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Bell's Palsy

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sharon1981
sharon1981

My Bell's Palsy started 3 weeks today (Thurs). It started with tingling of my lips which spread to the right side of my face. I thought I was allergic to my new lipstick so didn't worry too much. The next morning my face felt numb and my mouth was a bit droopy and felt like when you go to the dentist and the injection is wearing off. Within half an hour my face had dropped so my daughter took me to a Walk in Clinic who diagnosed Bell's Palsy. I wasn't given advise on how to treat it, just told it would go in time. I brought some eye drops the next day as my eye was hurting but still didn't realise what was going to happen.

By Tues I felt really worried as my face had dropped much more, my speech was slurred, I couldn't pronounce words starting with B, P or F. I kept biting my cheek, couldn't eat or drink properly and had such nerve pain around my ear and in my cheek area that I wanted to cry. I went to the doctors who gave me steriods for 5 days and told me it would be gone in a week and to put eye drops in. Oh and if I got pain in my eye to go to hospital. That was all the advise I got from them. What sort of pain did they mean? My eye hurt so much sometimes and is the most worrying aspect of this whole experience. The wind and sun hurts my eye so I wear sunglasses every time I go out. I went to a supermarket and the air conditioning was so cold and strong that I had to leave as it dryed my eye out and caused much discomfort.

I went to Boots chemist who were very helpful. They advised intensive tear protective eye drops for the day (every hour), Lacri-Lube eye ointment for night time and tape to keep my eye closed. Plus pain killers for the nerve pain. It was a real challenge at night to keep my eye closed as the tape wouldn't stick properly because of the ointment. I even tried swimming goggles which did help but felt uncomfortable round my head.

In the third week the swelling has gone down and my face is nearly back to normal. It only notices when I smile as my mouth is still droopy and my eye still doesn't shut properly. I still get nerve pain around my ear specially at night time. I find I can't sleep on my right side either as this makes me feel a bit dizzy and aches quite a bit.

I'm taking each day at a time and trying to keep positive and hope that it doesn't take too long to go completely. I am very grateful that I haven't got it too bad and that I am healing. I can't wait to be able to sleep properly without waking up to put drops in and put the tape back on.

2 likes, 55 replies

55 Replies

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  • sharon1981
    sharon1981

    Posted

    It will be 2 years on 24th September (my birthday) since I had Bells Palsy in the right side of my face.

    I thought I would give an update on how BP has affected my life.

    Even though my face, thank god, went back to normal quickly the nerve pain I experienced in my cheek, ear, eye, jaw made me cry. This went on till the New Year and my eye didn't close properly until about then too. It was such a relief to be normal again. I was paranoid about the cold air starting it off again so brought a warm, thick hat and scarf for winter and even though I felt daft in it I was scared BP would come back so put it on everytime I went out.

    Now 2 years later the sight in my right eye is not as good as the left eye. I find that when I eat meals my right eye and right nostril stream, some days worse than others, and I always have to have a tissue ready. I don't know if this is due to the nerves not mending properly. Also my mouth curves up a bit more on the right and when I sleep I now snore/breath heavy which I never did before.

    How has others been affected by BP. Are they back to normal or have slight quirks like I do. It would be interesting to find out if this is normal.

    • donna07054
      donna07054 sharon1981

      Posted

      Sharon , I had high BP before bells , now because of it my BP is much much lower, only good to come out of this horror miserable nightmare,
    • rohan18553
      rohan18553 sharon1981

      Posted

      heard about you and It has been more than 1 year i got recovered from bell palsy.

      but sometimes i feel pain on my face and and i dont look the same as before.

    • pkwBP2016
      pkwBP2016 sharon1981

      Posted

      Sharon, doing research on Bells Palsy & just come across your old text... I am going into my 8th month...  Yours is the ON!Y post that talks about  your face drawing upward... Mine is also doing that... So I went from it drooping, and my eye  would not close for several months...now it has past the normal  looking mouth &  the lips are drawing up...my cheek & eye are swollen a little... And my eye tends to close when I eat.... My nose runs like crazy when I eat!!!  These past 7 months   have been a nightmare!  I have had 2 MRIs & see a neorologist.   Also have had physical thearpy, but no one can explain why my face is looking like it has    aspazm in it!   Has your face returned to normal?  Any information would be helpful.    

