Problems with progressive glasses

Yes! It took me awhile to get used to the progressives. I feel like the optometrist office doesn't explain that it can take weeks to get used to them. I was having headaches from them. I actually had them change the focal point to make it an easier adjustment and eventually I was able to use long term. 

I had problems for years with my progressives.  If I read for more than 15 minutes or so, the world became a blur.  This went on through several pairs of glasses and refittings by the optometrist.  As a result, I wore my contact lenses and used reading glasses as needed.

What worked: I changed from getting my glasses from private optometrist to getting them at Kaiser!

The optometrist's techs repeatedly insisted on fitting the glasses higher on my nose than I actually wear them, so the spot where my pupil was supposed to align with the lens wasn't where my pupil was.  Kaiser was willing to cooperate with me on where to position the glasses.  It's possible that there were other problems with the optometrist's glasses than their position on my nose.

A friend whose husband is a retired optometrist says what I encountered is a common issue, particularly for people who have smaller, shallower nose bridges.  Wearing my glasses higher on my nose makes my eyelashes bang into the lenses -- and I don't have long lashes!

The friend also noted that it's easier to fit metal frames than plastic ones, because the nose pads on metal frames are adjustable.  Nose pads can be added to plastic frames.

Hope this helps!

In my experience the larger the lenses the better progressives work without eye strain. I had progressives on a big frame with big lenders and they worked great. After getting a new prescription decided to try a smaller frame with smaller lenses. Terrible eye strain for a month, didn’t get better. Thankfully I kept my bigger frames and got them fitted with the new prescription progressives and eye strain went away. 

The first time I got progressive lenses I felt like the sidewalk was warping as a walked.  I found it very annoying.  So I got bifocals, and they made me feel like I had scotch tape on my glasses.  So I tried the progressive lenses again and everything was fine!  I guess it's just a matter of getting used to them.   Took maybe two weeks total.   Worn progressives ever since  (20 years ).

I have been wearing progressives for over 10 years. They shouldn't take more than 2 days to get used to. Progressives I have gotten measured for at the optometry office have worked well for me, however when I tried to save money with online options Warby Parker and Zenni, it has been really hit or miss, mostly miss. I recommend that you go back to the optometrist for an adjustment. Good luck.

I think progressive lenses work for some people and not for others. I have had good luck with them. But I know others including my sister who have experienced headaches, vision problems and even safety issues (twisted ankles) from altered depth perception. 

I would have them checked.  I've had a bad pair of progressives that were very uncomfortable.  I did not have any issues with my first pair. 

Optometrist here--there are literally hundreds of types of progressive lenses. Add that to the hundreds of frames and how they fit you and you can see--it seems like a simple problem, but it is quite complicated. Some people take a couple days to adjust to their glasses, some people can take weeks, some people can never get used to them. Here is my advice: 1) wear the new glasses continually if you aren't already. Switching back and forth to an old pair means you won't adjust at all 2) If that fails or you already have been, make an appointment with the optician where you got the glasses. If you describe your problems, sometimes a simple adjustment of the frame can work wonders. Sometimes they have to re-make the lenses and switch you to a different progressive design (there are hundreds) a good optician will be able to listen to your problems and make recommendations. Most opticals will do one "re-do" for you at no charge to you as long as you act quickly. If you wait months and months, there is often nothing they can do. Be aware that there might be a difference in price of the new progressive design and that may mean that you will owe more money. 3) Your optometrist will be able to check the prescription and make sure it is correct--but be aware there may be a cost for this if you didn't also buy the glasses from them. It happens all the time that the patient thinks the issue must be the prescription when it is the lens design, frame adjustment, or a mistake was made in fabrication. You can imagine that you are asking the doctor to spend time "checking" someone else's work and they should be paid for their time in providing that service. If they find they made the error in the prescription, they will waive the fee. But, with progressive lenses, it is far more likely to be the spectacles themselves and not the prescription. 

Discount places like Costco will often only have one progressive design that they work with and if that design doesn't work for you, then you are out of luck. On-line companies also typically cannot offer more than one design (that's how they save on costs) and never took exacting measurements for you! Even if you provide your pupillary distance (PD), there are other exacting measurements that must be taken with your chosen frame adjusted and on your face. Taking someone else's recommendation of what worked for them is a waste of time because everyone is unique and different prescriptions alone can make some progressives work better than others. Likewise, larger frames work better with some prescriptions, smaller frames work better with others. Please discuss your unique situation and prescription with your optometrist or optician. 

Finally, don't lose heart! Progressives are WONDERFUL and the best solution for presbyopia (blurred near vision due to age) that exist. It is worth the effort to find what works for you--and you won't have to do it every time you get a new pair. A good optician will have notes on which design works for you and keep you in that design as you go through life and get new glasses. 

--Your friendly neighborhood optometrist and progressive lens wearer

(Yes, I didn't like the first pair I got and noted my symptoms and my optician recommended a different design and I've stuck with that one for over 10 years now!) :)