Anyone ever have "Bell's Palsy"???

[FOJMO]

I've been diagnosed with this a few days ago. It's really weird. I had fallen from a six-ft ladder last week onto our garage concrete floor and suffered head trauma. But they said it's unrelated. My CAT (2x) said everything there was fine.

I'm told it's a viral infection and they're treating it with prednisone and acyclovir. They also said it's temporary and they symptoms should subside in about 2-3 weeks, although some people take longer. Also, there's a slight chance of some symptoms have a residual effect.

It's like I had a stroke -- the left side of my face is paralyzed and I can't blink left eye. I feel like that commercial that was on where the guy's in the men's room and his eye is "talking" to him and it keeps blinking but the other one doesn't!

Not to mention not being able to eat properly -- it's just weird?

Anyone else???

 

[Christine]

I've never had it but know about 5 people who have had it. None of them had any residual effects. Are you a smoker? I understand that there is a higher incidence in smokers and of the 5 people I know who had it, all of them smoked.

 

[Dizzy-Disney4]

I have not had it but my best friend had it about 2 years ago. She recovered but still occasionally you can see it in her face. No where near as bad as it first was.
Good luck

 

[Dan Murphy]

I have not, Val, nor know anyone who has. But with all you are going through right now, you sure don't need more headaches. My very best and continued healing prayers.

 

[tkd lisa]

One of the ladies in my church choir has this right now. She started out with an infection in the glands around her face. She was on antibiotics for that, then started having twitches near her mouth, and numbness. She went to ER (her DH is an EMT, and took her in), and she has both viral and bacterial meningitis as well as Bell's Palsy. She was hospitalized for a while, and sent home on 3x a day IV antibiotics. They say it will all get better eventually, but it's a pretty long recovery.

Good luck. Thoughts and prayers going out for you.

 

[Cruise04]

One of my secretaries dad's has it and was diagnosed about 3 months ago now. He has some patches that he has to wear on his face (left side also) as he also had shingles appear on his face (same side) and down his neck. The patches are filled with some medicine that soaks into the skin. He too had the eye problems but his is slowly getting better. He now has a lot more watering in his eye than he did. He also is in his 80's so his recoup time is lengthened some because of his age.

It has not been a fun trip for her or her family with all the doc appts and making sure he does what he is told. I hope you heal quickly.

 

[grinningghost]

I've never had Bell's palsy, but I might as well have. I have MS and one of my weirder attacks involved the right side of my face. I had all the Bell's palsy symptoms. Couldn't blink, couldn't move my mouth, and oh, the best part, drooling. So I have empathy for what you're going through. Bell's palsy just takes time to go away, hang in there.

 

[Piglet]

I have a friend that had this quite a few years ago - she does have some drouping in her eye that hasn't gone away. She was not a smoker.

Melinda

 

[FOJMO]

Originally posted by Christine
I've never had it but know about 5 people who have had it. None of them had any residual effects. Are you a smoker? I understand that there is a higher incidence in smokers and of the 5 people I know who had it, all of them smoked.

I do not smoke and never have. So, it might have been a coincidence. It wasn't mentioned as a contributing factor.

 

[Kimickey]

My aunt had it several years ago. And yes she was a smoker, but since has stopped!

 

[SandraM]

My Dad (a heavy smoker) had it many years ago. It went away after a few weeks, leaving no after effects.
Hope you get over it soon.

 

[Lorix2]

My mother had it back in '99 after a devastating stroke. The stroke damaged her speech compartment - but the Bells Palsy that had affected the right side of her face and right arm, went away slowly. As I understand it, it usually does go away.

Sorry to hear you're experiencing it, I'm sure it must be very frightening.

 

[lynxstch]

had it..she was very overweight and a diabetic but not a smoker..she was paralyzed on the right side of her face for a couple of months..but with medication it went away and she had no lingering effects..and no reoccurance of it..they did tell her at the time that it was caused by a virus though!
Good luck, prayers, and pixie dust to you that it goes away soon and you find yourself back in good health!
Lynn

 

[dday2021]

I had Bell's Palsey about 5 years ago, it came on really quick, I first noticed a muscle twitch in my left eye, then my nose felt like I had been to the dentist, tingly when touched and numb on one side, as the afternoon went on it became progressively worse to the I made a trip to the ER thinking I was having a stroke. Within 48 hours of the first symptom, the entire left side of my face was numb/paralyzed, it pretty much just was hanging there. I had to manually close my eye, the Dr. prescribed eye drops and these little tiny beads that I had to put in before bed so my eye would stay moist. My speech was slurred and I had a tendancy to drool.
All in all it lasted about 6-8 weeks, the Dr. also prescribed steroids. From what I found out about it there is a mandibular nerve bundle that passes through a tunnel on either side of the lower jaw bone. For some reason, virus or other, it becomes inflamed and the muscles of the face on that side are paralyzed.
I recovered about 95%. My face isn't symmetrical and it droops slightly on that side. It's most noticable when I pucker up. One thing that I think helped me is my Dr. used a "tens" unit to stimulate / exercise the muscles on that side of my face.
Keep your chin up and don't get too frustrated this should go away in a couple of weeks. I think the hardest thing was trying to drink, it had a tendency to dribble out. If you want to talk to me about this or have any questions please PM me and I'll give you my email address.

p.s. chew your food carefully, if you bite your cheek on that side you won't feel it....

