Can't keep eyes open but I am not tired!

for about 6 months, I started having difficulty keeping my right eye open and was squinted so badly and holding my eye open to try and drive. I went to several eye specialist and now I have a neurologists who takes care of my migraines but he thinks that have sleep apena. I am not tired and I do sleep to where I have no trouble sleeping> I just can't keep my eyes open and I have to make noises with my mouth or sing loudly to keep my eyes from shutting all the way down especially when I am driving.. I even walk and talk at work and home with my eyes completely shut. I am very scared of wrecking or hurting myself. I already hit my head by running into the corner of a walll. I even ran into a woman walking with my eyes shut. What is going on?? I don't think I have Benign Essential B.. eye problem either. spasms of the lids?!?? the eye told me!! Something is wrong. but what?

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? Are there other symptoms present? This could be due to muscular as well as neurological cause. It would help if you have the sleep apnea ruled out by being referred to a sleep specialist. What was the evaluation of your opthalmologist? Take care and do keep us posted.

[cherry0505]

Yes, I have had other symptoms such as anxiety where I had not taken a antidepressant of Wellbutrin in 3 years but my doctor put me back on the Welburtrin 3 weeks ago., In the middle of the night I would wake up shaking in my skin but not chills or fever and heart palpations from stress and mitral value prolapse symptoms..I used to have panic attacks and now they seem to have returned.  As for the last Opthalmologist specialist I saw, she believes that I should go back as well on the anxiety medication and feels I have Benign Essential Blepharospasm and needs the botox injections if the medication does not improve on why I can't keep my eyes open. I am really hoping that I do not have to get those injections.  Anyways, I have my bad days and good days. On a bad day is when I wake up with starting to blink continously to keep eyes open and they shut down all day and night. A good day is when maybe one eye will not shut down at all but the other one I need to blink and hold open with fingers . like I said before, I sing or shout or scream going down the road because I get so frustrated to keep them open. Some times I wonder if I am having a seizure of some sort? I am having medical problems right now with my left side  with pain under my lower rib. Ultrasound, Xrays and colonoscopy was done and all norma. My gastro doc now wants to do a CT scan.  Other than that, the smptoms I have besides my body acheing in different areas but I do have arthritis. I just turned 51 and feel like I am  already 70!  Thanks for giving me any help at all of where to turn to next. I do finish my sleep study this week.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
Thank you f or the update. To rule out seizure disorders, an EEG may be done. Benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) is a progressive neurological disorder and a form  dystonia. This is a movement disorder in which muscle contractions cause sustained eyelid closure, twitching or repetitive movements. As the condition progresses, the spasms may intensify, forcing the eyelids to remain closed for long periods of time.
In most cases, this can be treated with botulinum toxin injections. Other treatment options include medications or surgery. Talk to your doctor about these options also on your next appointment. Take care and hope to hear about your sleep study results.

[DM_Mama21]

I've been experiencing the same thing but with both eyes & I can only keep them slightly open when I'm inside & there's no light. I'm only 27 tho. I an only come up with the lack of sleep that I get.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How long have you been experiencing this symptom? Are there factors that aggravate this or it comes and goes? You would benefit from further evaluation by an opthalmologist or rule out sleep disorders. Take care and do keep us posted.

[Tim0202]

I have had this same eye problem. Since July, I have been seeing my Doctor and Optician. They have not helped me at all. I just can barely keep my eyes open. Since reading the other posts, I have looked up Benign Essential Blepharospasm. I do not sleep enough because I have a child that has Autism. I am always looking for solutions to my daughter's problems. This makes me not to have enough sleep. I do not have any other health problems, except that my blood tests show that I am seriously anemic. My doctor said she could not believe that I am not tired or weak. Anyway, I am taking folic acid and iron tablets. But I am scared of my eye problem, I do not want to become blind. I can only open my eyes when talking, reading or eating.
Please help !!!

