Expired Contacts

ThaMaster · #1 (**permalink**) 12-19-2007, 10:05 AM

Here's another question.
How long after the expiration date can you still wear your daily contacts?
I know, I know. In a perfect world, we'd all be good little boys and girls and replace our contact lenses regularly and would not even think of going past the printed expiration date. But to paraphrase the bumper sticker, "stuff happens" and sometimes there's a temptation to bend the rules a bit. What would be the maximum amount of time past the expiration date that contact lenses would still be safe and comfortable?

nicholas · #2 (**permalink**) 12-19-2007, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThaMaster

How long after the expiration date can you still wear your daily contacts?... What would be the maximum amount of time past the expiration date that contact lenses would still be safe and comfortable?

Who knows? That's why the date is there. Will you be OK if you wear them? Maybe. The "safe and comfortable" date is the expiration date. There is no certain "time past the expiration date that contact lenses would still be safe and comfortable". It's just like food that's past the expiration date; sometimes it's still good, sometimes it's spoiled. Except contact lenses won't start smelling bad when they are no good I'm afraid.

ThaMaster · #3 (**permalink**) 12-19-2007, 01:53 PM

Thanks, Nicholas. I was kind of thinking that we shouldn't tempt fate by allowing our contacts to expire, but I thought I'd ask. How about you personally? Have you ever opened up a contact lens that expired a moth previous and said "I'm not putting that in my eye"? I'm the type of person, to use the food analogy, to pour myself a glass of milk, notice that it smells a little funky, and THEN check the expiration date. Maybe people would be better about using fresh contacts if the expired ones started to stink. What do you think?

nicholas · #4 (**permalink**) 12-20-2007, 11:51 AM

I've never really run into this situation with contacts myself but I have with food, and in those situations I've usually eaten it if it didn't smell or look bad.

Seriously, it would probably depend on a few factors for me: how far past the expiration date, what kind of contacts, the cost, availability of more--and of course--how much I want my eyes.

My RGPs don't expire so I don't have this problem now, but I'm sure many people do.

RawBob · #5 (**permalink**) 04-28-2008, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicholas

I've never really run into this situation with contacts myself but I have with food, and in those situations I've usually eaten it if it didn't smell or look bad.

Seriously, it would probably depend on a few factors for me: how far past the expiration date, what kind of contacts, the cost, availability of more--and of course--how much I want my eyes.

My RGPs don't expire so I don't have this problem now, but I'm sure many people do.

Hi everybody. Hi, Nicholas. I've got a question about something you said here. You said your RGP's don't expire. Not that I don't believe you, but you have to throw them saw eventually. How much wear have you gotten out of one pair of RGP contacts before you got rid of them, and what made you decide to toss them?

nicholas · #6 (**permalink**) 05-04-2008, 09:39 PM

RawBob,

RGPs don't have an "expiration date" of course, but that doesn't mean you never have to throw them out and get a new pair. I just got my pair last year so I haven't run into this issue yet, but my doctor said a year or two when I asked this question. However, this really depends on how you take care of them and what materials they are made of. Mine are of Boston ES (pretty low Dk) and are made extra thick, so if they were scratched/gunked up really bad, they would be able to be polished several times before they would be worn down too far. Since I clean them well every night, I don't expect to have to replace these unless I lose them or my Rx changes. The higher the Dk, the more fragile they are generally and the more often they will need to be replaced. The hyper-Dk materials are many times on a regular replacement schedule just like non-disposable soft lenses (1 year or so).

With all those variables in mind, people have been known to keep hard/gas perm contacts for many, many years under the right circumstances. Sorry for the delay...hope that helps.

harrychiling · #7 (**permalink**) 05-05-2008, 09:52 AM

RGP lenses do last quite a bit longer than soft lenses. In the contact lens industry soft lenses are like junk food and RGP's are like fine dining. The vision that's offered through RGP's is unparralelled in any soft lens, but there is a trade off, RGP's are more uncomfortable and more time is required getting used to them. If you have a high degree of astigmatism, warped corneas, or certain corneal diseases RGP's are the best solution for you.

RawBob · #8 (**permalink**) 05-05-2008, 10:00 AM

Welcome back Nicholas and Harry. Missed you.

Thanks for the great answers. I like the junk food/fine dining analogy. If only RGP contacts were a little more comfortable they'd be perfect.

Have a great day.

ken7700 · #9 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 04:40 PM

Expiration dates and my eyes are pretty touchy subjects that is for sure. Personally I would probably not use them past the expiration date myself.

faithib · #10 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 07:18 PM

gosh, I'd have to do some research about why lens expire and what the dangers are and then read some on what other people have said their experiences have been. I know eyesight is not something to mess around with but I also know that medical devices in other realms that expire and are not meds can be used.

Hypnoteyes · #11 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithib

gosh, I'd have to do some research about why lens expire and what the dangers are and then read some on what other people have said their experiences have been. I know eyesight is not something to mess around with but I also know that medical devices in other realms that expire and are not meds can be used.

From what I understand, contact lenses expire for at least two reasons. One is that, even though you can't always see it, protein, lipids and other gunk gets trapped in the lens and can harm your eyes if you keep wearing the contacts.

Secondly, as thin as disposable contacts are, they don't hold their shape well, and will get distorted so you can't see with them anyway.

ThaMaster · #12 (**permalink**) 10-12-2009, 11:23 AM

Thank you to all of you who have contributed to this interesting and informative thread. This is what makes forums like Lens 101 fun to read and very useful. Keep up the good work. Go and see where else you can take single post and make it into an interesting thread like this one. Try the eyeglasses and sunglasses sections.