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I was always very fortunate to have excellent vision and just needed readers as I aged. At my last eye Dr appt I learned that my vision had declined and I needed glasses. I got progressive lenses. The medium distance was fantastic, the long distance good and the readers I could only use to read something quick on my phone but not the computer or a book. I also think I was getting headaches and dizzy.

I went back to the eye doctor's office and they checked the glasses and measurements. They said the reader portion was probably too small. I go back tomorrow to see the optician again.

Are the progressive lenses hard to get used to? I haven't worn them for a few weeks. The headaches are better. I feel less unsteady when walking but still feel slightly not quite right. I'm not sure if I am sick and the glasses were adding to it or I'm just sick and it's not the glasses at all. If it was just the glasses I would feel better after not wearing them?

I am also going through quite a bit of stress so not sure if that is a factor.

Sorry for rambling. I'm having a little trouble focusing and organizing my thoughts.

Sorry for your eye troubles. I had a tough transition to progressives especially since I'm prone to motion sickness, and the blurred vision with head movement was hard to get used to, as was learning where to look on the lens based on distance. I got tension or eye strain headaches a lot at first.

I spent a lot of time checking each eye and seeing where the focal points were, and training my eyes to look at the different places on the lens. Still, there are times where I am best without glasses, like up close reading, but I never needed readers. My husband only wore readers but took a while to get used to his too.

We both have had an experience over the last 4 or so progressive prescriptions where the glasses were poorly made or the measurements off for focal points and the glasses were a pain. We pay through the nose for our progressives now, over $500 a pair. My first pair were awful and I kept going back to my old pair. We are both good now but it's been a while. Good luck getting things figured out and settled in.

Thanks. They are pricey aren't they!? Mine were over $700, my portion after insurance was $275.

I was really looking forward to having glasses that I could keep on and use when grocery shopping. I hate carrying readers and taking them on and off constantly. I also can't read the controls in the car when I'm driving but you can't drive with readers on. My close up vision is pretty bad.

I hope they can fix the lenses so they work for me or maybe going from nothing to progressives is too much?

Are old school bifocals an option? They might not look as good, but they don’t require as much "brain power" to learn where the different focal parts are. They might help you ease in to progressives, too.

I can ask when I have my appointment tomorrow.

It seems like that would be easier to adjust to.

I have never been able to adjust to progressive lenses. I have the old fashioned lined bifocals.

I get mocked, but I could not adjust and always felt nauseous.

Bon chance.

I will see what they say tomorrow.

I would also rather wear bifocals than be nauseous.

(I also have issues with motion sickness)

I did have a learning curve as my eyes/brain re-adjusted to this new way of seeing, but they did adjust and those side effects disappeared.

I went to bifocals years ago. When I started having trouble with middle distances, I went with progressives rather than trifocals; IIRC, progressives were cheaper than tris.

I've never had much luck with the reading parts of either bi-focals or progressives - I take my glasses off to read a book or an e-reader. I also want to see some things that the progressives don't do well. When I check what gear I'm riding in on my bike, the chain and cogs are blurry. But with progressives, I can see pretty close (think bike computer), and I can see the control panel on my car, TV, and distances.

Ah ... back to your question: I went through an adjustment period, but I didn't have headaches, just some spatial disorientation. That went away pretty quickly.

I went back to bifocals with sunglasses 3-4 years ago. With single vision (to save money) shades, my bike 'puter and car speedometer were blurry. Then bifocals (cheaper than progressives - that's my pattern ), which left the car control panel a little bit blurry, then back to progressives even in sunglasses so I could do some reading and see my bike 'puter, the car's panel, TV, and distance without significant blur anywhere.

I just bought some sport glasses - progressives and transitional lenses. I don't know what the optometrist would have charged without insurance, but they were about $475 with my insurance. It would have been $550 as sunglasses - progressive (ETA: I meant transitional) was cheaper than tinted ... and that didn't include polarized. I guess some insurance is more equal than others.

Good luck. Maybe something is wrong with the prescription, the lenses, or maybe they're just not for you. I hope you find out quickly and as cheaply as possible.

ETA: The new glasses came in, and they are great. They are the first I've had where the reading part works! Alas, they are too ugly to wear all the time.

[This message edited by SI Staff at 4:24 PM, Tuesday, August 30th]

Well, my appointment didn't go well. The optician adjusted the fit because they were sliding down. She took the glasses to another room and came back and said she expanded the reading portion and they should work better. Can they adjust the lenses right there that fast? She was gone less than five minutes. This is all new to me.

