Eyelid Twitch/Spasms

[Royal Eyeness]

I did a search under both twitch and spasm and nothing came up, which is odd because I know there have been discussions of that on here.

So, I guess I'll have to make this a new topic:
I've had an intermittent but ongoing spasm (twitch) of my left upper eyelid for the past three weeks. Has anyone had any success with any remedies for this?
Thanks!

[redandsensitive]

I have this also.. under both eyes for like 15 days every month, it comes and goes. Is this normal for dry eye people?

[dave25]

Yeah, I have had this too, but not for a while now. My doctor said that it was inflammation near a nerve that caused the twitching. For some reason I always noticed the twitching more when I was stressed out, but that could have been just a coincidence. Besides, anti-inflammatory meds, maybe cold compresses in the area might work.

[Royal Eyeness]

my doctor actually points it out to me as if I don't feel it

That's funny. It's like when you go out with friends and one of them says, "hey, you know you have a pimple." Gee, thanks for pointing that out and making me self conscious - like I didn't see it myself in the mirror before I went out!

Is this normal for dry eye people?

There is definitely some correlation to dry eyes - I know that and I remember reading it here quite a while back. That's why I'm puzzled as to why I can't find anything under "twitch" or "spasm" when I search here.

I had this a few years ago...but it only lasted for two weeks. This is longer.

A lot of the sites I've looked at say to stay away from caffeine. Yeah, thanks a lot. I haven't had caffeine in years. I suppose yoga is a good idea if it is, indeed, stress-related. But I don't think this is. I think it's more inflamed-eye stuff. I think my eyes do feel a bit more sore than usual lately, so the inflammation theory holds up (I do have rosacea and allergies, too).

But that said...WHAT HELPS?? I've been doing hot compresses and I think that aggravates the inflammation...it isn't doing anything for the twitch. I just tried a cold compress about two hours ago and it twitched as soon as I took the compress off. In fact, I then took some refrigerated Refresh tears and as soon as they hit my eye, it started twitching again. Anti-inflammatory meds are probably a good idea, Dave, but I can't take them due to stomach problems.

I'll try the compresses for another day and then I'll go see the doctor. I suppose it could be worse. I could be twitching and yelling out inappropriate curses. But that's for another forum, LOL.

Anyone else have any good ideas?

[dave25]

Have you tried any non steroidal anti inflammatory eye drops like Acuvail or Nevanac before? Something like this might help and they don't cause stomach irritation.

My twitching would come and go for several weeks at a time, but I do believe that if you calm the irritation in the eyes that it will go away.

[Royal Eyeness]

anti inflammatory eye drops like Acuvail or Nevanac

I haven't heard of those. That'll require a visit to the eye doctor anyway, so I'll see what he thinks of those. Have you had success with them?

[dave25]

I haven't heard of those. That'll require a visit to the eye doctor anyway, so I'll see what he thinks of those. Have you had success with them?

Yes they have helped. I don't know if they directly helped with the twitching, but they did help reduce inflammation and made my eyes feel better.

[rooneyandfergie]

I had that problem a few times in the past and the doctor told me to lay off computers and tv screens for a while. He said its due to your eyes tiring and the muscles around the eye being overworked. Nothing I do seems to get rid of the twitch and spams but it usually resolves by itself after about 2 weeks if i rest my eyes well

[Royal Eyeness]

Chemia, that article is helpful in explaining what causes the problem (including dry eyes as a possible cause) but it doesn't really say what to do to get rid of it - unless stress is the underlying cause, which it is not (in my case).

Needless to say, I use "lubricating eye drops" (as she mentions in the article) ALL THE TIME. And that is not doing the trick -either to prevent or to get rid of the twitch.

[brd888]

twitcher

Hello,
I also have this problem and I think dry eyes, irritants and the twitch are all related to each other (in my case).
I think because I have a poor tearm film the left eye is easily irritated. Pollen and other things irritate the eye and this can cause a twitch.
Also being stressed because of dry, irritable, eyes in turn causes twitching.
Regards.

[Royal Eyeness]

twitcheroo

Hi Brd,
Yes, I'm sure that's at the root of the problem. It would be nice to be able to fix it, though.Doctor gave me allergy drops which I used for a week and didn't help. Then he gave me anti-inflammatory drops which I've been using twice a day for two weeks...haven't helped. Spoke to him today and he told me to come back this week because he doesn't like that it's been going on this long (neither do I!).

