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bells palsy

Hi                       , I was just wondering if anyone else had bells palsy.  I was told it was self limiting, and written about in  medical  books  for years.  An ancient disease.
    
I assumed it was not a big deal. but the pain was horrible. The fact that I got it twice within seven years I believe

raised a red flag. I did not ask my neuro about it (a corralation) when  I was dx'ed with ms, but the neuro seemed

very interested.  I was just wondering if anyone else had it. ( Please forgive spelling)  Thanks  Linda

Also, so glad I found this site.+just learning computer.
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Avatar universal
I had Bells Palsy when I was a teenager.  I have read and my doctors confirm it can be caused by Epstein Barr virus.  Epstein Barr is suspected but not proved to be a possible cause for some to develop MS.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I HAVE ANOTHER MS RELATED QUESTION

AGAIN, MY WIFE HAS MS..DIAGNOSED IN 1999 @ MAYO

IN FAIRNESS TO THE QUESTION SHE ALSO IS DIABETIC, WELL CONTROLLED WITH METFORMIN AND OTHER.....NO IMMEDIATE EXPECTATION OF NEEDING SHOTS

MS IS MORE PRONOUNCED ON THE LEFT SIDE, AND MORE OF THAT IN THE LEG OR LOWER PORTION OF HER BODY

ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO MAYBE FOUR SHE HAD AN UNUSUAL PLACE APPEAR ON HE LEFT LEG JUST OFF OF THE SHIN IN THE CALF MUSCLE

A BIOPSY INDICATED 'FATTY NECROSIS' IN OTHER WORDS THE FLESH WAS DYING

THE DOCTORS HAVE NO ANSWER ABOUT THE CAUSE OR CURE OR THE EXPECTATION OF IT OCCURRING ELSEWHERE

DW
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5770574 tn?1373944425
Hi I have bells palsy.........coming July18th it will be one year since I was told I had it. My husbands grandmother who is a retired nurse told me that if u had chicken pox when ur where a kid u have virus that can cause many different things to happen to I was lucky to get this now......yes it is embrassring but I am not letting it stop me from holding my head up high. Thanks to my beloved husband and his family and some what of my family I have the support I need to keep me going..........there are days that I look in the mirror and can't recoinize my own reflection.........my sister calls me a monster and tells her friends how silly I look when I smile.....but through my research I have came to find out that we are not alone in this........a lot of the actors/actress have bells palsy as well some people are born with it so I am not afraid no more
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Avatar universal
my wife had bells palsy in 1978

she had MS symptoms from mid seventies on

she had short term partial blindness in 1982

intense numbness in mid 80's

neouro wrote her a letter in mid 1999 after spinal tap and study of earlier MRI stating 'you do not have MS'

was diagnosed with MS at Mayo later in 1999

we do not know what causes Bells or MS how would we know if there is any kinship? pure speculation I suspect.
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Avatar universal
I am curious too.  I had BP in 1995 and was DX'd with MS in 2006, but had that weird numb tingly thing about a yr before DX.  Still have a very slightly droopy eye. Now I'm getting that same weird twinge in the back of my neck... like my BP started.  Hhhmmm.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
  Hi,

I don't know if it is a precurser to MS or not i was diagnosed about 4 years ago and have been relatively symptom free until reciently,  About a week ago i was diagnosed with having bells palsy and ever since i my MS symptoms have been getting worse and worse.

I went from showing very few physical signs to not being able to walk withing a week. It started with numbness in my left foot and slowly became numbness in my entire left leg then my lower right leg I have an appointment in a month with my Neurologist so hopefully he will have some insight.
Helpful - 0
410281 tn?1254229064
Wow, so strange that I just posted on this earlier today.  

You can get Bell's more than once.  When I had it it was not painful, just embarassing! Mine came on over night and resolved itself after about a month. That was 9 yrs ago and I never have really thought about it since until all this other tingly/twitchy stuff started.

Heather
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Avatar universal
hi
                                                                                                                                      

this happened to me with bells palsy                   linda
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Avatar universal
Hi.

I was curious about this bells palsy being a beginning symptom of ms so I googled bells palsy and multiple sclerosis..

Some sites say it is connected with multiple sclerosis.   There were no MRI machines back in 1979, but were available in 1986.I don;t believe you get it twice

It may have been a facial paralasis that the docs called bells.  The fact that I had it twice
on the same side of the face and the second time had the .crooked mouth, double vision, and hearing loss within days of each symptom prompted me to go to a good neuro.   I was then dx;ed with ms  Many more things happened also. Be Well      Linda
Helpful - 0
335728 tn?1331414412
For your information:  The television show The Doctors had some interesting information on Bells Palsy on today's episode...perhaps you will have an episode on later this evening and you can check it out.  They explained that it can take up to a year for this to correct itself and sometimes plastic surgery is an option if your facial muscles don't come back completely.  I have had Bells Palsy and like Care Bayer has stated it involves the peripheral nerves rather than the Central Nerves so it is unlikely that it would be related to MS.  I hope that this has been of some assistance to you and welcome to our forum!

Lots of Hugs,
Rena
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Avatar universal
Heather,,

Thanks for responding to my post..  Wobbly answered also.  I am not computer savvy,

and thought I possibly posted wrong.  

When I first got the bells,(1979) I looked like I had a stroke.,  Of course, I had plenty to

blame it on ,. My mother had passed away (I was crying a lot)  and also I was studying

for my Cosmetology state boards, I went to a neuro and he kind of poo pooed it and it

left in about three months, But i continued with the crooked mouth.  I got it again in 1985.

The second time was worse.  Could not close my eye, Lost hearing and double vision.
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Avatar universal
I dont have a dx yet, but from my understanding there is no direct correlation to MS since bells palsy is associated with the peripheral nervous system and MS with the central nervous system.

I had Bells Palsy when I was eleven years old and had looked into it see if there is a correlation between the two.
Helpful - 0
195469 tn?1388322888
Hi Linda,

Since I have been diagnosed for over a decade with MS, I am not quite sure whether I have Bells Palsy or not.  There is no pain with what I experience.  Looking at me head on, you can see my face, (eye, cheek, lip, etc.) drooping on one side.  Even when I smile, one side of my mouth does not turn upwards, as it should.

It's been like this for years and to tell you the truth I have not discussed this with a doctor.  I always thought that Bells' Palsy was something that could start without warning and could also reverse itself, like nothing ever happened.  Since I am so uneducated about this ailment, I really don't know.  In my case, I would guess that there is a nerve that is damaged somewhere, because mine has never improved.

I am not sure whether you could say that this could definitely have anything to do with MS.  I know a couple of people that have it and have no other health problems.  I have it and just by chance have MS also.

All the Best,
Heather
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
wobbly,

thanks a bunch for anwering me.  I thought naybe I was posting wrong. I am new at this computer thing.  

This question I asked was bugging me.  I thought maybe bells  could be a precurser

to ms.    thanks again        Linda
Helpful - 0
293157 tn?1285873439
not me...but then I'm not yet Dx...

take care
wobbly
undx
Helpful - 0
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