Astigmatism prescription - can incorrect CYL #s make things appear closer than they actually are?

I got a new eye exam and new prescription glasses. I am not nearsided nor farsided, I only have an astigmatism. 5 years ago, my eye exam was: R: plano, -1.00, 180, L: plano, -0.75, 172. Now, the doctor tested me and came up with:
R: plo, -1.25, 176, Left: plo, -1.00, 168.
I know astigmatism can worsen and rotate, however, my new prescription makes things magnified (appear closer than they actually are). My old glasses did NOT do that. When I got my new glasses, I couldn't even put my key into my car door! this is not just the fishbowl effect, it's a physical distortion. I'm worried the CYL numbers are too strong and should be closer to what my old numbers were. I believe I still see 20/20 through my old glasses. I only want things to be clearer, not closer! Please tell me if there's any justification to what's happening. I complained to the doctor, but he didn't retest me with my old glasses on and he said I would have to "get used it". I'm in disagreement. Please help

If you've had a big change in your astigmatism correction like you seem to have had, it can take a few days to adjust to. But it shouldn't take more than a week or so. When you have a lot of astigmatism, you can also be very sensitive to the way your frames are adjusted on your face, how far out they sit from your eyes, how the frame is tilted, and how the frame is wrapped. The optician there should compare the adjustment of the new frame with the way your old pair is adjusted and see if they match. Some times a simple adjustment can make a world of difference. The optician should also double-check them to make sure they are made to what the doctor's orders were, and that all of the measurements are correct. With a higher astigmatism, you have less tolerance for any error in the power of the lens. There is a standard called "tolerance" and it says that a prescription can be off by so many degrees or by a 12th of a diopter, but it is considered "within tolerance" and most people can still see perfectly out of the lenses, even if they are off by a degree or two. But with some people, they have very little tolerance, and the higher and more complex the Rx, the more accurate the glasses have to be because the patient is very sensitive to any subtle changes. So the optician need to double check those glasses...

Did they give you bifocals or progressive lenses? I don't know what would cause the magnification of things other than if they gave you a bifocal of some kind.

If you've tried the glasses for a week and they haven't gotten any better, I would show up at their office and explain that you've tried them and that they just aren't working out and demand that the doctor recheck you. If they refuse to give you any sort of satisfaction, you can return the glasses and ask for a refund. You could also get a second opinion from another doctor and take the new Rx in to have it filled. But I would give them a chance to make it right for you, before going elsewhere.

Have the glasses double checked, maybe the script was entered wrong when you ordered them. Also it may just take a little getting use to, try wearing them first thing in the morning, and odn't switch back and forth with your old glasses. If you still can't see through them, take them back.
Good luck,
Tom