Progressive lenses

[Acorn]

It’s only been 4 hours since I put them on, but I feel miserable. I don’t feel like my distance prescription (which didn’t change) is accurate. I assume the nausea will end soon. 

I think I’m going to have a harder than usual time adjusting because I typically wear contacts from 8-4 each weekday. My bifocal prescription is not available in my type of contacts. I will eventually get drugstore readers to wear with my contacts. 

I need to read picture books aloud at work and I use peripheral vision to do that. I currently cannot do that with these eyeglasses. Will that improve? 

 

 

[Annie G]

I’ve worn progressives for about 15 years and never had enough peripheral vision to read a book. I move my head to keep the ‘sweet spot’ where I need it in order to read. It’s not like it was before progressives where I moved my eyes, not my head. 
But you’ll probably get used to it and you’ll move your head effortlessly before long.  If you haven’t adjusted to them in a couple weeks I’d have the glasses checked to be sure they’re the right prescription AND that the progressive part is in the right spot. 

[MEmama]

The general advise is to wear new progressives *all the time* for two full weeks before assuming something is wrong with them. Many people find it doesn’t take that long, but it did for me (they were my first pair of glasses other than readers). I felt like Alice in Wonderland for most of those two weeks, but once I adjusted I haven’t had any problems. I big puffy heart love them.

Since it doesn’t sound like you will be using yours very often though, I would imagine they are going to be tougher to get used to. So much of vision really occurs in our brains—and changing back and forth is asking your brain to figure out a rotating set of information. Can you wear your progressives during the day for awhile instead of contacts?
 

I'd give it some time for your eyes to adjust to the peripheral vision issue. If it doesn’t resolve in a couple weeks, or the nausea doesn’t subside, do check in with your eye doctor. Sometimes the lenses aren’t exactly correct and it can really mess things up. 

[Melissa in Australia]

I tried them for 3 weeks. I found they are awful evil things. I was nauseous the whole time, and started having falls. I could not read at all, which was the whole point of getting them in the first place. I discovered that I read a whole line at a time(I am dyslexic) and  only seeing one word at a time I couldn’t understand anything I was reading.

 The final straw was when I fell in the supermarket and  people all rushing over like I was an old person.  After that embarrassing incident I went back to the optometrist and had the prescription  separated into reading glasses and seeing glasses. Much better. I can now see well enough to do hand sewing again, enjoy books again.

 

I think they are pushed by the companies that make them on the optometrist. They made out like I was having an unusual response, but I have met quite a few that have had very similar responses, maybe not the falling, but defiantly not able to read , headache and all day nausea .

[Pawz4me]

I think it probably depends a lot on our individual brain. My first glasses ever were progressives. Like when most people would be told they just needed to go get readers I was told both my distance and up close vision were bad enough I needed to go directly to progressive lenses. It took me all of maybe two hours to adjust to them. For me they're absolutely fabulous. But I think too with progressives you want to make sure whoever's making them, marking the pupillary distance, etc., really knows what they're doing. I've never bought glasses anywhere other than from my own optometrist for this reason.

Good luck!

[happi duck]

I have progressives, several years now.

I can read a picture book to kids.

Ime, the chain stores are who kept saying "it takes two weeks".

Everytime they weren't immediately fantastic something *was* wrong. Prescription was in the wrong place, lenses were too close or far from my eyes, prescription was completely wrong in one eye.

Now, I use a local family run eyeglass place that treats glasses as needed medical equipment.  

Eta: my local place is less expensive than the chains.  I never would have guessed that so it's worth checking.

Edited November 8, 2021 by happi duck

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, Acorn said:

I need to read picture books aloud at work and I use peripheral vision to do that.

Well the usual tip for getting used to progressives is to THINK ROBOT. Apparently I'm a robot, because I had no trouble getting used to mine. LOL Move your head, not so much your eyes. 

