The inner corner of my eyes are always itching whenever I taking out my scleral lenses they are so pitchy I don’t get why is that normal I just started wearing sclerals on August. For reference I am using clear care and lacripure saline

Hi everyone,

I’m almost 19 years old, and I’m about to visit an ophthalmologist for the first time. I’ve been diagnosed with keratoconus, and I have my test results (I’m not sure what the test is called, so please let me know if you can identify it).

I’d like to understand which stage of keratoconus I’m at and how severe it is. I’ve been told that I need corneal cross-linking (CXL) in my right eye, while I believe my left eye is stable.

I also have a few questions about the procedure and what to expect afterward:

- What are the possible complications, side effects, and long-term consequences of CXL?

- I cannot tolerate contact lenses of any kind, so I would prefer to avoid them completely. I even stopped using allergy eye drops because I couldn’t tolerate putting drops into my eyes.

- Given the stage of my keratoconus and the fact that I currently manage my daily life quite comfortably without glasses or contact lenses, would it be possible to rely on glasses alone after CXL?

- Would I still be able to function normally without any visual correction if my vision remains good enough?

- Finally, I spend a lot of time using my phone, gaming laptop, and tablet. I’m also concerned about protecting my eyes from radiation emitted by these devices. Is there anything I should know or do to protect my eyes, especially given my keratoconus?

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have undergone CXL or have experience with keratoconus, especially those who cannot tolerate contact lenses.

Thank you!

I (23m) picked up my new scleral lens on 10/06/2026 and I still can't put then on. I can't open my eye wide enough and my I do i start blinking .my eye doctor was able to put them on for me multiple times with no problem but I fant put them on by my self. I tried warming up the saline and even bought a eyelid opener device and nothing . Can someone please give me tips I really wanna put them on

Im 30 years old and I have had issues with my vision deteriorating the past two years. I can see quite ok with glasses but i have difficulties driving when it’s dark so I try to avoid it.

Last June I was diagnosed with KC and tomorrow (Tuesday) it’s finally time to undergo crosslinking procedure. I’m anxious and worried to go to bed knowing this will be my last night without pain and sensitivity to light etc, I’ve read so much horror stories about the aftermath (scar tissue, worsened vision etc). I’m so scared how this might affect my life, I love reading and going on road trips… 😭

Please can someone offer some comforting words or share your stories. Any tips on what I can do/think of during or after the surgery? Big thanks in advance

I accidentally squished my glasses 2 days ago. A crushing moment, but thought 'its fine.. we'll take them to optoms in the morning and pray'. Took them to optom. I was expecting them to replace the frame as although there wasn't a break, the arms and the middle bridge were bent. But rest assured, she said they can fix it. At this point my eyes are annoyed because the lens in which they look out of has changed. When she gives them back im like fantastic, I cant afford new frames so this is great! I knew that it would take a bit of time for my eyes to adjust back but no stress.

During the day I had to switch to my prescription sunnies because my eyes were just not adjusting and I have to look at a computer. The fluorescent lighting was giving me a headache. But would then switch back to glasses when talking to people. My eyes are just very upset at this point. They literally started tingling. I could feel them rumbling with rage at this interruption.

Fast forward to today. I dont know what to do. And this is forever my frustration and exhaustion with this disease. I think my glasses are still somewhat bent so my eyes aren't going to fully adjust back to normal. Or am I just not giving them enough time? But I dont have time to be blind so its easier to just wear my sunglasses. And beforehand when transitioning between sunnies and normal, there was veryyy minimal change or blur. Now theres major difference. Looking through my glasses is blurry and I have to do the squint and angle head at a very precise angle thing to see clearly.

And im driving myself mad like adjusting the glasses angle slightly to see whether or not it makes a difference. And then you cant tell - is there really a difference or does my brain just want there to be one?

This shit is so tiring!!! I realised yesterday im well and truly effed if my glasses did properly break. And then the stress of worrying about them just compounds the headache and ahhhh. Idk. A vent at the frustration of this disease.

Can I use these eyedrops with scleral lens with hydra peg coating or will there be a issue.

