Bell's palsy & migraine? Symptoms affecting body

Hi. I apologise in advance if this is long...

Two weeks ago I started to get a tingling sensation in my mouth on the right side, didn't think much of it but the next morning woke up and the right side of my face between my upper lip and eye was tingly and numb. My face looks normal overall, my right eye doesn't blink and you can see my mouth doesn't move properly if you really look but otherwise can't tell so left it for a few hours.

I'd also had a headache on that side for a few days also at the back (top of my neck/bottom of my head).

Eventually called 111 (mainly because I'd previously had a DVT and pulmonary embolism - caused by being on the pill, I was 31/32 at the time - so thought might be linked) and was admitted to the stroke unit as upon testing me they found my arm and leg were also weak, which I hadn't really noticed but could tell they were when they were doing the tests. I was also getting double vision and dizziness, and feeling like the room was spinning when I would close my eyes.

Had a CT scan which showed no bleed, also had an MRI which showed a small lesion on the left frontal lobe but was told this wouldn't cause what I was having so not to worry about it. Was eventually seen by a neurologist at around 11pm on the ward and he diagnosed Bell's palsy. I asked about the arm and leg weakness and he said they didn't seem weak anymore so could have been a migraine (never had one before). I was put on 60mg steroids for 5 days, with tapering off for a further 5 days.

I still have double vision, it comes and goes but I get it several times every day, also had spots in my vision a couple of times and a feeling like there is 'cloudiness' or blurriness, like I'm looking at things through a filter on my right eye. Got new tingling in my mouth and in my bottom lip and lower jaw starting on two days after I commenced steroids, has come and gone in severity (had it all day this Weds for example) along with intermittent numbness. Have also had tingling around my groin area on the right, and expericenced some very strange sensations of feeling kind of floaty when I was lying down, also felt my abdomen was tensing.

Called hospital and was asked to go in to see the on-call doctor, he seemed sceptical of Bell's palsy as he did the movement tests again and said my arm still felt weak (leg less so but was slightly weaker than left side - this was 12 days after initial symptoms, last day of steroids). He prescribed more steroids as a precaution, 40mg for 5 days, and said to attend my gp to get an urgent outpatient referral with neurology, however I already have one booked for this coming Wednesday and so cannot get in any sooner.

One more thing that may be totally unrelated, I did have a very intense pain in my eye on the left side (opposite side to my current symptoms, but same side as the lesion) for 4 days in the week leading up to this all happening. The neurologist did ask if I had had any eye pain and I said no as was only thinking of the right side but realised the next morning I maybe should have mentioned it.

Just wanted to know really if anyone else had experienced the same and whether this is normal, as none of the doctors I have spoken to have been able to say whether it is or not? I haven't really had much actual pain, which I would have assumed I would if the body symptoms are caused by migraine?

Thanks

0 likes, 2 replies