Eye lid twitch

So, I am newly diagnosed (Oct 2008) and have pretty mild permanent symptoms so far.  You all helped me a while back when I had warm patches on my legs and didn't know what was going on. So here is my new symptom:

Well, the new thing is my upper eye lid has been twitching. It is not the eye itself, and mostly the upper eye lid. Only occassionaly when it has been doing it non-stop for an hour or so, does the lower eye lid join in the fun. It has been going for about 10 hours or so a day for the last week. It starts and stops, but doesn't hurt. It is just driving me a little nuts.

Anyone else ever experience this? Is this an MS thing, or something else?

Thanks- Amy

[doni54]

Hi Sunshine,

I am undx, but have the eye twitches a lot.  Mine are always worse in the summer time because of getting too warm, but have done it also even in cooler weather.

I can't make an educated statement and say that it is because of MS since I am not dx, but it is a possibility.

My right eye is the most twitchy, but have had both eyes do this and it is kind of unnerving.  

I also get what feels like muscle spasms around my eyes, this is even worse than the twitches.

I'm sure others will pop in here and tell you their experiences.

Glad you are back with us, hope you will come to see us more often!!

Take care,
doni

[Wobbly]

I also have this happen once in awhile... sometimes it feels like my eyeball is twitching as well...that drove me crazy when that was happening...it lasted a few days...

I don't know if it's a MS thing or just a thing...Stress can cause twitching of you eye areas??  But I'm not sure...


I keep track of this symptoms to tell the Dr...you should be too.

take care
wobbly
undx

[Heather3418]

It is a little unusual that you are experiencing this twitching for such a long period of time.  Fatigue (eye strain) can cause this twitching, as well as too much caffeine or even cigarettes.  I have this symptom quite often, but it does not occur for the length of time that yours does.

This would be something to bring up to your doctor, if it doesn't go away.  It's a harmless symptom, but can be very annoying.  I do not know if having MS makes you any more suspectible to this aggravation.

Heather

[sunshine8]

Thanks for all the replies. I did some reading and it does seem that the twitch can be sleep, stress or over-caffinated related.  I don't feel like any of those are factors, but I will keep it in mind the next time I see the doc.
Happy new year!

-Amy

[singinalong]

Yes, I also experience this too... your right --- it could be stress, over caffinated ( didnt know that could be possible lol ) or I know it happens when my husband makes me mad.... :) (just a wee bit o humor to start off your 2009!!! )
Love Shari

[Suzie9]

I have this most days. Some nearly none stop. I have it upper eye lids mostly but also eyebrow and just under my eyes.  I am diagnosed with Clinically Isolated Syndrome.

Not sure this is a symptom of MS just that people with MS can have these sort of symptoms as can people with Lyme and other Neurological conditions.

Aimee.

[ShockedToday]

This happened to me not long ago.

July- right eyelid started twitching nonstop and was driving me crazy.

August- right eye was still twitching and was now hurting to look to either side or up.  I thought I just had dry eyes and started using Tears in them, but gave up after a month when it didn't get any better.

September- lost sight for 1 week in right eye and left eye got blurry.

October- got a scotoma that lasted 3 weeks in left eye.

November- got a central scotoma in both eyes that is still there to this day.  On Monday it will have been 2 months and I can no longer drive at night because of it.

Dec- random days of blurred vision, scotomas, double vision, eye twitching etc.

I was dx with ON the day before Thanksgiving and MS Dec 3.  

I don't know if the twitching was the start of the ON or not.  I do know that my eye had never twitched like that before in my life that I remember.  I think you should mention it to your dr just to be on the safe side.

Take care!

[TeriK1972]

I am undiagnosed but the eye twitch was one of the first things I noticed.  It's been happening pretty much continuously for about 4+ months.  At first it was just the top, then the bottom, then the whole eye.  I can watch my vision jump and I am looking at distant objects.

The eye doctor said to eliminate stress (yeah...right), get plenty of sleep and eliminate caffeine.  The first I tried and my supervisor helped, the second has improved except on-call nights and I don't touch caffeine at all and the eye twitch is still there.  Even new prescription glasses haven't helped.

It's embarassing and obvious enough that people notice it.  Thus far, it's only the left eye.  

[jensequitur]

I get them all over my face - both upper and lower lids, and around my mouth area.  One time my lower lip twitched for what felt like a week.

Facial twitching is really common with MS.  I know that fasciculations (small twitches) are caused by damage to the nerve, so I think that MS must really do a number on the white matter nerves in the skull.  More so than the rest of the body.  There's more white matter in the head and neck area, anyway.

[sunshine8]

Being newly diagnosed sometimes there are things that happen to my body where I wonder if it is MS, my mind playing tricks on me, or things un-related to MS. I have been trying to pay attention to symptoms and decide which it is. It has helped having this forum as a sounding board and I really appreciate everyone's responses.

I had to see my Neuro this morning because I woke up with a numb foot that didn't go away. It was my first real severe symptom that I have ever had and it certainly freaked me out. I mentioned to eyelid twitch and he got to see it first hand. He said that while it is usually caused by sleep deprivation, over caffination or stress, he thinks that in a person with MS it could be caused by MS.  It started slowly a few weeks ago and I have had some other symptoms worsen as well over that time period, and then the numb foot this morning. He thinks it might have been the beginning of a flair. We'll see what happens, but I've got and MRI scheduled for Monday.


-Amy

[jensequitur]

I'm glad your doctor is on the job!  Always feel free to ask about a new symptom.  It seemed like I was always posting about a weird new symptom, and at least three other people would chime in with similar symptoms, so i never felt alone.  It helps to know that while it may be strange, it doesn't mean things will get worse.

[robP24]

Found you guys thru searching similar symptoms as I've been having. Maybe I can be a "control" experiment of some of the symptoms. I never drink or take anything with caffeine, and while this can cause twitching, this may not be the cause at all. My guess with many you, and thru self diagnosis, is we are feeling displaced or extended Sinus pressure mainly. Once the cold weather hit I experienced the need to blow my nose every 15 minutes and a few weeks after that the left eyelid kicked in, then the left lip intemittedly-only noticeable by me. I was hoping it was not the onset of Bell's Palsey as my Dad had many years back, but nothing of that sort as yet for me. The other cause could be the Herpes virus that causes cold sores, it too can attack the nerves in the face but may not fully develop and is controlled by the immune system just enough to stave off anything further.

[COBOB]

You are responding to a very old post (2009.)  Many of us on the forum have various facial twitches associated with MS attacking various Cranial Nerves (in many cases CN5 and CN7.)

Bob