 

2 hours ago, Acorn said:

nausea

I'd call the eye doc. Do you have astigmatism? One time my glasses came back and they had been made incorrectly, with cylinders of correction in one lens while the other lens was plano. That felt awful. But just in general, no they should be feeling good, not making you sick. They should check them to see if the glasses were made correctly for the scrip that was written. Errors do happen. I would stop wearing them till they're checked. You can call and talk to them and see.

[PeterPan]

The width of vision that is clear on your progressives is typically a function of pricepoint. The dispenser should have been able to show you, with drawings, the compromises and what different levels of lenses get you.

 

 

[MEmama]

1 hour ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I tried them for 3 weeks. I found they are awful evil things. I was nauseous the whole time, and started having falls. I could not read at all, which was the whole point of getting them in the first place. I discovered that I read a whole line at a time(I am dyslexic) and  only seeing one word at a time I couldn’t understand anything I was reading.

 The final straw was when I fell in the supermarket and  people all rushing over like I was an old person.  After that embarrassing incident I went back to the optometrist and had the prescription  separated into reading glasses and seeing glasses. Much better. I can now see well enough to do hand sewing again, enjoy books again.

 

I think they are pushed by the companies that make them on the optometrist. They made out like I was having an unusual response, but I have met quite a few that have had very similar responses, maybe not the falling, but defiantly not able to read , headache and all day nausea .

Ugh. I’m sure they don’t work for everyone (what does?), but it’s possible they just weren’t made correctly. I had a pair of sunglasses that was off and they were just awful. Thankfully they were able to make new ones, but yeah, when they aren’t made correctly it really messes with balance and everything else.
 

That’s too bad you had such a bad experience, whatever the reason. 😞 

[Indigo Blue]

What PeterPan said. There are wider fields of vision available. With each upgrade, the price goes up. I recently  had to go up to a stronger reading prescription. My face is small and my frames are tiny. The first pair just didn’t have enough room at the bottom. The viewing area ended up being so narrow. I got a slightly wider frame and bought the widest viewing area lens they had. It  helped a lot. I wear mine over contacts. You could try that out risk free if your doctor has a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. They will make new ones or refund your money and go back to square one. If they absolutely don’t work, you could try something else. 

[Annie G]

26 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

The width of vision that is clear on your progressives is typically a function of pricepoint. The dispenser should have been able to show you, with drawings, the compromises and what different levels of lenses get you.

 

 

That’s not how it was explained to me. I’ve been told it’s more a function of how close the lenses are to your eyes and what distance you read at. The Minkwitz Theorem is what our doc explained to me.  That’s not to say that quality lenses vs the ultra cheap ones won’t provide different results, but I thought it’s usually  more than just money.  

Edited November 6, 2021 by Annie G

[Acorn]

I’m dyslexic and have astigmatism. I really need my contacts at work to not have foggy glasses with working inside/outside in the cold while masking. I might have to wait until our winter break when I’ll be mostly inside.

I’ve given up for today. I’m in bed and I haven’t even had dinner yet. My stomach still hurts but the headache is improving from when I took them off.

[klmama]

I was nauseous with the first pair, but then they upgraded the lenses to a  high index material and I had no problems.  

[PeterPan]

43 minutes ago, Acorn said:

and have astigmatism.

You really ought to take them in and have them checked. When I had a bad reaction, they were made incorrectly. They should not feel like this. Nuts, I've had multiple concussions and got horrible headaches EVERY TIME I got new glasses. This year I've done almost 100 sessions of HBOT (which puts me right up there with surfers, hahaha) and for the first time in years no headaches! Maybe you had a head injury this year? 

I hear you on the fogging with masks, sigh. Technically they make contacts that are progressives, but I'm not sure you can have cylinders *and* progressives in contacts. It's one or the other, or at least it used to be. My dd wore them for a while and then moved on.

[KrissiK]

My first pair made me horribly dizzy, but they were smaller. I got a larger lens and they are so much better. 

