See-sickness

I have worn glasses for severe myopia and astigmatism nearly my whole life. After I started having trouble reading the fine print in recipes and menus and had to take off my glasses to read maps, I made an appointment with the eye doctor. To no one's surprise, the prescription this time was for bifocals -- or rather, progressive lenses (no line) for the dreaded presbyopia.

The optician warned me that it takes most people three weeks to get used to them. I'm on week 3 and wondering if I ever will. The floor isn't where I think it is, it dips and curves, and I really do feel seasick. It's especially bad in restaurants with patterned carpets. (Omigod, the Omega!)

They remade them a few days ago with different measurements and they are somewhat improved, but there are still places where my vision is just blurry, no matter how I try to look out of the glasses. Reading on a computer's sort of OK, which is something that I worried about, but letters dance on printed pages. I cannot read fine print (maps) through any part of the lens.

Has anyone else been through this? Will I somehow magically become attuned to these new glasses in another week or so, or had I better become resigned to separate reading and distance glasses? Or could something still be wrong with the lenses or the prescription?

I have them and hate them. I had one lens redone, and it got better. It did seem to get better over time (took a LONG time). You can only look straight through, you can not look to the side. There will be large swaths of lens you can't use. I still have trouble when shopping, looking from side to side quickly.

I'm afraid I can't add a touch of rose to your new glasses either. I've had them for about three years (I'm in the same boat as you, severe astigmatism and myopia) and on my next visit, I'm really going to press the issue of reading glasses. Switching between glasses would be much less frustrating than never knowing where the next stair is or what the sign says. As an editor I need to see a full 8.5x11 page at a time, not a narrow swath. They suck, for sure.

I've got the same combination of problems, but add to it an imbalance in the inner ear that makes the dizziness/seasickness problem so bad that I just can't wear graduated lenses or bifocals. I do the switcheroo. It's not convenient, but I have glasses for walking around, glasses for the computer, and glasses for driving. The doctor said that, someday, I'll have glasses for the fine print, too, but so far, I'm getting along without those. But as inconvenient as it is to have three pairs of glasses, it beats nausea.

I've had no line bifocals for two years now and have no problems at all. My eyes are just plain weird (just like moi!) and my vision is doing the "I'm getting older, let's reverse everything!" dance. Presbyopia? I call it "Old Timers for the eyes". Matches well with my other Old Timers issues.

The only adjustment you should have to make with bifocals is moving your head to read instead of moving your eyes. There's no reason for you to have any physical discomfort because of your glasses; this is what my optometrist told me. Correcting vision should never cause physical discomfort....ever.

A friend of mine had a very similar experience to yours, LAZ. Turns out her prescription was totally wrong. I sent her to my guy (he's AMAZING!) and he got her prescription corrected. All the see-ick went away when she got the new glasses.

I'm making a shameless plug for my guy (Dr. Blinstrup).....he's the only one to ever get my vision correct.

Nuccio Optometrists
134 W. Lake St
Suite 100
Bloomingdale, IL 60108
Phone: 630-980-9095

http://www.eyefinity.com/nuccio/home.htm

I strongly encourage you to return to the place that made your glasses; they aren't adjusted correctly. My first pair of progressives made me dizzy as well. Before I went back to the doctor, I explained the problem to the optical shop. A quick reshaping of my frames and the problem was solved. The angle of the lenses relative to your face plays an important role in how well the lenses work.

Good luck!
Diannie