More spam: this time, a request for help

[azekeil]

I'm hoping you lot can help me. My weak-framed glasses have finally given way. I tried superglue, but it doesn't appear to be strong enough on the small surface area that needs to be glued. I could get them soldered, but Vision Express, who have labs onsite, are going through a refit so they aren't available currently.

I'm therefore considering trying contact lenses. I don't know what my prescription is, or pretty much anything else about them. Recommendations please, with costs?

Comments

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

I used vision express who were about 25 quid a month for monthly lenses, but this was a while ago.

For cheapy replacement glasses you could always try these chaps: http://www.glassesdirect.co.uk/
who also do contact lenses for 20p a day, apparently.

[ev1ldonut.livejournal.com]

Specsavers are generally you best bet. For basic lenses you can wear for all day that you throw away after a month of use and start a fresh pair, you're looking at about £10 a month. For ones that you just throw away at the end of each day, about £22 a month. For ones that you wear for a whole month (including sleeping) about £16 a month.

I have the ones you war all day, take out at night, and change for a fresh pair each month.

Do bear in mind that these are lens types that can't correct for an astygmatism, there are lenses that can, but they'll cost more and you'll have to ask instore about prices...

[apathyintheuk.livejournal.com]

Mine do astygmatism for £15 a month.

[ev1ldonut.livejournal.com]

Really? That's good. That particular specialism must have become easier to do since I lat checked then. Groovy. :)

[easternpromise.livejournal.com]

They can do it pretty easily - they just give you Toric lenses instead of standard - but I find the Toric lenses hideously uncomfortable (YMMV, of course!). Most people's astigmatism isn't bad enough to need masses of correction anyway. My optician was perfectly happy to let me drive without astigmatic correction, which is generally my measure of how bad things are. ;)

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about that. That's probably going to be my major downfall. I'll give people a call and see what's what.

[kelemvor.livejournal.com]

I'm on the Specsavers Dailies, 30 a month for £22 and I'm fairly sure that my prescription covers astigmatism. (Possibly not very much of one, given that I managed to get from the house to the tent at Goatfest without them in.)

[ev1ldonut.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I forgot to add on solution price for the monthly disposable ones, that takes it up to about £15 a month, which is what I pay. :)

[winkle.livejournal.com]

I agree - Specsavers are brilliant. I get my daily disposable ones there for £8 a month as I only have 30 pairs every 3 months. If you join their lensmail scheme (where they deliver the lenses direct to your door each month) not only do you get free contact lens checkups but you can also get massive discounts on spectacles.

[apathyintheuk.livejournal.com]

I can whole heartedly recommend contacts. I started on them about a month and a half ago and, although the first pair I was given were uncomfortable, after changing types they are great and I've not had any problems. I got mine from specsavers as they have a free trial on. It dosent really matter what your prescription is as they will want to do a proper sight test and fitting first. Mine are monthly disposables which cost £15 a month including solutions, i think you can get dailies from £22 a month.
Definatley worth trying!

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

*blink* I pay 30 a month for 30 pairs from D&A.

[kaz-pixie.livejournal.com]

I'm using the monthly ones from Specsavers and mine are £13 a month with solution. They gave me the first 3 pairs of lenses and the solution when I went in there for the appointment. I think they charged me for one month up front but that was the only initial cost.

[easternpromise.livejournal.com]

I went to Boots. They're not the cheapest, but I found them really good. I'm currently paying £18.50 a month for monthly contacts. I leave them in all the time - sleep in them, the lot. They're really comfy and I love them to pieces! The best bit is, I wake up and I can SEE. Joy!

Anyway, I'm sure you could probably get them cheaper from SpecSavers or somewhere like that, but my plan also gives me things like free eyetests every year and things like that (an eyetest costs about £30 these days), so worth looking into different options.

[racinghippo.livejournal.com]

Try a two-part epoxy resin (like Araldite).

Nononono! For your glasses, not your eyes!

Cyano-Acrylates ain't the panacea they like to sell 'em as.

You can get epoxy at Maplin and All Good Model Shops. And Hardware Stores.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Bah. I'll give Araldite a go later then - ta for the tip.

[meltie.livejournal.com]

If you just need a drop of twinbead i've got both 1-hour Araldite for medium strength and some 24-hr i'd-almost-trust-it-to-hold-me-to-the-ceiling stuff :)

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Doh - just too late. I bought some on the way home from B&Q. I need some around the home anyway. Thanks for the thought :)

[meltie.livejournal.com]

Boo! If you're ever sticking metals together and don't want to bother with heat, I can also utterly and totally recommend Devcon Plastic Steel. It's got Bits in.

[beeby.livejournal.com]

The first thing is you only get lenses if you need correction all the time. Any optician will tell you that and I thought you only wore your glasses on occasion. Secondly, may I suggest gas permeable lenses - I think all the above suggestions are for soft which are much more expensive, much easier to get used to and more complicated to clean hence all the modern dailies. Gas permeable allows the cornea to breath eradicating most of the infections and dry soreness possible. You can also wear them all your life while soft lenses become less tenable as you get older and your eyes secrete less moisture. Gas permeables cannot be torn and are much tougher altogether than soft ones. Best of luck.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

I tend to wear them most of the time now, although I don't think my vision has got worse :/

After reading through all this I've remembered why I didn't want contacts to begin with - carting around solutions and crap, and the ongoing expense. Do gas permeable lenses last indefinitely..?

Oh, and can they be made to account for astigmatism? That's actually the worst part of my vision, not the short-sightedness.

[meltie.livejournal.com]

One thing i've noticed is that i've never seen an optometrist (sp?) wearing contacts ;)

[nina321.livejournal.com]

Most opticians will do a free trial of lenses for a week or so, to see if you like them.
There's usually a fitting fee.
It was about £30 when I worked at an opticians, but it was an independant one, so the big chain stores may vary.

Best thing to do is ring around and ask what they do, what the procedure is.