for the reply, Opticians are Specsavers, probably the largest chain in the UK, and up until now, certainly for me have been highly reliable.

The B&L website, clearly states my old lenses were suitable cor continuous use for upto 30 days, the C V website says for occasional overnight use or for upto 28 days as advised by your optician, these two statements to me indicate two completely differing products for two completely different uses.

But what i still cant fathom out, is why my optician, should tell me that my old lenses, were downgraded to dailies, when they hadnt been, and that the new lenses were much better and suitable when they werent, unles it was all to do with money?

John

snip

Hello John

Thanks again for the reply.

First - it's usually best not to put your email address on an open forum in case SPAM BOTS harvest it, though you may already get a fair bit of spam with HotMail anyway.

Yes, I agree that the two contact lenses are completely different and it is a mystery to me why they gave you that information. In the US, they could wind up being sued for professional negligence. The manufacturer's recommendation re wearing them 24/7 for a month is always qualified by a clause like 'subject to approval by your eye care professional'.

I changed countries and went to a new optician. The first thing they recommended was that I switch from annual/vial lenses to Daily or a Weekly/Two Weekly/Monthly silicone hydrogel lens with high oxygen permeability, even though I didn't have any neo-vascularisation/new capillary growth approaching my cornea. The eye doctor there was of the opinion that even the best is only just good enough. They recommended Coopervision in my case as they were cheaper than say Johnson & Johnson, although having said that, I think only Coopervision allow rebranding of lenses by the optician chains.

In your case, I doubt it was financially motivated and I would suspect it was pure professional incompetence. I have had an example of financial motivation with the above optician I tried, but have now dropped them like a hot potato, as they rebranded certain Coopervision lenses and tried to flog them at 190% of the price I could buy them on the Internet. They said I could only by said lens from them - quite dishonest in my opinion.

I would be tempted to write a letter to Spec Saver's Head Office asking them to explain their logic for recommending such a clearly unsuitable lens. Without direct witnesses it may be difficult to go much further, but if they investigate it properly, it may save some other poor soul going through the distress you are presently experiencing.

knotlob

Georgiaonmymind · #16 (**permalink**) 08-13-2010, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariegel

I was just told by my Doctor that it wasn't protein but bacteria...has happened twice now. Will try one more time and have Dr. check it out if I get it with these new lenses...May switch to old brand

Ariegel still hasn't reported back yet, huh?

mgash · #17 (**permalink**) 08-16-2010, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Georgiaonmymind

Did you ever have trouble with excessive protein buildup on your Biofinity contact lenses?

I am on trial lenses. First I was using Walmart MPS (ReNu Private label), and lenses felt like I cleaned them with sand. I switched to Complete MPS, had the same problem. Finally tried Opti-Free, and although a little better, I cannot wear these lenses. I have tried other reusable lenses with the same solutions and had no problems. I had success with Avaira, but not Biofinity, and I beleive they are similar lenses. I think I will stay with my dailies, no fuss, no mess, I can see well, and they feel great.

Knotlob · #18 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgash

I am on trial lenses. First I was using Walmart MPS (ReNu Private label), and lenses felt like I cleaned them with sand. I switched to Complete MPS, had the same problem. Finally tried Opti-Free, and although a little better, I cannot wear these lenses. I have tried other reusable lenses with the same solutions and had no problems. I had success with Avaira, but not Biofinity, and I beleive they are similar lenses. I think I will stay with my dailies, no fuss, no mess, I can see well, and they feel great.

Thanks for posting your experiences.

Avaira lenses are made of enfilcon A, while Biofinity are made of comfilcon A, a quite different material.

Some people do seem to have difficulties with certain silicone hydrogels, so it is just a case of trying them until you find one that is compatible with your eyes.

knotlob

Walkthisway · #19 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgash

I am on trial lenses. First I was using Walmart MPS (ReNu Private label), and lenses felt like I cleaned them with sand. I switched to Complete MPS, had the same problem. Finally tried Opti-Free, and although a little better, I cannot wear these lenses. I have tried other reusable lenses with the same solutions and had no problems. I had success with Avaira, but not Biofinity, and I believe they are similar lenses. I think I will stay with my dailies, no fuss, no mess, I can see well, and they feel great.

Sorry to hear about that mgash. Let us know how the dailies work out and if you decide to go back to Biofinity lenses.