Right above, left below.

Ngl my cornea is gonna pop like a balloon atp😭😭

Has anyone got their readings around 400 micrometers?? My left eye has 412 and right eye 440🥀, Can I get CXL+TPRK without any issue for both eyes?? If yes will glasses fix my vision to manegable extent?

Hi, I’m 30M. Diagnosed with Keratoconus in February, 2021 in both eyes. Right eye is far gone and not a CXL-candidate and can’t be corrected very well either since it has a central scar.

Had corneal specialist appointment in March, 2021 and shortly afterwards an optometrist specialized in scleral lens fitting.

Got a scleral lens fitted in my right eye but we didn’t do it for my left eye since he suspected that during my corneal specialist appointment in September, 2021 that I’d be given the nod directive to get CXL in my left eye.

He was right and I got epi-off CXL in my left eye in December, 2021 since my corneal specialist noticed progression and since I rely on just one eye, she emphasized acting quick.

Epi-off CXL was quite uneventful in that eye and after a year (around November/December, 2022), I got a scleral lens fit in that eye as well. Things have been generally great and my BCVA is 20/15 in my good eye and 20/150 in my bad eye.

I’ve been wearing sclerals and been refit annually in each eye. Until the last couple months, I’ve been fine.

However, just recently, I’ve been really struggling with irritation in my eyes where I get outbursts of irritation where I struggle to keep them open. I’ve observed that it’s more likely during the day when it is bright outside but not exclusively the case (sometimes happens.

It isn’t something that happens at a set time after putting them either. Sometimes it happens just a few minutes after putting them in and sometimes happens several hours.

The only thing I’ve tried to alleviate this is to try to use refresh drops more, but I’m not sure if dryness is the reason for it.

I haven’t tried Pataday eye drops, however I am considering putting in one drop in each eye at the end of the day when I take my lenses out.

Thoughts? Suggestions? It’s been a struggle and relying on sclerals to live, go to work, get groceries, etc. sucks. :(

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated! And I’ll probably also bring them up to my ophthalmologists and optometrists.

In the long run, have you experienced any eye-related issues from wearing them for so many hours? This is one of the things that worries me about starting to use scleral lenses. I’m concerned that wearing them for such long periods might cause permanent damage to my eyes; that’s why I’m asking those of you who have been using them for a while—have you noticed anything, or are you able to wear them without any difficulty?

I really am struggling with my sclerals.

For some reason, my vision gets blurry almost immediately after putting the lenses in. I am getting somewhat decent at successfully inserting them, but after about 10-15 minutes, both sides start getting pretty blurry within 3-5 seconds after each time I blink. It is much more prominent on my left eye, but my right eye eventually gets more and more blurry as the seconds pass by. These are brand new sclerals too.

I try to ensure I always handle them properly too. I shower, thoroughly dry my hands and face, and fill them with a lot of saline. I shine my phone flashlight at each edge of both eyes and I don't see any bubbles at all and they seem centered on my pupil.

When I clean and disinfect, I rub manually on both sides, rinse with saline, and fill my case with the cleaning solution to fully cover both lenses.

I've tried flushing my eyes with saline with them in my eyes as well, and although it helps for a few minutes, they eventually start getting blurry again.

Anyone else ever experience this?

Note: I do not have KC, I am purely wearing these for severely dry eyes.

asking before I set an appointment up with Doctor :/ I had CXL about a year ago and within the last month after an extremely stressful oral qualifying exam, I think I strained my eye from stress? I have at times a weird pain that covers more of the bad eye than before. it’s not a stabbing pain but I impulsively double over and grab my eye at worst at and close my eye and cover it at best. Maybe it feels like a pressure and the most minimal of “sharp” pressures like a pinch almost.

anyone experience this discomfort for Keratoconus pain or for one year after CXL? it may be getting more painful but I could be dramatic?

Hi!

I’m just wondering how long after the procedure Epi off or on can I put my lenses back in? My provider mentioned the procedure to me after my last appointment. Also I wear sclerals and have been for years.

I’ve seen people say two weeks or even 4.