[goldberry]

1 hour ago, Acorn said:

I’m dyslexic and have astigmatism. I really need my contacts at work to not have foggy glasses with working inside/outside in the cold while masking. I might have to wait until our winter break when I’ll be mostly inside.

I’ve given up for today. I’m in bed and I haven’t even had dinner yet. My stomach still hurts but the headache is improving from when I took them off.

I've never found contacts that did darn thing for my astigmatism except the old fashioned gas perms. 

I wear progressives and for me they were very easy to get used to.

[Acorn]

23 minutes ago, goldberry said:

I've never found contacts that did darn thing for my astigmatism except the old fashioned gas perms. 

I wear progressives and for me they were very easy to get used to.

I have toric daily disposable contacts that have been life changing wonderful. They are more comfortable than gas perms and I don’t have to worry about allergy reactions to cleaning solutions. I do have dry, itchy eye problems so I can’t wear the contacts the whole time I’m awake.

Edited November 7, 2021 by Acorn

[vonfirmath]

7 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I tried them for 3 weeks. I found they are awful evil things. I was nauseous the whole time, and started having falls. I could not read at all, which was the whole point of getting them in the first place. I discovered that I read a whole line at a time(I am dyslexic) and  only seeing one word at a time I couldn’t understand anything I was reading.

 The final straw was when I fell in the supermarket and  people all rushing over like I was an old person.  After that embarrassing incident I went back to the optometrist and had the prescription  separated into reading glasses and seeing glasses. Much better. I can now see well enough to do hand sewing again, enjoy books again.

 

I think they are pushed by the companies that make them on the optometrist. They made out like I was having an unusual response, but I have met quite a few that have had very similar responses, maybe not the falling, but defiantly not able to read , headache and all day nausea .

I didn't fall. But I hated not being able to see anything clearly and No, I didn't get used to it. I finally took them back and changed to bifocals and I['m much happier.

(I also got a separate pair of "computer glasses" That are single vision lens geared to computer work so I don't have to hold my head up all day to see my screen)

[vonfirmath]

3 hours ago, goldberry said:

I've never found contacts that did darn thing for my astigmatism except the old fashioned gas perms. 

I wear progressives and for me they were very easy to get used to.

I loved my gas permeable contacts. I don't know if they don't have them or what but when I tried to get contacts i could not handle what they gave me.

[goldberry]

3 hours ago, Acorn said:

I have toric daily disposable contacts that have been life changing wonderful. They are more comfortable than gas perms and I don’t have to worry about allergy reactions to cleaning solutions. I do have dry, itchy eye problems so I can’t wear the contacts the whole time I’m awake.

What brand?  I've tried a daily brand, but they don't correct my vision anywhere close to glasses.  

[matrips]

I would first get them checked to make sure the prescription is correct and that it was made properly.  If they are, either give it a little time (it does take time to get used to), or ask for a different progressive lens.  I opted for the more expensive one with the wider fields of vision instead of the basic.  Ask the optometrist to show you.

[RootAnn]

I can wear my progressives but I usually shove them up my forehead to read anything because it is just easier than messing with how they make my brain feel. [Expensive local place, not a chain store]

I try to only wear them for driving or in stores where I need to be able to see long distances bevause I couldn't get used to them.

Of course, I couldn't get used to the multifocal contacts either. I still have most of the trial pack.

[Myra]

13 hours ago, RootAnn said:

I can wear my progressives but I usually shove them up my forehead to read anything because it is just easier than messing with how they make my brain feel. [Expensive local place, not a chain store]

I try to only wear them for driving or in stores where I need to be able to see long distances bevause I couldn't get used to them.

Of course, I couldn't get used to the multifocal contacts either. I still have most of the trial pack.

I, too, could not use multifocal contacts either and still have most of the trial pack.  I could never get them good enough to read and see distance clearly.  It was frustrating trying the different brands and time-consuming.  Instead, I have a pair or "reader" glasses that I use mostly when on computer or actually reading.  In addition, I have a pair of progressives that I keep in the car for driving, reading maps, and when shopping in stores.