 

[pjlla]

I will keep you in my prayers for a swift recovery!...............P

 

[jel0511]

My DH had it. He recovered about 95% of function on the left side of his face, but if you really look there is slight differences. His left eye has never recovered, and it's ALWAYS dry. He had to give up wearing contacts since the eye still has problems. He also was on steroids for about a month, and it took about 6 months for him to completely recover.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

My DD had it almost 6 years ago, right before starting 5th grade. (No, she's not a smoker. ) It actually turned out to be the result of Lyme Disease, and fortunately, it was her only symptom of Lyme. She took antibiotics for the Lyme, but no medications for the Bell's. She showed signs of recovery one week later, and had a full recovery a week after that.

She felt no numbness, no pain once the Bells Palsy took hold (altho, 2 days before, she did have a couple of minutes of intense pain below the ear on that side) and her eye did close OK, fortunately, because if not, you have the issue of needing to keep the eye moist. The rest of that side of her face didn't budge.

From the research I did back then, and from what the doctors in the ER told me that night, there was much debate about whether treating it with any drugs actually helped, or would it follow the same progress without treatment. They decided not to use the drugs. I don't know if there's been a change in treatment recommendations since then. At the time, I was uncomfortable NOT having her take anything, because I felt like we should DO something, but it worked out well in the end, so who knows.

My cousin, who is now 49, had it several years ago. He hasn't had a full recovery. Haven't seen him in years, but my aunt recently said that it's most noticeable when he's tired...that side droops more. And he's got a crooked smile, but he was never bothered about any of it, even working in a very public job.

My DD's teacher a couple of years ago had it. Took her the full school year to recover, but I think it was close to a full recovery.

Good luck with your recovery! I know waiting it out can be discouraging...I'd find myself staring at my DD waiting for some sign of movement on that side.

 

[Dcat2u]

My husband has bouts with it, the first time started after the Gulf War, it gets worst with each time. Last time they medivac'd him out of the field cause the medic thought he was stroking out, that time it lasted over 6 months and when he gets tired or sick you can see his face droop. The first couple of times he would see ENT doctors who would then give him anti-biotics now he sees Internal Med and gets steroids. While in Iraq he would get the tingling and was worried about getting it again but thank goodness he made it through and didn't, however he did get Leischmeniasis and those meds kicked his butt!

Darlene
Proud Wife of a 4ID Soldier!
WE GOT HIM!!!

 

[lmack6654]

My husband had it about 7 years ago. At first everyone thought he had had a stroke. After alot of testing, the doctors discovered that he had Lyme disease. We were told that one of the main causes of Bell's palsy in our part of the country is Lyme disease. My husband was put on steriods for the Bell's palsy and IV antibiotics for the lyme disease. We hooked him up the the IV every day for about 7 weeks and then he took oral antibiotics for 2 months. He recovered completely from the Bell's palsy, but has had to be put on medication for Lyme disease several times. Hasn't had any symptoms in the last 2 years or so, thank goodness.

 

[Growin'upDisney]

Yes, I had it when I was about 16. Really weird. I noticed it while I was working. I looked in the mirror and noticed that the left side of my mouth wasn't moving. Totally freaked me out. I went to the ER and the diagnosed the Bell's Palsy. I worked at Baskin Robbin's Ice Cream Parlor at the time and they said that I had probably "shocked the nerve endings" walking in and out of the below 0 degree walk-in freezer. They also said it was a common occurence among people who fall asleep in a car with the window rolled down.

I didn't even realize it could be viral. I had to sleep with an eye patch and put drops in to keep it moist. The worst was eating. Food tended to like to fall out of my mouth on that side. I took prednizone (steroid) and 95% of the symptoms went away after a few weeks. To this day I have a lazy eyelid. It tends to droop more when I am tired and it noticeable in lots of pictures I take.

I am sorry to hear that you have to deal with this. It's more scary and annoying than it is harmful. Also, even with thefailry small dose of steroids I did gain a little weight.

Good luck and send good thoughts and prayers your way.