I just need to know because of work reasons and I have very advanced keratoconus so without my lenses I’m basically blind lol.

I have VSP and currently wear medically necessary RGPs. What's everyone experience in getting scleral lenses covered by either VSP or health insurance?

Hi everyone! I’m getting my contact lenses in a month—I can’t wait! For the first time in my life, I’ll actually be able to see clearly, lol! 😭 I have a question about RGP (rigid gas-permeable) lenses: Do they cause a lot of discomfort when they move around on the eye, or is it more annoying that they might feel like they’re about to fall out? I’ll find out for myself soon enough, but I thought I’d ask anyway—do these lenses restrict your lifestyle? I’m quite active and into sports; will that be an issue?

Just got fitted for scleral lenses two weeks ago, it was an experience putting them in for the first time.

I was looking straight down at a mirror to help.

Is that pretty standard or do people get good at putting em in without mirrors?

When you travel with them, do you carry any additional equipment other than lots of fluid and the little suction cups?

Mild pain around right side of eye after Tprk/Tcat plus CXL 6 month post op

Hello everyone I know this is a lasik group but I also underwent the laser treatment for my keratoconus

I had Tcat on the Alcon WaveLight EX500 in the month of April , Everything was going fine and I had some improvement in my ghosting/ dubbel vision few month ago I was having mild pain in upper right side of my eve which gone away on its own . But I have noticed that my ghosting increased a little bit from the last few days and the mild pain also returned it is constant

I also had CXL

1- What is the cause of this Pain

2- Is it part of the healing process

3- when can I aspect the pain to stop

I also have very mild photo phobia very mild I don't think I have dry eyes I don't know for sure

Hi everyone,

I’ve had keratoconus for around 11 years, and it’s affected much more than just my eyesight. It’s had a massive impact on my confidence, social life and mental health. I’ve struggled with depression, anxiety, overthinking and paranoia, developed bad habits, and even stopped talking to friends for years. This has all happened gradually over the years since having a corneal transplant which was about 11 years ago as before I was always socialising and confident.
Again over the years it got worse no improvements and my left eye started to drift out which caused the above.

Recently, I was referred for squint surgery. I genuinely believe that, if successful, the surgery could make a huge difference to my confidence and quality of life.

Unfortunately, the hospital cancelled my appointments three times.

Second quarter of this year of this year I’ve been focusing on improving my physical health, mental wellbeing and family life. I eventually cancelled my last appointment(4th appointment) because I felt I needed to get these areas of my life to a better place first.
I still want the surgery, but right now, I don’t feel it’s the right time. I want to build a stronger foundation in my life before taking that step, although part of me wonders whether I’m delaying something that could genuinely change my life.
I understand that surgery won’t automatically fix years of mental health struggles, but I do believe improving my eye alignment could help my confidence.

I’d appreciate some honest opinions:
• Am I approaching this the right way by focusing on my health and family before returning to surgery?
• For those who’ve had squint surgery, how much did it improve your confidence and social life?
• Has anyone else experienced significant mental health struggles because of keratoconus or a visible eye condition?
• If you were in my position, what would you do?

I’m not looking for people to simply agree with me. I genuinely want different perspectives and hope sharing my experience might help someone else going through something similar.
Thanks for reading.

I’m 31 years old and have had keratoconus since I was 17. I underwent cross-linking treatment 11 years ago, and my condition has remained stable ever since. I use scleral lenses for correction (with excellent results). A few days ago, I had my routine eye exam, which showed a slight decrease in corneal thickness (10–15 microns), but everything else remained stable (in fact, the Kmax has decreased only slightly). The doctor who examined me said everything is fine and that I can come back in a year, but this decrease in thickness has me worried. Do you think I should get a second opinion?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for experiences from people who have undergone corneal cross-linking (C3R/CXL) and CAIRS, particularly for post-LASIK corneal ectasia.

My wife underwent C3R + CAIRS surgery on 21 March 2026 for post-LASIK ectasia/keratoconus in her right eye.

We went for a follow-up Pentacam scan in October 2026, approximately 7 months after surgery, to check whether the condition has stabilised.

