What to do about glasses

[Kammer1]

I need new lenses in my glasses - top-notch varifocals at Boots, will take 7-10 days. I don't want new frames as I love my current ones (only glasses I've ever liked in 40 years of wearing them).

Worrying about what to do in those 10 days without them. I have a very old pair (6 years +) with out of date prescription. I could probably cope with that prescription if it weren't for the fact that they are very scratched and I find that annoying (although would probably get used to them).

Wondering whether a cheap pair of single vision from somewhere like Specsavers plus some reading glasses would do the trick. Or will that confuse my poor brain. I don't drive, so that's not an issue. I have been having headaches and ocular migraines so I don't risk making those worse.

Any advice out there?

Get the cheapest glasses made as a spare first, then get the ones you like made up.

@Mosaic123 I'm wondering, though, if I'll cope with single-vision glasses when I'm so used to varifocals. Even the cheapest varifocals are £200 which, on top of my £400 for new lenses in my old glasses, is just a bit much!

Get the cheapest glasses made as a spare first, then get the ones you like made up.

That's what I'd do, but as single vision. Then cheap reading glasses.

I feel your pain - my extra thin varifocals are £500. But worth it, given I live in them.

Agreed this is the cheapest option but has anyone gone from varifocal to single-vision and not had a problem. I'm worried about headaches and just generally feeling awful, visually, for 10 days.

My prescription is in the photo, in case that helps (any opticians out there!)

I briefly considered varifocal contact lenses but I've never got on with contact lenses in the past (wore them so much when I was younger / vainer and just looked like a rabbit with pink eyes for years ...) and my middle-aged eyes are so dry (another problem) that I doubt it would be any better now. So I don't think I can go down that route either.

It looks very similar to my prescription.

I have cheap distance and cheap lower prescription reading/computer distance glasses - and take all of them off to read stuff up close. Vaguely irritating at times, but nothing compared to trying to function on an out of date prescription. And it means I can afford spares of both, all courtesy of online sellers.

Can you read without your glasses on? I have varifocals too. How about getting another pair made up with the same frame, is it still available? I get my glasses from Specsavers with their two for one offer, and my second pair have the reactive lenses. How about getting some bifocals which are probably cheaper than varifocals. I couldn’t manage without my glasses for 7 - 10 days. You might find that Specsavers is cheaper. The frame part starts from about £89 I think. I think if I were you I’d just get another pair and use your current pair as spares.

With Specsavers you could also do a contact lens trial which cost me £25 and gave me about 10 different lenses to try. I did try the varifocal lenses but I would have to try them again, they were fine for distance but I couldn’t see very well for reading. And I like being able to see sharply with my glasses. The other lenses she gave me had a reduced prescription in one eye in order to see close up with that eye and distance with the other. They might tide you over until your glasses were ready 😬.

has anyone gone from varifocal to single-vision and not had a problem

I have had a second pair of single vision photosensitive glasses previously and never had any issues when wearing them (except when I forgot which ones I was wearing and tried to read!).

I’m a Dispensing Optician

What I have advised to patients in your situation is to maybe get the same copy of the frame you love glazed with the new lenses instead. This way you wouldn’t be without glasses.

When the new glasses are ready, your current pair become the spares.

If you didn’t or couldn’t do that, I would suggest finding an opticians with a tracer (in my experience this will be an independent opticians practice). They can pop the lenses out of your current glasses, trace the inside of the frame for shape & size, pop the lenses back in so you can wear them. When the new lenses have been cut at the lab, sent to the opticians practice, the optician can then pop them into your frame. Fairly easy for a full rimmed metal or plastic. Bit harder for a rimless frame.

@arapunzel - they don't make my current frames anymore and they were soooo expensive. They are also rimless so I guess your other suggestion wouldn't work easily. I'm also reluctant to go anywhere else as the Boots top varifocals work well for me (I once tried specsavers which were not as good for me and i ended up taking them back for a refund).

I'm not keen on contact lenses because of my dry eyes.

I guess best option is cheap single vision and reading glasses.

Asda are probably the cheapest for glasses, if you don’t want to spend a fortune.

I would avoid cheap varifocals as a spare - cheap varifocals are worse than single vision lenses.