I still felt like they were not clear and the reading space was tiny. She said I need to learn to read by moving my head back and forth. I told her that it felt like a lot of work to read and that things were not staying in focus so I would just end up putting readers back on. She said of course I would because it's a bigger reading space.

I asked if maybe progressives were too much correction for a first pair of glasses. She was very pushy about needing to get used to them. I wore them for 2-3 weeks and had headaches, dizziness and nausea. I was told by an employee of that office that my glasses were the top of the line progressives and a great choice for a first time pair. SHE told me they were a middle of the road pair and I could upgrade them for $100 to get less blurry space on the side.

I don't know if the lenses are off or the prescription or it's because they are progressives.

I agreed to try them for 2-3 more weeks and if they still aren't right go back to see the eye doctor.

Thanks for sharing you experiences with me.

I had no idea glasses were so complicated.

The pushyness just pisses me off. Multiple weeks of dizziness and headaches is NOT ok.

Wh got progressives and there was an adjustment period but not even that long.

DD has specialized lens to help reduce the amount of degeneration in her eyes. They focus her sight, make her eyes work. Cost a damn fortune.

Ophthalmologist said that if within a couple of weeks she wasn't adjusting to come right back. So yours seeming to brush you off makes me see red.

I asked about progressives amd was told best not to get them. My close up sight isn't bad enough firstly and second a hardly ever wear my glasses seeing as I mainly use them to drive. He said it woukd be a waste of money at this point to habe progressives if I wasn't wearing my glasses all the time and IF reading became an issue just get a pair of readers.

Thanks Dragn. My H was with me and he was pretty irritated with how pushy she was and not really trying to help me figure out what the issue is. I got kind of frustrated because I felt pressured to say they were better after she fixed them but I couldn't really say I noticed a difference.

My up close vision is really bad. I can't see anything without at least 1.75 readers. My distance isn't too bad.

I suggested using readers for the computer and she said NO, you need computer glasses. I don't work on a computer all day and I use readers for the computer now and that seems to work. My H and I just spent over $1000 there on glasses after what our pretty good insurance covered.

Also, they didn't dilate my eyes when they did my eye exam. I haven't had them dilated in about five years. I should have said something.

The office my entire family went to starts with a special scan of both eyes and they put whatever glasses you have into a machine that I guess reads the prescription.

The first appointment the ophthalmologist does a complete exam. And I mean wow detailed. Each one of us had the eye drops to dilate the eyes and I believe the 2 girls had special scans of the eyes showing blood flow.

The kids are also seen every 6 months. Actually I just got confirmation emails for their upcoming appointments to make sure their vision/glasses is good before school.

For a very long time I tolerated the pushy, not listening, medical people and suffered for it. Now I'm one royal bitch. Listen to MY complaint figure the shit out or else lol

Lately though I've had amazing experiences. One day I had severe chest pain that woke me up. It eased up so I didnt think anything of it. Later that day injured my eye. Went to urgent care. Told doc I was having a bad day first with the chest pain and now with the eye. He stopped me, inquired more abiut the chest pain, then called the ER and sent me straight over (across the road).

I had a full cardiac work up before they even looked at my eye.

That's care!

I'll keep you in my prayers. Hopefully you csn get some relief from thr upset stomach and headaches.

Thank you!!!

My eye doctor told me that 100% of people will need Progressive lenses in their 50's and 60's.

So you are not alone.

Thank you Quite Possible.

I had another appointment for them to recheck my vision and my glasses.

Turns out I was right. The lenses were not done correctly. The problems that I initially described were because of the lenses not because of me. The optician that I had seen was filling in the day I was in and is known to be impatient and rude according to the staff.

What really makes me mad is that she lied. She told me that she made the reader portion larger, had me put the glasses back on and told me they should be better. When I said I was still having problems she started telling me I wasn't holding the paper at the right distance and things like that to pressure me to accept that the glasses were good. I was checking them with one eye at a time and she let me know that you need BOTH eyes to read. Well, when I went in for the recheck that is exactly one of the things they had me do. Read with one eye covered.

I also told her I did not feel safe driving while wearing them and she still tried to blame me and pressure me to accept them the way the were. I agreed to try them for another three weeks to see if I adjusted to them.

At my last appointment, they apologised and sent my glasses out to be fixed. The optician also told me I was an incredibly patient and kind person.

Fingers crossed that they work after they are fixed!!!

I got used to my Progressives really fast. Like in a day or two.

But I still don't like them.....LOL