Tomorrow I'm seeing a specialist for contact lenses. At home i have several pair of glasses. Over the years I've developed changes in prescription and now I have a lot of old glasses. I've lost near focus which is typical for anyone in his '60s. But astigmatism keeps changing necessitating new glasses. Since PD is a brain disease and the eyes are a part of the brain, are shifting prescriptions typical? The new contacts are horribly expensive--40k!--so I'm wondering whether they're worth it.
TIA,
kpo
Written by
kaypeeoh
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Over the years I have developed astigmatism where once there was none. $40k for contacts is insane. Is there no competition?: google.com/search?q=contact...
Granted there's been inflation since these prices were posted, but four major manufacturers from a dozen different sources showing prices less than $100:
I never wanted to move to Connecticut. I was happy in Wyoming for 40 years. But Connecticut means I'm ten minutes from all doctors. In Wyoming all specialists are 3-4 drives.
Another PD related eye problem is dry eyes. Even if your eyes don't seem dry or scratchy they can be dry enough to change your vision. The easiest way to diagnose this is to use eye drops several times a day for a few days. If your vision improves, add the eye drops to your list of daily medications.
I also had LASIK 22 years ago. And I get the dry eyes. Seriously, plain old eye drops help a lot. I wear progressive glasses now due to juvenile macular degeneration (although Im not sure how juvenile I still am!) Mainly for readind.
$40K sounds like a ridiculous price for contacts. Do you have insurance? I dont know how much the dry eye problem is going to hurt your contact lens wearing experience. I imagine it will just cause irritation. Plus, putting on contacts with a tremor...ouch!
I didn't find out I had dry eye until after LASIK. Cyclosporine eye drops were Rx'd. I still use them. I found a doctor in Fr Worth who specialized in fitting scleral lenses. They worked but not all day. I imagine this will be similar. I remember I can get a refund if they don't work.
$40k was because I'd been told I had 100% obstruction of the major coronary artery and needed surgery the same day. So I agreed and because it wasn't insurance-approved I ended up with a 40k bill. In my mind I confused the heart procedure with the contacts. These will cost $5000 for the pair if I keep them. So far, 4 hours later, they feel pretty good. Because of LASIK I've always had bad night vision and therefore can't drive past sunset. I'll have to wait til dark to know whether these will work at night.
10 years ago I drove from Wyoming to Ft Worth to see a specialist in rigid contact lenses. This was Dr Gemoulles. The name suggested he was possible cajun but the dude was completely Texican. I remember it was a painful event. I had treated the lenses with peroxide then put them in without rinsing. THAT AS A BIG MISTAKE! I actually burned my corneas a bit before could dig the lenses out. The doc had to prescribe an antibiotic eyedrop.
Two days ago I wore the new lenses for 4 hours. They felt okay and I didn't feel the need to remove them but I was following doctor's orders. Then yesterday I was supposed to wear them for 6 hours. But when I put them in there was searing pain in both eyes. The pain reminded me of the peroxide incident years ago. I dug them out then used artificial tears all day.
I don't know what caused the searing pain. Perhaps I had soap on my hands when putting the lenses in that morning. This morning the eyes are still a bit red and sore. But I need to give it a try so sooner or later I have to put the lenses in.
Is the eye doctor you are seeing an ophtlamologist? Did the doctor evaluate the condition of the retina? Parkinson's can cause thinning of the retina. My husband developed macular puckers in both eyes. This is not the same as macular degeneration. In macular pucker the viterous gel is inadequate therefore a pucker develops in the eye and leads to problems with vision clarity and sometimes there will also be floaters. So it is likely you don't have this but it is important to know. This is because if it becomes worse over time surgery is suggested to help prevent the possibility of this situation creating a hole in the retina. My husband's situation with macular pucker has improved and the doctor wanted to do surgery last year but now he says it won't be necessary for the time being. Rulling this out is probably a good thing.
"A macular pucker is a rare eye condition that occurs when scar tissue forms on the macula, a small area of the retina that provides central vision. The scar tissue, also known as epiretinal membrane (ERM) or cellophane maculopathy, causes the macula to wrinkle and contract, which can lead to blurred and distorted vision"
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
The Brain That Changes Itself
MAOB Inhibitors vs Carbidopa/Levodopa as first prescription for PD
Freezing of gait: exercises to imrove
On the fence over DBS
adrenaline 
