Nasty eye-lid twitching

[Tawanda]

UGH! I hate this symptom!! 2 days and counting now. Is there a quick, secret fix that someone could let me in on or do I continue to wait it out like I do everything else. This is an especially annoying because it is ugly and visible to others, prompting the ususal unwanted M.S. questions that I have no answer for. Does anyone else get this bugger of a symptom and/or have a way to shut it up?

[jumpinjiminy]

I'm sorry. I've had one too, lately, but it hasn't been that bad or constant. It was worse last year, to the point of getting annoying.

Do GABA agonists work for twitching (baclofen, benzodiazapenes, etc)? Twitching doesn't irritate me as much as the cramps and spasms, so I've never paid attention if those reduce them or not.

As far as other people, just tell them they're irresistibly cute and you can't help but keep winking at them.



Just trying to be light-hearted. Please don't take offense.

[l0velee]

I also get that symptom! I do not now how to fix it but I've tried to put a warm compress on the eye and it did help a bit.

Goodluck!

[rdmc]

Hey Tawanda,

It's called myokymia...quite common in MS, unfortunately. But lots of folks evidently get it that don't have MS.

I have it in one eye (lower lid mostly) almost constantly, but to different degrees, and sometimes it spreads to my face too.

I've read that anti-seizure meds like Tegretol will work, but I'm allergic to a couple of those. Increased clonazepam will calm it down for me. They also do botulism if it gets bad enough.

They say caffeine can exacerbate it, but I don't seem to notice a difference caffeine or not.

Here's a link with some info

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/myokymia.html

[valeriem2220]

I have gotten this since I was a teenager and usually when I get very stressed. It used to only happen to my upper eye lids but just this last year it started to happen below my eye also. It can be very annoying.

[big jean]

Eye twitching

I started having this symptom staring about 3 months ago. It started just below my left eyebrow and gradually made it's way down to my eyelid. At first it was just moving from one side of the top eyelid to the other side and wasn't really noticeable to anyone. Then one day it went to my lower eyelid and was noticeable. I don't get it that often right now, mainly when I sneeze or scrunch up my face. I haven't changed my caffeine intake so that doesn't seem to affect it. Definitely annoying!

[deb46]

I've had this off and on for several years. My eye lid will twitch and around the bottom of my eye down to my cheek bone. It is very noticeable. Sometimes it only lasts for a few minutes and sometimes for several days. Have never found anything to stop it.

[Tawanda]

Hey Tawanda,

It's called myokymia...quite common in MS, unfortunately. But lots of folks evidently get it that don't have MS.

I have it in one eye (lower lid mostly) almost constantly, but to different degrees, and sometimes it spreads to my face too.

I've read that anti-seizure meds like Tegretol will work, but I'm allergic to a couple of those. Increased clonazepam will calm it down for me. They also do botulism if it gets bad enough.

They say caffeine can exacerbate it, but I don't seem to notice a difference caffeine or not.

Here's a link with some info

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/myokymia.html

Thanks for the info and thanks for everyone who responded. Sometimes it's just nice to know I'm not going through this alone.

That link mentioned the cause as the "spontaneous release of demylenated axons". Yuck-y! I do have Tegretal (gyneric) on hand that was mentioned on hand for my occasional itching spells but never tried it for the stupid eyelid thing. I do major cost/benefit analysis before taking a pharmacutical of any kind.

Still got a twitch today, but it has simmered down since when I first posted. I am always fighting fatigue and I know that doesn't help at all with this particular problem. Again, thank you my friends!