ReNu contact lens solution caused Permanent Damage

"I am furious with the makers of ReNu; there is nothing I can do about it. I am only eighteen years old and I will have distorted vision forever and the rest of my life is a long time," and the rest of my life is a long time," says Peter Orrell of Holland, Michigan.

"Last summer I started to wear contact lenses and used contact lens solution ReNu with MoistureLoc. I followed the instructions from my eye doctor exactly: I rinsed my contacts in solution every night. But after a few days my eye was really stinging and it was red. I thought I had pink eye but my doctor said it was a scratch, so she gave me some eye drops and sent me home.

Two days later my other eye was red and they both were so bad to the point where you couldn't see any white in my eyes and I was in terrible pain. I couldn't look at lthe ight and had to wear sunglasses all the time, even in the house. At the time, I was a high school student. I was staying at a local camp on an art field trip and I had to come home early - I couldn't do anything and definitely couldn't draw.

As soon as I got home I phoned the ophthalmologist and she said because of the symptoms I was having I could get in right away. My parents drove me - I certainly couldn't drive. She said it wasn't a scratch but an infection and I had ulcers on both corneas. They were quite large and one main one was directly over my pupil - 2mm across. This may not seem like a lot but it really is huge when it is right in front of your vision. The ulcers were white so it looked like I had cataracts.

She gave me high-dosage eye drops and said to come back once a day for the next three days. The doctor told me it was more than likely caused by the contact lens solution. She asked me how I took care of my contacts and told her I wash my hands every time before I put them in, with antibacterial soap. That is why she thought the solution has caused the infection and nothing I had done.

My eyes started to getter better and the infection cleared up but it left permanent scars where the ulcers were. Over the left eye, a scar is right in front of my pupil and this has caused so much damage I will never have perfect vision again. The cornea is scarred. If I drive at night car headlights are distorted and in the day time my vision is blurry.

My ophthalmologist said there is nothing I can do about it. I can't have laser surgery because of the scar. A few doctors have confirmed that it could get worse with surgery. I just have to accept it.

There was a local news story about ReNu; my Mom told me about it. Then I read about it on the Internet and I sounded like one of the people being described with these horrific side effects.

Every doctor who has checked my eyes (I moved a few times) is surprised at the scars. I tell them it is from ReNu but the majority of them don't know much about it, which worries me even more. Why don't doctors know about the potential problems that could affect others? "