Renu Contact Solution

Last night I saw a news report on the WB11 that a few lots of the RENU contact solution were found to produce some bacteria in the eye that can lead to blindness.

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Re: Renu Contact Solution

That's awful but I have to wonder if those people did everything right? Didn't use expired solution, etc?

I know I am guilty of not taking my contacts out as frequently as I should and I can feel the difference in my eyes.

Re: Renu Contact Solution

I am allergic to that brand so I don't use it, maybe that's why I can't use it. It burns my eyes.

Re: Renu Contact Solution

I used to use this brand for a while, but I switched to a generic brand @ BJ's just bc it's cheaper. That's horrible news - thank you for sharing this with us!

Re: Renu Contact Solution

Thanks for letting us know

Re: Renu Contact Solution

Posted by RottieMommy

I used to use this brand for a while, but I switched to a generic brand @ BJ's just bc it's cheaper. That's horrible news - thank you for sharing this with us!

Re: Renu Contact Solution

I use Renu too! I am a little afraid, but it did sound like the people did not take good care of their contacts (kept them too long, didn't clean well enough).

Re: Renu Contact Solution

From The New York Times (Online)
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 11, 2006


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating 109 reports of Fusarium keratitis infection in patients in 17 states since June 2005. It has made no direct link between the ReNu brand and the infection, but a high incidence of the affected people had used the solution.

Federal and state health officials have interviewed just 30 of those patients. Of the 28 who wore soft contact lens, 26 reported using the ReNu brand or a generic type of solution also made by Bausch & Lomb.

Five of the 26 patients also reported using other types of solutions in addition to ReNu, Bausch & Lomb said. And nine said they wore their lenses overnight, which is known to increase the risk of infection, the CDC said.

In February, the company stopped shipments of ReNu in Singapore and Hong Kong after a similar spike in fungal keratitis was reported. It has partnered with health authorities and researchers to investigate the extent and cause of the infection seen in contact-lens wearers in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

''The numbers are pretty high for this to be pure coincidence,'' said analyst Suey Wong of Robert W. Baird & Co. in Milwaukee. However, ''we've got to be careful that people are automatically assuming they're guilty and the clinical test has not shown any kind of linkage.''

While the company ''has not typically had problems of this nature, there's going to be probably some spillover effect onto their other lens-care products,'' Wong added. ''But that's hard to quantify.''

Bausch & Lomb's chief executive, Ron Zarella, said the CDC data ''are both troubling and perplexing, as there is an apparent disproportionate representation of U.S.-manufactured ReNu with MoistureLoc in the underlying data. The source of these infections has not been determined.''

The company had already had to deal with a host of accounting troubles in recent months. On March 17, it moved to reduce its reported net sales by a combined $9.3 million after an internal investigation determined its South Korean subsidiary engaged in improper sales practices from 2002 to 2005.

In December, the company moved to restate financial results back to 2001 because of accounting shenanigans at its Brazilian unit. Several class-action lawsuits were filed against the company last month alleging insider trading in connection with the investigations.

Dr. Daniel Schultz, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said it was too early to determine if Bausch & Lomb's solution was the cause of the infections. Both the FDA and CDC are investigating a growing number of reports of infection by the fungus. An estimated 30 million Americans wear soft contact lenses.

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

The fungus is commonly found in plant material and soil in tropical and subtropical areas. Symptoms can include blurry vision, pain or redness, increased sensitivity to light and excessive discharge from the eye. It is not transmitted from person to person.

Re: Renu Contact Solution

Another article:

NY Times