Aa
Bells Palsy After Affects
Two and half years ago I was diagnosed with bells palsy after waking up with the left side of the face dropping. Like my GP forecasted, my face returned to normal status and all movement was regained within two weeks, but ever since the episode I have often felt a tightness in the left side of my neck that runs upward right under the left ear. Sometimes it feels like it's pulsating around the ear area and some tingling down on the cheek. I was told from the GP that this is the nerves that are sensative from the bells palsy and its after effect. Sometimes the sensations are frequent and other times it goes away for a while. I have noticed that are rarely present during times of comfort, especially during vacation or when my mind is at ease, but in the past month, it's been present quite frequently and a couple of weeks ago i began feeling numbness and tingling at the end of my tongue. These symptoms could have nothing to do with one another, but now I am concerned about the sensations. Any advice out there on what could be going on?
See a sleep center. It sounds like narcolepsy. Viruses and some vaccines can actually cause it.
I went undiagnosed for about 15-20 years, until I finally saw a sleep specialist and she nailed the diagnosis right away. The vast majority of doctors have absolutely no idea what it is or what it looks like, and no routine lab tests, MRI, CT scan, x-ray or anything of that nature will detect it. 75% of people with narcolepsy never get diagnosed in their lifetime.
It doesn't look the way you think it looks. Common misdiagnoses are depression, epilepsy, and migraines. I struggled for years to find an answer, and was misdiagnosed several times. I had it with just sleepiness during the day and what looked like insomnia at night for probably about 15-20 years before I ended up with more serious symptoms of narcolepsy that actually included cataplexy (random muscle weakness that can either be isolated, or widespread).
The cataplexy manifested first in my face, as what looked like episodes of Bells Palsy that came and went when I was tired, stressed, or even when I was happy and smiling. But when I paid closer attention I realized I got weakness and twitching (not uncommon) in my other muscles sometimes too, though I chalked it up to clumsiness until I paid attention.
I was tested for epilepsy, migraines, MS, all kinds of things. But nope, it turned out to be narcolepsy!!
Get seen by a sleep center!
I went undiagnosed for about 15-20 years, until I finally saw a sleep specialist and she nailed the diagnosis right away. The vast majority of doctors have absolutely no idea what it is or what it looks like, and no routine lab tests, MRI, CT scan, x-ray or anything of that nature will detect it. 75% of people with narcolepsy never get diagnosed in their lifetime.
It doesn't look the way you think it looks. Common misdiagnoses are depression, epilepsy, and migraines. I struggled for years to find an answer, and was misdiagnosed several times. I had it with just sleepiness during the day and what looked like insomnia at night for probably about 15-20 years before I ended up with more serious symptoms of narcolepsy that actually included cataplexy (random muscle weakness that can either be isolated, or widespread).
The cataplexy manifested first in my face, as what looked like episodes of Bells Palsy that came and went when I was tired, stressed, or even when I was happy and smiling. But when I paid closer attention I realized I got weakness and twitching (not uncommon) in my other muscles sometimes too, though I chalked it up to clumsiness until I paid attention.
I was tested for epilepsy, migraines, MS, all kinds of things. But nope, it turned out to be narcolepsy!!
Get seen by a sleep center!
See a sleep center. It sounds like narcolepsy. Viruses and some vaccines can actually cause it.
I went undiagnosed for about 15-20 years, until I finally saw a sleep specialist and she nailed the diagnosis right away. The vast majority of doctors have absolutely no idea what it is or what it looks like, and no routine lab tests, MRI, CT scan, x-ray or anything of that nature will detect it. 75% of people with narcolepsy never get diagnosed in their lifetime.
It doesn't look the way you think it looks. Common misdiagnoses are depression, epilepsy, and migraines. I struggled for years to find an answer, and was misdiagnosed several times. I had it with just sleepiness during the day and what looked like insomnia at night for probably about 15-20 years before I ended up with more serious symptoms of narcolepsy that actually included cataplexy (random muscle weakness that can either be isolated, or widespread).
The cataplexy manifested first in my face, as what looked like episodes of Bells Palsy that came and went when I was tired, stressed, or even when I was happy and smiling. But when I paid closer attention I realized I got weakness and twitching (not uncommon) in my other muscles sometimes too, though I chalked it up to clumsiness until I paid attention.
I was tested for epilepsy, migraines, MS, all kinds of things. But nope, it turned out to be narcolepsy!!
Get seen by a sleep center!
I went undiagnosed for about 15-20 years, until I finally saw a sleep specialist and she nailed the diagnosis right away. The vast majority of doctors have absolutely no idea what it is or what it looks like, and no routine lab tests, MRI, CT scan, x-ray or anything of that nature will detect it. 75% of people with narcolepsy never get diagnosed in their lifetime.
