Anyone have any experience with Bells Palsy Syndrom?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Anyone have any experience with Bells Palsy Syndrom?

Posted: 2/4/2001 12:53:05 PM EDT

It looks like I have it. I'll know better after I've been to a neurologist for tests this week. Basically it's a paralysis of facial muscles. I have a crooked smile now, my right eye doesn't blink properly, drinking can get messy, eating is slow to do, and some words get slurred when I talk. It's not fatal or really physically damaging but it's already a pain in the butt and embarassing.

Posted: 2/4/2001 12:55:39 PM EDT

[#1]

I'll put in a prayer card for you at mass today.
Don't worry.

McUZI

Posted: 2/4/2001 1:37:55 PM EDT

[#2]

Did he do a CTscan of the brain? Did you had acute paralysis of the facial muscles? Do you have or had headaches? Did you also experiece loss of power in the extremity muscles? If so did this pass?

I am sure your neurologist asked you the same questions.

Feel free to email me to talk about this further.

Posted: 2/4/2001 1:42:33 PM EDT

[#3]

Here's a link that might be helpful:

http://www.mayohealth.org/home?id=DS00168

Posted: 2/4/2001 1:44:13 PM EDT

[#4]

Phil
My Pop had it about 10 years ago, he had the same things your describing. They put him on some medication(sorry don't know which one) and after 6 months it went away. From what I remember you may not have it for long, but some folks hold onto it longer. My brother in law has had his for 15 years or better but it is very mild with just a droopy eyelid.
Don't let it embarrass you, you are still you.
And you might get a cool nickname out of it. My brother in law's is GLASSEYE. Makes him grin everytime we call him that.

Good Luck
Pig

Posted: 2/4/2001 2:07:38 PM EDT

[#5]

Phil in Seattle:

Sorry to hear about your Bell's Palsy.
I had it about 7 or 8 yrs ago; woke up one morning and my face felt funny, like I just got back from the dentist. Waited one day before going to the doctor...told me it was Bells.
Gave me some medication w/ the warning "this probably won't help. You could wake up two days or two decades later, and still have it."
Two weeks to the day, it was gone..ain't seen it since.

On the positive side, I lost quite a bit of weight, as most of my food fell out of my mouth.

Good Luck.

Paul

Posted: 2/4/2001 3:07:22 PM EDT

[#6]

Phil,

Sorry to hear about your medical problem. Bad things always happen to good people. I hope everything turns out OK for you. Go shoot your favorite rifle, that always makes me feel better.

John

Posted: 2/4/2001 3:15:09 PM EDT

[#7]

My childhood best friend had this at 15 yrs old. It does go away.

Posted: 2/4/2001 4:20:29 PM EDT

[#8]

Phil,

My dad had it. It went away completely after about a year and a half. That was twenty years ago. Of course he was embarassed, I suppose that's to be expected. But nobody thought any less of him for it. Hang in there and keep smiling, it's the best medicine.

Posted: 2/4/2001 4:40:50 PM EDT

[#9]

My mother had it about 30 years ago. It lasted about six months. The doctors prescribed her a course of Cortical Steroids and they help.

As far as I or anybody can see she has no sign of ever having had it.

Sometimes she says she feels a twitch come on, but I guess that is normal, we all get twitchy now and again.

Hang in there and if anybody does not like you for it just F*** them.

I am bald headed and if people stare at my scalp I just give them the " who the hell are you? look" and they look the other way.

Posted: 2/4/2001 4:43:16 PM EDT

[#10]

Phil, I was in the Army and got a case on the left side of my face. I was 23 and couldn't close my left eye and my the left side of my mouth wouldn't move. It freaked me out for a few days, thought I had a stroke. I plagued hell on the range trying to qualify with the M-16 when I couldn't close my eye. I didn't qualify and had to get a profile for aiming a weapon. I still laugh my a** off when I read it, kept it as a momental of the stupidity of the Army. I don't remember what I was given other than eye drops.
Good luck.

Posted: 2/4/2001 5:39:00 PM EDT

[#11]

My roomate in college had it! He had it from a bicycle wreck! He was able to get most of the use of his facial muscles back by going through nerve manipulation to get the nerves working through small shocks of electricity! But i have heard somtimes it goes as quickly as it comes on its own![:()

Posted: 2/4/2001 5:55:32 PM EDT

[#12]

Try supplementing with 500-1000 mg of magnesium/day (or at least get a good multi-mineral supplement that includes a lot of magnesium). Also, get a very potent (50mg+) vitamin B complex and take it, too.

Posted: 2/5/2001 4:55:23 AM EDT

[#13]

Just a question,
Have you been tested for Lyme desease. A friend of mine had bells palsy and a few other symptoms and they checked for lyme desease and he had it. They can cure you if its lyme.

Posted: 2/5/2001 5:38:15 AM EDT

[#14]

My father just got home from the hospital with this. Try www.bellspalsy.com. lots of good info. good luck V/R slugs

Posted: 2/5/2001 4:53:48 PM EDT

[#15]

Thanks ever so much for all the good thoughts and the reassurances my fellow AR15.comers.

My appointment with the neurologist is this Thursday, but after a phone call with my doctor today to go over my symptoms again we are pretty darn sure it's Bells Palsy and not something else severe. I'm on meds now, Prednisone a cordicosteroid and Acyclovir an antiviral.

The symptoms came on very suddenly, I was fine all day and later in the evening I made a mess of myself drinking from my water bottle, not once but twice. When I was cleaning myself up I noticed in the mirror that my mouth looked weird. The entire next day at work before my doctors appointment I was paranoid as could be watching for severe symptoms that might make me think I had a stroke or something, loss of coordination, etc.

So I wasn't drunk at the gunshow on Saturday guys, it's the condition that makes me slur some words!

I'm hoping for some weight loss from this too. On Saturday it took me 45 minutes to eat what I would normally scarf down in 15.

OMG a possible side affect of the Prednisone is a chnage in my menstrual period! Holy crap batman, that would be a SEVERE side affect!

I wonder if getting whacked in the head by the scope on my 300win mag would be good therapy for this?

Posted: 2/5/2001 5:31:04 PM EDT

[#16]

Phil, I see about one Bell's Palsy patient a month in my audiology practice. Most people are definitely freaked out when one side of their face pulls down, but it is just a neuritis of the VII cranial (facial) nerve, and more often than not will resolve itself within a month or two, although it can linger. The steroid will help reduce the inflamation of the nerve faster. You will probably be smiling properly again soon. Good luck!

Posted: 2/5/2001 5:50:49 PM EDT

[#17]

Phil, just be sure ro wear sunglasses when you are outdoors if you r eye doesn't blink properly as one of the complication is eye infection

Posted: 2/6/2001 5:57:21 AM EDT

[#18]

My sister had it after a bout of mono 10 years ago. It hit her on a Sunday morning and I recognized it right away since a coworked had had it. Wound up driving her to the ER for an examination. She was on steroids for a while after that and it gradually went away after about 6 months (just before her wedding). Unfortunately, the steroids caused her to gain weight. She was told at the time that relapses were common but that has never happened in all this time.

Robert

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Anyone have any experience with Bells Palsy Syndrom?

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