What I did find out, though, this time at the doc's office is that I have Lagophthalmos (eyelids do not close all the way when I sleep). It's interesting, I've seen him numerous times and that never came up before. I happened to mention, again, that my dry eyes are an issue 90% of the time at night or when I nap. Not nearly as much of a problem during the day. I cannot open my eyes after sleeping without putting drops in. I also said that I'm much more light sensitive in the past few years than I ever was before that - even when I'm sleeping - the light wakes me up early so I need to use a sleep mask to darken the room. He zoomed back over to the machine that they look at your eyes through and said "put your chin back in here and close your eyes like you're sleeping". In one second, he said, "HA! Your eyes don't close all the way." I was really surprised to learn that and then I was closing my eyes and trying to feel it myself, which he thought was funny. He said, "You won't feel it and even if you ask someone to stare at you when you sleep, they won't see it. it's only about a Millimeter." But obviously, that's enough of an opening that isn't getting blinking or tears for a whole night and it drys out and THAT EXPLAINS a lot of my dry eye problem!!

So that was a good thing to know, although knowing it doesn't make it stop. I asked him what usually causes that. He said most of the time he's seen it has been in people who have had cosmetic surgery around their eyes (like tightening the skin around it). I haven't had anything done, so it's not that. But he also said allergies can be a big factor (take note of that BRD) and I certainly have allergies.

Anyway, THAT only explains the dry eye which I've had for years, but not the TWITCH which is going on two months now. I mean indirectly, it probably does explain it but not why I have the twitch now but not before. And I was hoping that the anti-inflammatory drops would help but they haven't. I'll see him again this week and see what the next item in the recipe will be.

[Royal Eyeness]

Eeek! I know - I read about botox injections but no way I'd do that. I can understand if someone had a disabling type of lid spasm where the eye stays shut.

I was sort of surprised that the doctor never noticed the Lagophthalmos before, because I've told him each time I've seen him that the dry eye is way more of an issue for me when I first wake up than any other time. But what seems to have caught his attention is when I mentioned about my photophobia (light sensitivity) being an issue while I'm sleeping. It felt to me that my eyelids were letting more light through. But I guess the fact that my eyes are partially OPEN explains that.

He mentioned the TranquilEyes, too. I tried them a long time ago and found them annoying. Maybe I'll give it another shot.

Some people on here have mentioned using plastic wrap (or "cling film" as the Brits call it) and taping that down around their eyes. That may be worth a shot, too - it's free! Of course, if you get up to go to the bathroom, you have to re-do everything.

[Royal Eyeness]

The Eyelid Twitch stopped...and then it came back

So after 7 months of having the twitch in my left eyelid, it finally stopped one day and it stayed away for 6 weeks. The day before it stopped, I had started taking a sub-lingual supplement of Folate and B12 (for other reasons entirely). The supplement contains 2.5 milligrams of Folate and 2 milligrams of B12. I know the change was not due to the B12 because I'd been taking a much higher dosage of B12 until that time. I've been taking a B-complex supplement for ages that only contains 800 micrograms of Folate, which I always thought was enough.

So I was ecstatic that the twitch stopped. I contacted my eye doc who said he hadn't heard of that but it could certainly be related somehow and to keep taking it. Anyway, I've continued to take it daily. And then, out of the blue, 6 weeks later, it started up again. So frustrating.

So I'm thinking that the allergy factor is a good likelihood as the cause. But I still can't figure out why it stopped for 6 weeks entirely the day after I started the folate and than started up again if it wasn't specifically due to a deficiency in some way.

So anyway, some of you might want to give it a try. Especially women on birth control pills or pregnant who should always supplement with folate anyway. Use a natural supplement of FOLATE ...not FOLIC ACID, which is artificial and can cause problems in higher doses.

P.S.- Rebecca, this new bulletin board format is so much nicer!

[mamamax]

botox

I had botox in both eyelids three days ago and for the first time in many months, both eyes are open at the same time and I can even read! I have not been able to read or drive in almost a year. Besides the dry eyes, I have continual spasms that have been debillitating. After much desperation, I had the botox and am glad of it. Eyes are not drier either. We'll see what time brings.

[Royal Eyeness]

Hey Mamamax,
That's great that it worked so well for you.
My twitch never got that bad (thank Heaven). And it's faded off to hardly ever, again. Now it only seems to act up when I'm very tired.
I hope in your case that with the Botox breaking the continuity of the spasm that it'll just stay stopped and you won't have to get more shots. But, if you do, at least you know they work for you!