Bell's palsy for 2 months now... am I recovering?
Posted , 17 users are following.
I got Bell's palsy march 26th 2017. I was getting these weird migraines on the left side of my head in the temple region for like a month before it happened. A few days before it started, I noticed I couldn't open my mouth all the way. Then I was eating soup and it tasted like I had burned my tongue really bad. Then my face started twitching on the left side EVERYWHERE. like my eyebrow, my nose, my lips, my chin, my cheek. Then I woke up on march 26th and couldn't keep water in my mouth while brushing my teeth on the left side. I went to the er and they diagnosed me with Bell's palsy. They told me it was a mild case, but it just hadn't actually set in all the way yet. They gave me the anti virals and prednisone. They only gave me 20 mg prednisone that I took for 4 days only. Idk if they only gave me this much because of my weight (I weigh 140) or because they thought it was a mild case. when I was reading online I saw ppl taking way higher doses for longer periods of time. Anyway it set all the way in and I could still close my eye a little bit it wasn't just open like some other ppl. I could still smile a little. But then it seemed like things were getting worse and I couldn't smile anymore at all. I had a little droop. And instead of my eye being dry it just waters all day. I asked my doctor and he said steroids aren't good for you and they can do harm to other parts of your body. He was pretty much useless. So 3 weeks went by and I still wasn't getting any improvement. The taste in my toungue was coming back and it stopped hurting so bad. (At first I had shooting pains in my head and on the left side of my face). My hearing was hyper sensitive also and that went away too. I still wasn't getting any movement and was getting discouraged because I seen some ppl recover in 3 to 4 weeks. I saw some ppl did acupuncture and it worked for them so I decided to give that a try at 3 weeks. I hadn't been to a neurologist yet because I couldn't get an appointment soon enough the one my insurance covered was all booked up. I did 6 sessions of acupuncture, with 3 regular sessions with just putting the needle in my face, and then 3 with electrostim. It seemed the acupuncture was working because I got some movement back in my cheek to where I could move part of my cheek by myself, and I was also getting twitching in some other places. I finally got a hold of a neurologist around 6 weeks and he told me there's no data on acupuncture working so I stopped going. By six weeks I had gained movement back in my neck, I could move my chin a little, I can raise my eyebrow a little, and I could move my ear... at 8 weeks now I can move the corner of my mouth just a little like its trying to smile. I also still have some twitching that goes on on my Bell's palsy side every now and then. But also, when I look in the mirror and try and smile and see what movements are coming back, my muscles feel kind of tight. Not when my face is at rest, but when I try and smile. I can see some other areas twitching in my cheek when I try to smile, like it's trying to work but it's to weak or something. My fear is that the electro stim and acupuncture made things worse and that's why It feels tight like that when I try to smile. Also when I move my lips a certain way or when I put hot water on my face I can feel my lips like pull upward on that side and there's a crease in my cheek like as if I'm smirking a little but I'm not. It's weird and only happens for a little Bit of time then goes back to normal. What is this? Also I can still only move that one part of my cheek and the the crease that comes when you smile still isn't moving yet... is this normal? I'm going to see my neurologist again on Thursday but I am a major worry wart and I keep worrying I made this worse by doing acupuncture and the electro Stim. Am i recovering okay or is something wrong? I also now get some headache and face pain on that side again but it's not as bad as it was when I first got it. I am 24 years old and my job has everything to do with how you look and is very competitive so I haven't been at work for 2 months. Just been staying home. I will admit I have been fighting with my significant other way more but than ever before and probably am more stressed than I should be. I also smoke weed sometimes to sleep and noticed that sometimes when I smoke I get more twitching on that side. Is twitching good? Because my face was twitching when it started, so don't know if it is it seems like it is good though because for like 3 weeks I had no twitching no movement at all on that side of my face. I hate this so much I'm so sad because I loved my smile before and I am a very pretty girl. I feel I've lost my face and I'm praying it will come back.... is muscle tightness when trying to move that side normal or is this a sign of synkinesis? I am so scared and keep crying I just want someone who's had this and recovered to let me know I'm recovering the right way? I also take b12, zinc, magnesium, multi vitamins and b6. I know it's only been two months but I'm scared my face will not go back to normal fully. Please someone help. 
1 like, 53 replies
leann4815 angel58024
Posted
Please help.. My boyfriend was diagnosed with Bell's palsy and we are both freaking out. I spend hours on the web looking for stuff for a fast recovery. Can you please tell me what you did? Im just scared for him.
alexis02700 leann4815
Posted
The doctor should prescribe steroids and antivirals. I used gel packs for warm compresses (heated them up in the microwave) I used these religiously. Even took them to work with me. I also took complete vitamin B’s and gabapentin for nerve pain (it didn’t work for me - my first episode I did not have nerve pain). Also did acupuncture with electro stimulation. I could feel my face move during these sessions though it only lasted through the session. I did light facial massages and I believe it made it worse. My face felt bruised for months after recovery.
There’s not too much more to do but wait it out. My first episode I was 17 only prescribed steroid/antivirals, had no pain and recovered in 2 weeks. Second episode I was 24 prescribed antivirals/steroids, had lots of nerve pain and did everything I listed above and it took 5 weeks for full recovery. It’s different for everyone but the soonest recovery I’ve read was 2 weeks.
I’ve had residual eye twitching as a lasting effect after full recovery.
sharon24495 alexis02700
Posted
I'm just curious, do you know what caused your Bells twice, at such a young age?
alexis02700 sharon24495
Posted
sharon24495 alexis02700
Posted
I feel too that stress can cause Bells, but some Drs. feel strongly against the stress as a cause. Mine was not stress but I started this forum and many, many people have commented that stress was the only possibility. I am able to see everyone's posts. There are about 200 people signed on to this forum.
alexis02700 sharon24495
Posted
Stress can cause a lot of damage to your health. I’m not sure how a doctor could rule out stress. When I went to the ER the doctor said likely causes are Lyme disease and stress. I was tested for Lyme disease and didn’t have it. So leads me to believe it was stress related. That was an extremely stressful time. I can remember it like it was yesterday. My face just stopped working in marketing class (mid-day). I went to the ER around 10pm that night and they told me it was Bell’s palsy
sharon24495 alexis02700
Posted
My Bells came about from a previous day in the cold high wind near the ocean. I could feel ear pain 2 days later. Others have reported sleeping under a ceilng fan, open window or in my brother's case riding in the back of a pickup on a cool day. An ear ache or ear infection is often mentioned. Keep up your good work on this forum.