rhino Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 I went to my optometrist yesterday and left with a new prescription. He's been very thorough and accurate in the past, so I am confident that the prescription is good. Since I have a simple prescription, I usually get my glasses at Lens Crafters because 1) they are conveninent in terms of turnaround time, and 2) they have a good selection of frames. So I drove about 40 minutes yesterday afternoon to the nearest Lens Crafters to snag some new specs. The good news is that they had some really cool frames with temple pieces that sort of "bow" outward, which accomodate my massive skull much better than any glasses I've worn in the past. The frames are good! When I returned about an hour after buying the glasses, I naturally tried them in the store. Things in the store looked okay, but a little ... odd. I attributed it to the "newness" of the prescription and didn't think anything of it since I seemed to be able to see okay. The problems arose on the drive home. I couldn't read road signs with smaller print until I was within about one and a half city block's distance of them. The news glasses work okay (but just) for across the room, but they're not going to cut it for driving or normal every day wear. So I'm guessing they probably did a crappy job filling the prescription. Now I have to go all the way back there later this morning and try to get the problem rectified. Hopefully when they inspect them, they will find that the lenses do not conform to the presciption and it will be a simple matter of getting new lenses properly ground. UGH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberkid Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Rhino, isnt it amazing how they tell you, "no, this is the same perscription, everything will look the same" or "this is right, it looks fine" and yet, as you look through it with your own eyes, the very eyes these "new and fantastic" glasses were made for, you cant see shit. im on my 6th "free trial pair" of contacts because the office cant keep track of what I have tried and what I havent. Its also odd how all 6 pairs were the same strength and i see great out of 1 pair, and not at all out of the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liota Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Rhino, See if you can get the optician to check the cut of the lenses against your script. If that's correct, you might want to go back to the optometrist and compare what he or she wrote on the script with what is actually in your records. Either one will result in glasses that don't work. Liota Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted July 9, 2004 Author Share Posted July 9, 2004 I took them back yesterday and they checked the lenses vs. the prescription and according to them, they are "perfect." They suggested that I should wear them for a while and not switch back and forth with my old glasses to get used to them. I am skeptical, but it has actually helped as my old prescription was causing me problems. I'm going to give it about a week. If it's not hunky dory by then, I'm going back to my optometrist so that: 1. He can check the lenses and see if they were lying to me at Lens Crafters (which is possible), or if they really are properly ground. 2. He can recheck whether or not he transcribed the new prescription onto my little card properly. 3. He can "refract" me again to see whether or not the actual prescription is a problem. 4. He can make any other suggestions. So far, they are better this morning than they were on the drive home on Wednesday, so who knows ... so many things affect your vision ... fatigue, having your eye muscles accustomed to another prescription, etc. Thanks for the feedback, you two! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 (edited) If you are very very very far sighted (I am) a whoops of even 1/4 diopter can result in serious issues with the prescription. After missing the right call a few exams ago my optometrist now takes out his set of diopter lenses and we go for a walk out in front of his office where he "creates" the potential new scrip with his lenses and my current glasses and I try them out "in the real world" instead of staring at an eye chart. If I can't discern the individual needles on the pine tree over yonder then he adjusts the scrip. This has yielded very good results for me. YMMV. Oh yeah...you have to do this BEFORE they dialate your eyes for the old glaucoma test...for those of us that are of an age where we get to enjoy that. Oh...and since this is the hate forum.... I hate that it is time for new glasses for me. Let's see: every day glasses (bifocals), prescription sun glasses with the ultra dark tint (single vision), and shooting glasses (single vision). There goes $600. I also hate that my medical plan covers the exam and a whopping $50 of hardware cost. That's about 1/2 the cost of my frames before they stuff any glass in them. Edited July 10, 2004 by kimel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBF Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 I hate that I finally realized I desparately need glasses. I am not sure which bothers me more, needing the glasses, or realizing that I probably should have had some a while ago. Rhino, I worked a Lenscrafters in the 80's, while in college . They are probably the same now as then. Have your Opthamologist check the scrip, the gang at Lenscrafters is pretty untrained, and financially motivated to pass of second rate work. But I tend to hold a grudge longer than most, and am obviously biased. Good luck with your glasses. Travis F. PS: By untrained I mean I was grinding lenses all by myself in less than a week. Not a difficult job by any means, but the little things mean so much... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted July 10, 2004 Author Share Posted July 10, 2004 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric nielsen Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 Have them re-check your pupilary distance [PD] on your lenses as they sit in the frames, and have them double-check your eyes' actual PD. Also, if you have any astigmatism then the "cylinder axis" has to be dead on. Not close but on. My buddy had his new prescription filled and they ground his left eye scrip into the right lens, and vice versa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted July 10, 2004 Author Share Posted July 10, 2004 They did remeasure the PD ... but I don't know if they did a good job. The astigmatism thing could be the key to all of this. I had a tiny bit in my right eye before, but none now (in my new 'scrip). I had a tinier bit in my left eye before, but more in my lefty eye now (in the new 'scrip). So if they messed that up, it could 'splain it all. I'd probably notice if they reversed the lenses, since my right eye is much more nearsighted than my left. But who knows! I'm definitely