New Paltz, NYIn the fall of 2005, Kristen Pondi, aged 27, was diagnosed with a fungal infection in her eyes. She had no idea what caused it and it didn't occur to her that it could have been ReNu, her contact lens solution. Unfortunately, Bausch & Lomb didn't recall ReNu until the following May, 2006.
"First of all my doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotic eye drops and the infection cleared up. Then about two months later my eyes got really irritated. I was wearing contact lenses at the time (but I will never be able to wear them again) and used ReNu with MoistureLoc. My eyes were scarlet red and swollen -I looked like I had been crying for days. When I tried to put my contacts in, I wanted to rip my eyes out, that's how much they hurt.
This time I went to an opthamologist. He said that the blood vessels under my eyelids were swollen and that I had some kind of infection recurring in my eyes and something was clogging my tear ducts. They were dry but felt greasy and there was all this weird flaking. I also noticed white bumps just under my eyes and above my cheekbone - right on my skin, like little white pimples, almost like clogged sweat glands. It was horrible.
Nobody had heard about the ReNu recall yet. The opthamologist prescribed an ointment that I had to put on my eyelids twice a day. And I could barely blink my eyes let alone wear contacts. He also gave me allergy drops to help the swelling - an antihistamine. And an antibiotic. I could barely keep it straight what to take. Over the next few months I was visiting him every other week, trying to figure out what the cause was. He said it had to be something in my environment. I changed shampoo, soap, towels, you name it. I washed my clothes with no-scent detergent.
Any kind of wind, air conditioning, even light, irritated my eyes. I couldn't use any cleaning products - anything seemed to burn my eyes and I would pay for it the next day -like there was no protective film over my eyes anymore. I also took steroid drops to combat my dry eyes.
To this day, I am still dependent on medication. If I don't take all this stuff, I wake up in the middle of the night and feel like I have to peel my eyelids off my eyeball. If I cry, they burn.
My Mom gave me ReNu with MoistureLoc. She bought ReNu then found out afterward that she couldn't wear contact lenses so she gave me all the solution. I think she feels guilty now - I made her come with me to the doctor. She saw the problems associated with ReNu first, then I asked my doctor if it could be the contact lens solution and he said he didn't think so because it was a fungus infection. But now I know that so many people have the same symptoms as I did.
As far as I know I will never be able to wear contacts again, and my doctor also confirmed this. I am not even a candidate for lasik surgery because my eyes are too dry. All this medication has cost me at least $700 so far. The Restasis prescription alone is $20 per month. Then every month I also have to get antihistamine allergy drops ($10), pay toward my health insurance every time I visit the doctor ($15) and have to special order Sustane ($12) -preservative-free gel eye drops - because my doctor thinks I have developed an allergy to preservatives.
As if that isn't enough to have to deal with, I also have to be really careful about some foods because the smells get into my eyes. I can't go near onions, can no longer wear make-up or hair spray.
Bausch & Lomb, the makers of ReNu, led people to believe they were a reliable company, but somebody sure screwed up with the making of ReNu. I don't know how this could happen, that somebody could make such a huge mistake.
And now I am paying for their mistake. I feel like this is never going to stop. Even if they pay me. I would rather be cured than receive a huge payment. It isn't about the money, it is about my well-being. I have to wear glasses all the time, I don't feel pretty because I can't wear any makeup. I can't even wash my face with my regular products; now I can only use baby shampoo. Even my pharmacist said people don't get dry eyes like this until they are much older.
If you or anyone you know has contracted an eye infection or has had eye sight damage by using ReNu with Moisture Loc contact lens solution, please send your [ReNu Contact Lens Solution] complaint to a lawyer for a free case evaluation.