It doesn't look the way you think it looks. Common misdiagnoses are depression, epilepsy, and migraines. I struggled for years to find an answer, and was misdiagnosed several times. I had it with just sleepiness during the day and what looked like insomnia at night for probably about 15-20 years before I ended up with more serious symptoms of narcolepsy that actually included cataplexy (random muscle weakness that can either be isolated, or widespread).
The cataplexy manifested first in my face, as what looked like episodes of Bells Palsy that came and went when I was tired, stressed, or even when I was happy and smiling. But when I paid closer attention I realized I got weakness and twitching (not uncommon) in my other muscles sometimes too, though I chalked it up to clumsiness until I paid attention.
I was tested for epilepsy, migraines, MS, all kinds of things. But nope, it turned out to be narcolepsy!!
Get seen by a sleep center!
Sidesx10,
This could be an unkind world without Bell's palsy alone!!! This May (2014) will be my ninth year living with BP. It's something I've had to learn to deal with after two years of the onset. It may not be an easy thing to do but worth a try. I'm a substitute teacher and teach my students about Bell's palsy. I teach them to try to be mindful and understanding of others that might have Bell's palsy. It is no respecter of gener or age so it could afflict anyone of them. (I tell that to my high school students only.)
I just to have a beautiful smile (others told me that prior to my affliction). It's no longer that way, yet I continue to smile. My muscles might be strengthen, I figure, with smiling. I may be fooling myself. My BP has been improving! I don't like taking pictures but I won't allow this condition to stop me from being "the smiley" one as I was once described. I encourage you to make attempts to smile more. Things do get better. ;-}
This could be an unkind world without Bell's palsy alone!!! This May (2014) will be my ninth year living with BP. It's something I've had to learn to deal with after two years of the onset. It may not be an easy thing to do but worth a try. I'm a substitute teacher and teach my students about Bell's palsy. I teach them to try to be mindful and understanding of others that might have Bell's palsy. It is no respecter of gener or age so it could afflict anyone of them. (I tell that to my high school students only.)
I just to have a beautiful smile (others told me that prior to my affliction). It's no longer that way, yet I continue to smile. My muscles might be strengthen, I figure, with smiling. I may be fooling myself. My BP has been improving! I don't like taking pictures but I won't allow this condition to stop me from being "the smiley" one as I was once described. I encourage you to make attempts to smile more. Things do get better. ;-}
I have had bells palsy twice now and this time it's here to stay. I am 30, a mother of seven and my condition has gotten better compared to in the beginning, but still hinders some things that I try and do. My right side is affected. My eye doesn't close all the way, I drool, my smile is non-existent, my eyebrow doesn't raise, I can't whistle, I can't suck a straw, my mouth doesn't open completely so I can't eat hamburgers and my speech is hinder when using p's or letter of that caliber. I would like to offer words of hope even though I know how tough it is not to be able to smile and such, but it could be worse! What I hate the most is not being confident enough to be able to take picture with my kiddos. I have 7 beautiful children and I am going to regret not at least trying to smile in pictures with them. I feel very out of place and embarrassed when people prompt me to smile because I CAN'T! Everybody says that it's not that bad, but I have to live with it and it is THAT bad :)
Hi there my daughter is 14 she got bells palsy in september 2007 when she was just 11 it was so severe that 4 years on she still have the effect from it. The left side of her body is all dropping she does not smile anymore over this. She has become a recluse since it happened they also found she has hypertension so due to this she could not get the steroid treatment. I know excatly how you feel as my daughter also suffers the same things as you do she also loses the power in her left arm at times and drops things. I hope this all settles for you soon
1 Comments
Bells palsy is in facial muscles only. This sounds like a stroke. Doctor told me bells palsy only affects the face. He said if it affected the whole one side (arms, legs etc) its a stroke
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi there. Though recovery after bell’s palsy is complete, major complications are chronic loss of taste, chronic facial spasm, corneal infections. Another complication is incomplete or erroneous regeneration of the damaged facial nerve. During regrowth nerves can sidetrack leading to synkinesis or can connect reaching the muscles of the mouth. Sometimes a crocodile tear syndrome may develop called the gustatolacrimal reflex where tear shedding occurs with eating, again due to faulty regeneration. My advice is that you consult your physician and check if there is anything that could be done about the abnormal sensations. Take care.
Bell's palsy usually stabilizes. The late General Curtis Lemay, commander of the United States Strategic Air Command suffered from Bell's palsy his entire life and it didn't prevent him from flying heavy bombers and living a full productive life.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Neurology Community
Top Neurology Answerers
Allentown, PA
ON
Queensland, Australia
Queen Creek, AZ
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
In this special Missouri Medicine report, doctors examine advances in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating and costly neurodegenerative disease.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Discover some of the causes of dizziness and how to treat it.
Discover the common causes of headaches and how to treat headache pain.
Two of the largest studies on Alzheimer’s have yielded new clues about the disease