going back to my optometrist to have him check things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liota Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 If they messed up with the prisms, TAKE THEM BACK NOW!!!!! I tried to drive with mine messed up. Ughhh!!! I ended up throwing the glasses across the car and going home to fetch my old ones. Before you take them back to the optical shop, make sure you check with the opthamologist to make sure 1) the scrip is right 2) the glasses are ground to the right scrip. If Lenscrafters is at fault, you might try Eyemasters. When they messed up, they fixed my glasses for free. When we found out that my doctor had written down the wrong scrip, they fixed my glasses for free. Liota Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 I would be surprised if the astigmatism "went away". That is pretty rare. Of course you could have so little that day to day things make it apparent during one exam and not apparent during the next. Most people don't realize that vision changes continually. I have learned that I need to have my eye exams first thing in the morning because I have a different exam outcome in the afternoon when my eyes are tired and morning is when I will notice the problems in scrips. Allergies (and allergy meds), stress, sinus infections, colds, etc. will all mess with your vision enough to foul up an exam. I hate allergies. I hate astigmatism. I have both. I hate that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted July 11, 2004 Author Share Posted July 11, 2004 My eyes got funky a few months ago due to some related health issues, but I've got all of that under control now. We think/hope eye things have settled down for a while, at least. Thanks for the pointers. I'll discuss my medications with my optometrist when I can get an appointment. I can see how a decongestant would affect vision, but does an antihistamine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted July 11, 2004 Share Posted July 11, 2004 Yeah, it can. The histamine response involves a LOT of different stuff going on including localized swelling, temperature increase, increased circulation, etc. My immunology text is out in storage or I could look it up and bore you to death with more than you ever wanted to know about it. I take OTC Claritin (okay, the generic equivalent) and notice that if I don't take it for a couple days my vision changes around and I have to adjust to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
driver8M3 Posted July 11, 2004 Share Posted July 11, 2004 i dealt with all these issues for many years--horrible vision, astigmatism, glasses, contacts, new prescriptions, eye exams (i hated them...is this better, or is THIS better?), etc. 18 months ago i had lasik surgery. i went from 20/500 vision to 20/15 in about 5 minutes...amazing. i'm VERY happy i did it, though i know its not for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted July 12, 2004 Author Share Posted July 12, 2004 I take OTC Claritin (okay, the generic equivalent) and notice that if I don't take it for a couple days my vision changes around and I have to adjust to it. I take generic Loratadine too ... But I take it all year, so if it affects my vision, it should be consistent, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Yeah, it should. The seasonal fluctuations most of us see will still be there but you are holding the Loratidine constant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherlockWV Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 Are you folks talking about "regular glasses" "shooting glasses" or both? I am curious as I have an appointment This Friday for a pair of "Shooting Glasses. My problem (aside from age) is that I can see my sights without glasses very well but not the target. The Dr. that I am seeing is having me bring in my Gun (s) and go from there. I recently read an article about prescription shooting glasses in Front Site and after reading the posts on this thread I am more confused than ever. I would like to be as informed as possible before going to the Optometrist. Don't want to spend the $$ and not get what I need. Thanks !! Good & Safe Shooting - JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Regular glasses I believe was the topic but many folks use their regular glasses for shooting glasses. Guess that makes the answer "both". Specialized shooting glasses are a different world. With a normal set of lenses (speaking single vision here...no bi/tri-focals) both of them are made for focus at a single point. With specialized shooting glasses you often see one eye set for the front site and the other at what might be called normal. I tried this setup and it drove me NUTS (my eyes swap dominance which drives both my optometrist and myself crazy) so I went a more traditional route. Like so very many things in shooting...you need to try what you think will work and then keep trying things until you find the one that DOES work. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted July 15, 2004 Author Share Posted July 15, 2004 Update ... Went back to the optometrist ... He checked the new glasses. They are exactly the prescription he wrote on the card. He refracted me again and got the same results. Then we went and looked outside with some lenses he held in his hands in front of my eyes and then the glasses too. Same deal. So we're at a loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn jones Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 i don't see what you're saying. well i can. wait to you have to go to bifocals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherlockWV Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Kimel, thanks for the info. I where bifocals most of the time for "regular activities" + I have a 2 pair of Single vision. Last Sunday I shot a match with only tinted glasses with no script & it was really nice seeing my sights. But at 20 yds & out the small metals were fuzzy. Although I did pretty well (for me). I was thinking that the Optometrist would give me a script (like you said) with the right eye capable of seeing the sights and the left eye set for distance. I did take the right lens out of a pair and as you say, it was difficult with the dominance shifting. But after an hour of shooting, I could dictate which eye I wanted. I would index to the target with both eyes with the distance lens in control then instantly shift focus to my sights which were now completly in focus with the left eye maintaining good vision of the target. I did have to take them off between sets. WOW !! That certainly took longer to write than what was actually happening. I guess I will see what the Dr. recommends and go from there. The Front Site article seems more about bi-focals & inverting them. Thanks again. Good & Safe Shooting - JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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