Penny -- sounds as if they had your pupillary distance wrong -- and thus the optical center (and the corridor of your progressive PAL lenses) of at least one lens was in the wrong place and, of course, your brain couldn't rectify that.

Varifocals (in the US called progressives or PALS) usually don't have enough intermediate distance area or reading area for people who spend all day either on the computer (accountants, etc.) or for doing close work like painting, jewelry making or embroidery. A lot of people order separate single focus (close or intermediate) glasses for those tasks or go with an intermediate and reading progressive such as Continuum.

I've not had any experience with reverse bifocals -- the company I work for does not make them.

I'm a state-registered ophthalmic dispenser -- meaning I fill eyeglass prescriptions, suggest lens treatments, fit glasses, check to assure eyeglasses are made properly according to prescription, troubleshoot problems, and repair eyeglasses. I work for a large chain and have not yet taken my ABO exam to become a board-certified optician. Licensing of ophthalmic dispensers or opticians is not required in my state.

Linn