    • sharon1981
      sharon1981 pkwBP2016

      Posted

      Hi pkwBP2016. My face has returned to normal and even my smile is straight now and not turned up. My BP was on the right and my right nostril and eye still stream when I eat some times worse than other times so I always have tissues at the ready and worry if at a restaurant. I still get paranoid when I get a cold or when out in windy weather so keep my right ear covered. BP is difficult to deal with but thankfully does eventually heal. It always stays in your mind though when you get the slightest twinge in the ear, eye, feel a bit dizzy or just generally feeling Off. Keep positive and carry on as normal as you can and tell it to go away. I used to chant to myself 'go away BP, you won't beat me'.

    • pkwBP2016
      pkwBP2016 sharon1981

      Posted

      Thank your for reply & words of encouragement!   Several people have suggested that I go to a Chriopractor... Or even try acupuncture....did you do any of these??? I have done the muscle stimulator at physical thearpy several times a week for 3 months.... I am not sure that is has helped & I am now taking a break from it....,I always take a dozen Kleenex  if I go to a restaurant!!! But it's only my nose that runs like crazy.... I have NO tears at all in my eye...but continue to see eye Dr.  ( this is right side also.  wink. Thanks again for your imput!  I will start telling it to GO AWAY!!!!! ( I am almost 69... I wonder if this has anything to do with slow recovery?). However... I am very active & healthy.   

    • sharon1981
      sharon1981 pkwBP2016

      Posted

      Hello. I didn't do any sort of acupuncture or such. Didn't think of it. I did massage my own face daily doing stretching exercises but that's about all. I try to believe that mind over matter is helping me keep it away. Being active and healthy is an advantage. The keeping busy helps your mind to not dwell on it. When I'm not busy I overthink most things. Good luck and get 100% better soon 😊

    • humme01632
      humme01632 sharon1981

      Posted

      hello . i am 23 years old and i have facial palsy when i was only 6 months.

      theropy is so painful on face. i cant close my right eyes while sleeping and its bigger than left eye. water flows from it many time in a day. my face turned to left when i weep or smile. i have done masters in literature. but i can not overcome at my complex.

      its very hard for me to spend life with this uncompleteness. i wish an angle came in my life and recover me. its my earnest desire to see myself as a complete girl.

      my parents are quite unable to afford the expenses of my treatment.

      i am helpless before my fate. i felt pain in my right side from head to face and it goes to my right hand.

    • ashley_61481
      ashley_61481 pkwBP2016

      Posted

      Hi my situation sounds like yours a little. I been battling whatever this is for 2 years with no answers. my face started if drooping on right side with burning afterwards. My face would only do that for about 15 seconds and then go back to normal. I'm noticing now that my face is drawing upward, spreading more, and doing it more often. I don't know what to do cause I see 7 specialists, I've had 3 MRI, 4 ct, numerous xrays, tested for lupus 4 times, throat ultrasound, stomach ultrasound, stress test, and still no answers. My Pcp wants to do a lumbar puncture now but I'm scared.

    • joy85639
      joy85639 ashley_61481

      Posted

      Hi Ashley,

      I am so sorry that you are going through that. I would honestly say to go ahead and have the lumbar puncture completed. 

      If you have not purchased a cheap tens unit I would suggest doing so and placing that at your trigger points twice a day for 10-15 mins. 

      That’s honestly what my daughter did and it’s amazing at how the results allowed her to bounce back to almost functional. 

      Please keep me up to date on how your doing. You are in my prayers. 

