Contact Lens Bummer

I tried last year to transition from 2-week lenses to daily wear without success.  I paid $75 for a fitting fee, which also included whatever lenses I used during the trial period.  Daily wear lenses seemed to be the most appropriate choice because I have a high level of protein build up (due to my kidney condition where my body doesn't filter the protein properly).  This way, each day, I start fresh.  It would also cut down on the cost of cleaning solution (I use alot).  Well, daily lenses are also not as durable....since they are only designed to be use for a shorter amount of time.  I found them very dry, and within 4 hours, I was using rewetting drops, and by 8 hours (for me, that is about 3pm), my eyes were getting red and itchy.  The "premium" lenses sounded like a better idea for comfort, but at $920 for the year (OUCH!!), they were way out of the price range (I did the math, subtracting out the cost of all the cleaning solution...yeah...still no). I decided to just chalk it up to a failed experiment for the time being and went back to my usual lenses.


I needed to order new contact lenses.  I really should have ordered them awhile ago, but it was a "low" priority.  Well, like any consumable product (I currently wear 2-week lenses)...eventually you are going to run out.  I wear an older style lens, and unfortunately, the maker is in the process of phasing out the line.  Make way for supposedly newer and better. I was still able to get a year-worth of lenses, but next year....I will probably need something else.

The manufacturer has repackaged the lenses into larger quantities (my guess is to try and get rid of as much product at one time), so I was able to order the same quantity of lenses, but in less boxes (24 in a box vs 6 in a box).  I have always ordered my lenses on line.  There are so many places to order from, so between coupon codes, free shipping, new customer discounts....I typically paid $130-$140 for a year-worth.

The manufacturer has now set a "set" price for the lenses, and coupon codes are not eligible.  I tried several sites (all had the same price for the actual product), and coupon codes were a no-go each time.  Additionally, they jacked up the price!!  Where I used to pay about $20 a box (or $80 for the year, per eye), the lenses are now $110 per eye (that is 37.5% higher!). 

My order still qualified for free shipping, but my order came to $221.95 (thank you handling fee).  Way more than I have been paying.  But I was down to my last pair, and now is not the time to pay another fitting fee and having to go back to the optical office multiple times if lenses aren't working out (I think I went back 4 times last year before I gave up).  I sucked it up and paid it....and the receipt has already gone to our FSA, so by next week we will receive the reimbursement.  And they already shipped (same day!) so they should be here early next week.

I have debated wearing my glasses full time, which would require getting new lenses, as the prescription changed a little.  Per the dr, the small change isn't worth the expense of the lenses if I am only wearing my glasses for a short time (for me...it is about an hour in the morning, and about 1.5 hrs in the evening). But I found out that yes indeed, I would need to change the lenses if I went this route full time.  I wore my glasses for several days in a row, and my eyes fatigued and caused headaches.  So there would still be an expense there (but at least I don't need new frames....I got these last year....my first new pair of glasses in 9 years!).  But for me, I really just don't feel comfortable in my glasses all the time.  I like them enough in general, but to commit to this 365 days a year....I don't want to do it.

So I guess next year I will start all over again in trying to find new lenses.  I will try dailies again, but may just need to find new 2-week wear.  Or find an additional $700+ dollars in the budget for the premium ones (uh, no.  Just on principle alone....almost $1,000 for lenses is insane).