Was it a luthier, or was it a guy in the guitar shop? I say trust your gut here, and your eyes, measurements, and brain! Did he say why the strings couldn't be lowered? Is there a problem with the neck of the guitar? [br][br]

See if our resident expert and all around nice guy Stephen White in the Ask A Guitar Tech forum might have any thoughts about what you are experiencing and what the "luthier" (?) told you.

No way you should keep playing with strings that you hate.