To hate my varifocals and it's really distressing

[LEMtheoriginal]

I suffer with anxiety.

I left it ages before I got my eyes retested since last time I got glasses so there is a big difference in my prescription.

I have been studying the past few days quite intensely and my eyes are screwed.

It takes me ages to adjust between reading and distance. I mean up to an hour but this was with my last pair.

I'm terrified that there is something with my eyes.

Someone please talk to me - not about my anxiety. I kniw know I have this . It's my eyes that are bothering me

When my eyes get tired I get a ghost of the image of some of the things I'm looking at. Just above or below - mostly in bright light but it can be really disorienting and I'm terrified I've got a brain tumour.
LEM -that's sounds like what I get,if I'm tired and I've tried to read something too small for too long through the wrong bit of my varifocals.
I'm another optometrist < waves at all the other optoms on the thread>
Go back to your opticians,have another test,talk about what you are worried about.
Varifocals are tricky sometimes,there could be issues with the fit,or the strength,or the design of the lens - or you might be one of those people who is happier with separate distance and reading glasses.I love my varifocals,but I have readers if I'm going to read for a longer time,and glasses for the computer,and for work.....
There is a lot of good advice on this thread,I hope you can get some more help from your opticians and that you'll feel less anxious about it all soon.

I've worn varifocals for years now. I also have astigmatism. It sounds as if you may not be using them properly. When you read from a book on a desk, for example, don't drop your head down - drop your eyes down, so that they're looking through the reading prescription. When working on a computer try to look through the middle section. For distance, look through the top of the glasses. When walking up and downstairs, don't look down at the stairs - look straight ahead. Make sure the size of frame isn't too small for your prescription. In saying all of that, my brother just can't tolerate them - he has to use two pairs of specs instead. Some people don't get on with them, so consider that.

I have had excellent service from the opticians who work for Specsavers over the years. They give me the same, if not better, series of examinations as independents previously did. I find them very professional - and value for money.

As far as tumours go, it was an optician who discovered a tumour on the optic nerve when my cousin was tested and made an urgent referral for him. They're trained to find things like this, so would have noticed if there was anything untoward.

I had my prescription changed just before Christmas- it was awful. Things far away were very clear but close things were just blurred. I couldn't understand how my eyes were so different so quickly.

I went back to the opticians and insisted on had another test. The optician agreed that the prescription shouldn't have been changed as it was bias towards distance vision (but covered himself by saying "well I understand why the other optician changed it but it's not the right thing for you").

So go back and tell them you need another check, hopefully it'll be as simple as this.

Struggling with my first pair of varifocals. The distance vision is great but the near vision is poor. Finding it very difficult to read small print. Is it possible they've got the reading prescription wrong or do I just need time to adjust? I've only had them a few days.

It takes a while to get used to them - a couple of weeks for me. My short sight is stupidly good so i still take my glasses off for close up work.

I couldnt get on with varifocals. The advice given about where to position my head just meant there were certain things I oculdnt see, the ground mainly, plus it gave me neck ache with the way I had to look

I had to give them back and they refunded me. I know people say persevere but I knew I wouldnt be able to manage with them, Im unsteady on my feet as it is without that as well.

My sight is shocking so I have to have glasses on all the time. Im finding my arms just arent long enough anymore so there are things I just cannot see. Plus in certain lighting with certain print/colour print I cant read!!!

My strategy is to wear contacts with reading glasses over the top

It did take me a while to get used to it.

I was standing outside pointing at the shooting star - innit was an ordinary star ‘smeared’ with the lens! It does take me at least two weeks to get used to a new prescription though.

Zombie thread.

I would imagine the OP has got used to varifocals by now, given that she got them in 2018.

Haha 🧟‍♀️