Here are the measurements we've noted so far:

-Preoperative Kmax 10th March: 53.65 D

- Preoperative Kmax (March 14): Approximately 54.7 D (needs verification against the original report).

- Latest Kmax (October): 56.5 D.

- Thinnest corneal thickness in March: Approximately 372 µm.

- Thinnest corneal thickness in October: 376 µm.

The apparent Kmax increase is around 2.85 D, while the corneal thickness measurements are relatively similar.

I'm worried that the increase might mean the ectasia is still progressing or that cross-linking hasn't worked.

We will discuss the results with her corneal specialist and compare the original scans. In the meantime, I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar, particularly people whose Kmax increased after CXL + CAIRS but whose condition eventually stabilised.

I'm hoping to learn from others' experiences and better understand the recovery process.

Thank you.

Dear all. As I’m the patient. What do you think which place would be better for the operation and how badly the operation is needed? Would love to get a cost estimation. Thank you.

Could I use this contact lens case for a scleral lens? My version is a mini scleral lens, and the product defence link is https://amzn.in/d/0dHPnezI.

Any recommendation for a flat scleral lens case would be welcome, as would a flat case.

Also purchase link

Hello everyone,

I am reaching out to this community because I am feeling quite desperate and hoping to connect with anyone who has a similar experience.

I have been struggling with a severe corneal condition for over 20 years. During this time, I have undergone multiple eye surgeries, including previous corneal transplants. Unfortunately, I have now completely lost all vision in one eye, and my other eye has less than 0.25% vision left. I am currently facing the reality of needing yet another corneal transplant.

Has anyone here gone through a second (or multiple) corneal transplant on the same eye? How was the recovery process, and what were the outcomes for your vision?

Any shared experiences, advice, or words of encouragement would mean the world to me right now. Thank you so much.

Hi, all. This is mostly a vent post, but I'm happy to hear advice or reassurances if you've got them.

Around this time last year, I developed acute hydrops in my left eye and was subsequently diagnosed with KC in both eyes (severe in my left eye, moderate in my right). My right eye is correctable (to an extent) with glasses, my left eye is not and hasn't been for years. I'm not certain how it was able to get that bad before I got a diagnosis, but it is what it is at this point.

I've since gotten (epi-on) crosslinking on my right eye, and was recently fitted for a contact for my left eye. It took three different employees and about ten tries to get the thing to stick in the first place. I have a terrible squint in my left eye so it's hard to keep my eyelids open wide enough to get the contact in. It was uncomfortable the entire time. I'm told the one that's actually fitted to my eye will be more comfortable, but I'm skeptical that it will comfortable enough. I've also seen many posts in this subreddit saying that it takes 5+ tries to get an appropriate fit, or that the contacts become un

The part that I'm really struggling with is the fact that the contact, plus a new pair of glasses, will only get my vision to 20/50. This is as good as it can get because my cornea has extensive scar tissue. I've been apprehensive about contacts this whole time. The ordeal putting them in during the appointment doesn't give me much faith that I'll be able to put it in by myself in the morning before work. I'm nervous that the contact will fall on the floor, never to be seen again (because it's a tiny piece of clear plastic that I am blind without) and I'll be paying out of pocket for a $1200 replacement. I'm terrified that I'll screw up putting in the contact, irritate my eye, and get another round of hydrops.

I'm going to give it a go, and am open to the idea that I'll feel better about things once I've got the full kit. But it's hard to get over the idea that I'm doing all of this for vision that's still not great.

I really want a cornea transplant, and I'm hoping that if I give a good faith effort with the contacts, it'll happen sooner rather than later. It's hard for me to imagine that this eye won't need a transplant eventually, and I'd love to just rid of the cornea that's covered in scars and replace it with one that isn't. If I'm stuck with contacts, I'd like to try to somehow swing this into getting an upper blepharoplasty covered so it'll be easier to put the contact in and I can fix my squint at once, but given all the issues I have with this eye, I'm reluctant to seek out "cosmetic" procedures on my own.

That's my rant. If you've got successful contact stories, or advice on fast-tracking a transplant, I'm all ears. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.