[HaveToHoldEyesOpenWhileIDrive]

I've been having the same eye problems for the last 3 years.  today I saw an eye surgeon and he did some tests and said i'm having eye spasms and he's going to give me botox injections around my eyes and he said i'll feel 100 times better.  I'll have to get the injections done 3 or 4 times a year since it only last 3 or 4 months or until my nerves around my eyes calm down. Since it's a medical need and not a cosmetic want, the insurance will pay for it.  Actually botox was invented as a medical use but they found that it took wringles away also and then people started using it for that which inflated the price of it.

[noddy999]

i am having the same problem i cannot keep my eyes open it helps if i keep my right eye shut then i can just about get around but i run alot and end up running into things or tripping over .  The opthalmologist suggest the same thing botox and surgery but i don't believe it is a mechanical problem i think it it brain inspired like it just can't cope with visual info any more

[427sherylynne]

Almost 6 years of struggling to keep my eyes open.  Began I thought when I hurt my back but Dr said no relation.  Got worse I thought when husbands snoring became unbearable.  Or maybe it was due to stopping allergy injections?  Saw a couple of eye dr and they think I have dry eyes.  No vision probs.  And my eyes tear and eye drops do nothing.  I am tempting to self diagnose with PTS disorder because I feel it is sorta stress related but also fatigue related.  I sleep lots, more and more to try to cure but to no avail.  I began to take allergy shots one year ago but no help.  I shut my eyes 24:7 whenever I can.  The one room my eyes are fine in is the bathroom (no air blowing?  humid?)  When it happens I feel I can go RIGHT back to bed and fall asleep in a flash.  So dispaired for so long and no one (had mri and blood test) can figure it out!!!

[lalaec77]

Hello. I am suffering from almost the same exact thing for years. I AM DESPERATE for some help. It is affecting my entire life. I too close my eyes while doing dishes and walking. It feels horrible. I feel like I have to lay down and close my eyes most of the day but I can't because I have school and a daughter. I am 34 years old. I have done a sleep study to rule out narcolepsy, I have a brain EEG, everything was normal. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE!!!!! At first they thought maybe depression. Anti-depressants didn't help. Before sleep study my doctor put me on provigil and when that didn't work, ritalin. that has not worked either.

[amg1988]

Your situation sounds very similar to mine. I am only 23 and was recently told I have dry eyes and high astigmatism. Since then my eyes have given me nothing but problems.  Even typing this I'm doing it with my eyes closed. Light hurts them. The only place I find relief is in the shower. I can manage to keep my eyes open the entire time. I am constantly putting drops in my eyes, but nothing is helping. The past two days I have struggled with keeping my eyes open so I can go work and the struggle leaves my entire face muscles weak by the end of the day. I drive to work with my eyes half open, which is very dangerous, but I can't just quit my job! My family thinks I'm crazy and making this up, I can tell, so I've just quit trying to tell them what is wrong and what bothers me. Its really taking a toll on me emotionally as well bc I work a job as a teller so I work with people face to face everyday, and I can tell when people are looking at me like I'm a drug addict because I can barely hold my eyes open to assist them! It is very embarrassing. I do not have narcolepsy and I get plenty of sleep at night (I usually go to bed by 9:30 and get up a little before 6). I don't feel sleepy, I just can't keep my eyes open. :(

[Ladyeve]

I am having similar problems, mine just started almost 2 weeks ago. I first was told I had pink eye. I have been taking my medicine and doing everything they told me to do. At first my eye started getting better. That following Monday when I went back to work, (Coz I stayed home for three days) my eyes kept feeling like they wanted to close like you feel when your tired and fighting your sleep. I wasn't tired at all. Plus the light affects my eyes as well. I do better in the dark. I am going back to the Dr. Today I want answers! Dont just say it's pink eye and send me away. This is affecting both my eyes, but more so on the left eye. It is also affecting my ability to work.

