weird symptoms

[TRJo]

Here are my symptoms:  I have these severe spasms all around the orbits of my eyes...mostly the eyebrow, combined with the eyelid.  I used to think that yawning or sneezing caused it, but then I realized that it is directly caused by blinking hard.  It will last several minutes after I blink hard and then calm down.  At least 50% of my days are filled with spasms.  I have also had spasms in various other areas of my body but on a much less frequent basis.    Now, I do know about the benign condition that causes eyelid spasms(mykopia -sp?), but before we go there consider this,  that I have an unrelenting frontal headache 24/7.   So, while most eye spasms are a benign condition, I would submit that most people with spasms don't have a severe headache all the time either.    My MRI with contrast was basically normal...except a 3 cm meningioma/supra orbital.  Doc says headache is most concerning since it is 10 months unresolved daily with ELAVIL INDERAL AND TOPAMAX no real help, it can't possibly be causing my headache since my eye exam was normal, but he doesn't know about the spasms.    Please help, dull headache and spasms are driving me mad.   PS- also had an EEG, normal, and about 10 blood tests.   No explanation from my University based docs on headache or spasms, no help from various meds listed above.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-SH]

First of all, keep in mind that I am unable to diagnose you because I am unable to examine you, this forum is for educational purposes.
   The eye symptoms and story that you provide is most consistent with blepharospasm.  This is an involuntary contraction of the eyelids is related to abnormal nerve impulses.  Blepharospasm can be seen with Tourettes syndrome, but often occurs alone (essential blepharospasm). One effective treatment of this condition is BoTox injections.  I cannot definetly link your headaches to your eye problems or your small meningioma.  However, patients with migraines can be precipitated by structural causes such as your meningioma.  One effective treatment for refractory headaches that do not respond to the typicall medications is BoTox injection into the forhead and neck muscles.  Thus BoTox injections may serve 2 purposes in you (however, these injections are expensive, and need to be repeated every couple of months if effective).  A facial EMG may also be helpful to evaluate for myokymia (undulating movement of the skin) which can be caused by a number of different disorders.  Also an MRA that is combined with a contrast enhanced skull based protocol MRI could help determine if any vesel is in contact with your facial nerve (which causes hemi-facial spasm-less likely in your case).
I hope this has been helpful.

[alchris]

Can any doctor be sure your headaches are not from the 3 cm finding.  if you read this entire forum at so many times people are diagnosed with cysts, nueromas, mengingomas and each and every doctor says the patients headaches cant come from that.  including myself having the same problem.  I am not sure why doctors cant yet believe these tiny findings can be the cause of headaches there are too many people with similar findings and symptons. If it doesnt belong there which it doesnt how can it not be the root of pain and other symtpons.In my opionion a little tiny splinter can hurt.  

[TRJo]

I am 30 years old, male, white

[TRJo]

Also MR angio and MRV were normal, as was chest Xray

[TRJo]

See I thought the same thing you did, but the doctor told me that headaches from brain tumors are caused by raised pressure which would show up on an eye exam...Did you hear this too?

[alchris]

No I never heard of that.  But I realize each doctor says something different.  We know ourselves better than the doctor and as said earlier too many people on this fourm all describe similar symtoms and doctors say impossible.  Though I would like to say if it happened to a doctor maybe they would think otherwise.  Back to coming up on an eye exam how is that possible.