DUers who wear contacts: throw out your ReNu solution.

[Maddy McCall]

Don't know if anyone's posted this yet, but it's important for everyone to read.

WASHINGTON - The number of confirmed or suspected cases of an eye fungus that can cause scarring of the cornea and blindness has grown to 176, health officials said Friday.

The updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report lists cases of Fusarium keratitis in 28 states. As recently as April 9, health officials said they suspected 109 cases in 17 states.

Also Friday, the Food and Drug Administration recommended soft contact lens wearers stop using ReNu with MoistureLoc and throw away any remaining bottles of the solution.

snip/

Without treatment, which can last two to three months, Fusarium infection can scar the cornea and blind its victims. At least eight U.S. patients have required cornea transplants.

More at: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12517831/

[GOPisEvil]

1. That stuff burned my eyes years ago.

I used it just once, and I had to go without wearing my contacts for two weeks while my eyes healed.

I'm an Alcon guy. :)

[yellowdogintexas]

2. CIBA solution here..the hydrogen peroxide one.

buy it in gigantic double packs at Costco. The most sterilizing solution available and has no mercury products in it.

[u4ic]

6. Hydrogen Peroxide solution

is THE only way to go for contacts. :thumbsup:

[Duer 157099]

9. If that's Aosept, that's mine, also from Costco

although sometimes it's cheaper at Target

Also, I learned a very strange trick years ago, and it doesn't make any sense at all, but for some reason it works.

I stopped using the daily cleanser altogether, and haven't used the protein remover for years. For some reason, my lenses last longer now, and in better shape (and no eye infections whatsoever)! It's totally counter-intuitive, but I have years of doing this with this result. I used to have to replace my lenses twice a year at least; not anymore. Of course when I mentioned this to my optometrist she rolled her eyes in disbelief. I would too, it doesn't make sense.

But, when I first noticed it I thought that maybe those other treatments (daily cleaner and protein remover) were actually designed to reduce the life of the lense.

I swear, I take them out and put them right into the Aosept, don't rub them or anything.

Weird. Don't try this at home. I may be special :-)

[Left Is Write]

3. Reason #4629 why, after 28 years, I'm still wearing glasses.

[fudge stripe cookays]

11. Yup.

I got a hubby. Don't need to worry about no one making passes at me anymore. :D

Also, I have the world's wonkiest astigmatism EVER.

Every eye doctor I've ever had essentially let out a "holy crap!". Then circled me, examined, and re-examined, trying to figure out the best angle to come at that sucker. They end up sitting eye to eye, with our skin touching even, trying to measure just how warped up it is.

I tried contacts ONCE. When I spent half an hour trying to get out a lens that had suctioned itself onto my eye and would NOT come off, that pretty much killed any attraction I had for them.

Then my purse got stolen and was found near Town Lake in Austin. My contacts are at the bottom of the lake somewhere.

[caty]

4. Threw mine out last week.

Didn't have any problems though.

[fishnfla]

5. global warming pushing all water- born infections up

B&L be damned, a contact lens aint nothing but a petri dish on your eye

[Whoa_Nelly]

7. Gas permeable lenses here

And Boston Advance solution.

That fungus from ReNu sounds horrible!! :scared:

[liberaltrucker]

8. I use Opti Free Express

But thanks for the info.

How's the rebuilding going?

:hug:

[Robeson]

10. Thank you for this information. I'm throwing my bottles away now.

[sbj405]

12. Also, throw away your cases.

Actually, you should replace your case periodically. Per my doc, most infections start in the case. He also said that rubbing the lens makes a big difference even if you're using no rub solution (which incidentally is the same formula as the old rub kind).

[tjwmason]

13. Damn scary stuff.

I remember back when I worked in an opticians (waaaaay back when I was still a school-boy) we had some pictures of what can go wrong with eye infections.

I wear daily-disposable lenses, just wear once then throw away - more to avoid the bother of cleaning than potential infection, but nonetheless I'm glad I'm in glasses today.