[eyeswideshut]

I also have the same problem that started about 7 months ago, I recently saw a neurologists to rule out Myasthenia Gravis (he more or less said it was in my head), my GP ordered a cat scan and ecg and chest xray, all was clear except the chest xray that found a partial collapsed lung, now I am on a 9 month waiting list with the local hospital out patients to be tested for sleep apnea even though I think I sleep well.
holding your eyes open with your fingers while driving (like I also do) can be dangerouse, but I see no other way as I have no one to rely on to take me to appointments and shopping, it is also affecting my volunteer job to which Im on the verge of giving up.
I hope there is some way to find a reason and cure for this pest of a thing!!

[sungrrl40]

I had the problem with not being able to open my eyes in the morning while driving.  I had to hold one eye open with my fingers.  I was afraid I might cause a terrible accident. Each morning I would read the paper or do computer work before getting in the car.  If I removed that type of activity from my morning routine, I no longer had the horrible problem driving.  I assumed my irises were unable to make the full adjustment between being wide open for reading to reduced size for the bright light while driving.  Its like they were stuck too far open.

[Only1_Cookie]

I've had this problem for my entire life and in fact have an aunt that has the same issue.  However, she closes her eyes more and for longer periods of time.  I also had a high school teacher that had it as well.  I know I have the issue and try to control my eyes from closing but I feel that the older I get the harder it's getting to control them.  I'm thinking about going to a neurologist as well.  I went to my opthalmologist and he couldn't think of anything wrong with me but it's embarrassing at work and I'm afraid that I'm going to get hurt or hurt someone while driving.  Hoping to get more thoughts from other people on here.  

[Rosebud6465]

Boy I thought I was going crazy thought I was the only person with this type of eye problem... So hard to drive and focus on anything no dry eye here.... But one thing I need to ask has any of you stopped having sleep mucus or eye burgers in your eyes  ever sense my eyes starting closing I stop having sleep mucus/sleep burgers however right before my eyes started closing 24/7 I use to get it real bad... Any one else notice that?  Thank you
ID

[JRivers]

At the beginning of Jan-2012 I noticed that I couldn't see well when driving. I used to take my kids to school back and forth. At first I thought I was tired of doing this plus some stress at work. A very long vacation was coming and I thought maybe I will feel better after stopping driving my kids and far away from work. It didn't improve! Before going for vacation I visited the Ophthalmologist and I didn't mention anything related to my problem. She did some test and everything was alright. Meanwhile (around June 2012) it was hard to talk or concentrate without closing and opening my eyes without control. I noticed that people starting looking at me and it made me more nervous. I tried not to talk to people, but at work you cannot avoid that. After the vacation, visited again the Ophthalmologist and this time I mention my eyes problem, she sent me with the Neuro and he recommended a MRI. It came OK, however the report recommended to the Ophthalmologist to look in the eyelid of my right eye, apparently it was something that was not supposed to be there (but my left eye is the one that I think is causing my problems). The Ophthalmologist checks my eyes and found nothing. I went to another Ophthalmologist with the same answer. My left eyelid is weakening and it’s falling (just the upper side of the upper eyelid, not the entire eyelid) and causing the eye to look smaller. When driving it seems that when trying to focus, my left eyelid falling is causing the right eye to close (both eyes now) and then my vision is like I am drunk or sleepy. If I close one eye I can see clearly, or if I can keep my left eyelid open with my finger I can see clearly, but not for long time, because It starting to feel a small headache. I was diagnosed with dry eyes, but still under treatment without seen a difference. I think that the falling eyelid is causing the right eye to close too and then the brain cannot cope with it and my entire mood is mess up. It happens this while walking, cycling or on the treadmill. However I can watch the computer ok, or the newspaper. I don’t know it is something mental, because It gets worse when trying to focus or concentrate. I am sorry for this long history, but I am looking for some answers. Thank you all.

[Jake05302011]

I am feeling the same way with my eyelids. It is extremely hard to keep my eyes opened when I am  driving, reading or sometimes watching TV. I am beginning to feel like I am going crazy because no one can come up with a solution for me. If there is anyone out there who can give me some advise I would appreciate it. Driving is becoming very difficult and my job depends on me being able to drive. Light really bothers me.

Please help me!