      Joy

  • tresremi
    tresremi sharon1981

    Posted

    3 weeks... im really hoping for 10 days (finger crossed)
    • qwinyette_28628
      qwinyette_28628 tresremi

      Posted

      Hey tresremi. I'm on day 8 and as my feeling is coming in, the paim is excruciating. I was put on steroids, antivirals, and antibiotics. It seems to be healing quickly. I can feel my lips now. How long did it take for your full healing?
    • donna07054
      donna07054 qwinyette_28628

      Posted

      That's exalty the 3 meds I was put on and he the pain wasn't hi God ever felt before, in the back of my ear every 20-25 seconds a shooting volt pain went to the back of my head, thankfully after few days that went away, it has been 3 months shy of 2 years, my face is better but swells every month, some ow people say I'm lucky but I don't feel that way some times, it has changed my appearance especially when I see myself in pictures, my smile an laugh is not the same, I have to have facial,assuages every month an take ibrouphben everyday, it's beenanihhtmare as I e stated I all my conversations, and it's not going away ever ,it seems
    • qwinyette_28628
      qwinyette_28628 donna07054

      Posted

      I totally understand your pain. I has those same shooting pains. I'm praying for a full recovery. My doctor said she has patients who get it once and make a full recovery and it never returns. Do the facial massages work?
    • tresremi
      tresremi qwinyette_28628

      Posted

      Yes they worK - i purchased a little massager and did it a couple times a day. Nothing long or anything - also smiling really hard or singing to try to wake up those die nerves.

      After a while u wont feel the pain anymore because of the meds but keep doing the exercises.

    • tresremi
      tresremi donna07054

      Posted

      It will do away - dont get depress thats going to be ur biggest challenge. I made sure i had a go to person i could juat whine to and no matter what they'll listen. My other outlet was excerising - i didnt have to talk or smile; only workout.

      Stay strong

    • donna07054
      donna07054 tresremi

      Posted

      my massager comes once a month 90minsget full body massage as a bonus, but she massages my entire head ears eyes face neck head, all of it, it's wonderful if ur fave swells as one side of mine does, I've had all the misery of this sickness with slow recover, pics are horrible compared to how I have always looked, makes me sad, good luck an keep up smiling, I'm glad I can donna
    • qwinyette_28628
      qwinyette_28628 donna07054

      Posted

      I've been placing a warm towel on my face at night and it feels amazing. Also my doc said chewing gum and practice blowing up a balloon for exercise.
    • humme01632
      humme01632 qwinyette_28628

      Posted

      hy dear plz listen to me . i am suffering in this bad diseas from last 22 years i am a female and in pakistan. i send many email or msgs to many sites for help but no one replies me. i am in great pain cant sleep whole the nite becoz water flows from my eye i cant shut my eye. i want to get rid from this bad diseas but quite helpless in this matter. i need urs help plz guide me about any medicnes. i am a poor girl and cant afford costly treatment. plz help me   
    • tresremi
      tresremi humme01632

      Posted

      Whats meds r u taking? List the facial exercises u r doing?
    • humme01632
      humme01632 tresremi

      Posted

      sorry dear i am not taking any medicne right now. i used homeopathic and alopathic medicnes , also go to theropist but he was not satisfied as he told me that its long duration so i am not quite sure that u will recover or not. physiotheropy is very costly treatment in PAK. i cant stay in hospital for theropy. i am hopeless now. wants to see my face beautiful but failed.

      plz help me in this regard. i will be thankful to you for urs kind reply   

    • tresremi
      tresremi humme01632

      Posted

      Im sorry to hear that - i believe thats the number one reason why its taking u forever to recover. Maybe try another doctor - therapy can performed by yourself basically just making hard facial expression and massaging the facial muscles.

      Just keep doing the muscle exercises - morning noon and night

    • humme01632
      humme01632 tresremi

      Posted

      dear now doctors are hopeless for my treatment becoz my bones are strong now and vains are totally dead tahts why its not possible with theropy. its last option is operation after operate they will change my vains which are not working. but its very costly treatment and i can not afford so i am just waitng for any miracle and pray. my disease is getting serious day by day becoz whole nite i can not close my eye and water flows from it. my eye is going to be dryed and i can not see properly from my right eye its sight is getting damaged. oh GOD plz help me i am alone in this cruel world no one is ready to listen my cry or help me.

      thanks for ur kind reply.   

    • donna07054
      donna07054 qwinyette_28628

      Posted

      Absolutely facial massages worked , omg yes , i have an massage thearpist who is also an RN m she does massages and it makes the swelling go down im at 3 yrs later and still have minor systoms , thankfully, i work were i haveto talk ALOT , having massages works incredibly, try it , good luck 
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