Dx with something called "Bell's Palsy"

Update- 2/14
I am doing much better, I am one of the 70% that will have no lasting
problems! :) Thanks to all for the prayers. :) Lots of rest & staying away
from stress (not easy to do) has made all the difference. I saw the Dr.
today & he was pleased, too. Hugs, marieanne

RE: no lasting effects; THANK GOD ANOTHER PRAYER WORKS!

lack of oxygen made me the woman i am today!HahahaIt actually removed the irish from me, no temper(except for my 13 y/o son w/homework,on occaision)..I'd stay past my shift to hold someone's hand while they passed,or try to save someone from a resident.haha..but true..the good ole days..addiccted to adrenaline!Lori-would the structural abnormality on eeg on the rtr side cause the left lower lip to droop(I klnow i dont remember exactle where.temporal,parietal..?

glad it's working for you,Marianne!Mine happened when i was about 2…didn't have chicken pox till 4, light case,don't even remember…so i think it's the brain.I do have a structural abnormality(have to get my eeg for exact area)the left side of my mouth doesn't want to smile,the bottom lip won't go down if i'm not concentrating on trying to make it go down, to smile..the abnormality is on the right side of the brain..it all makes sense!So much sense that i'm going to talk to my doctor about getting OFF dilantin..the abnormality is not seizure causing i think..have epileptiform spike waves though..thoughts anyone..Lori?My dilantin has been a 4..know therapudic(?) levels are 10-20(14 good 4 me, now a 4)take 200mg QHS only.Sorry, I haven't been on lately, I have the worst case of the flu..fever over 102.5,yuck!3-4 weeks to get over, kicked-off my asthma.it's been 15 years, stress from losing hubby gave me broken heart syndrome( no joke, almost kicked), and i think the stress of THAT lead me back to asthma…Is stillearning doing better,Lori?I think aboout her often,please convey my concerns..I have a great video that might help her,I'm on f.b.under Karen Byrd..anyone is welcome if u r on f.b.,also the video was on youtube about a young man w/cardimyopathy or some geneticc heart condition.regardless, speaks of passing..and his experiences when he went 'beyond and back", then he passed on Christmas, but had wanted to stay in heaven 1-2 weeks b4 his death..makes me feel better about what happened to steve/where he is..check it out..trust me

Update- after a visit to the Dr. today, had check-up-
I was told that it is a nasty virus that causes this. 70% of the people
dx with this will recover fully. 13% will have some lasting issues. It
takes several mos. for the healing to occur & thus symptoms to subside.
It is a relative of the type that causes "shingles" in people so inclined
or unfortunate enough to have an outbreak. The shingles is related
to having chicken pox when you were a kid. The virus lies dormant
for many yrs. until something "triggers it", such as another infection,
bronchitis, or even stress. the virus then attacks a nerve in your temple
& that is what cause all the symptoms. I am just glad that it wasn't
my "last nerve!" LOL Hugs, marieanne

Lori, is that Epstein-Barr?

Wasen't Epstein on "Welcome Back Cotter"?

Hahaha.Now I have that song stuck in my head,, no a virus that you go through, like lori explained, but even though you got over it , it remains lying dormant…until!

Are you thinking of "Welcome Back Kotter"? The show that had John Travolta as Vinnie Babarino?

Sorry, I missed this-yes it's EPV that causes chicken pox and shingles. I had chicken pox two weeks after my second marriage from head to toe (got it from a kid in the ER). That's one thing I don't miss-getting all the cold from the kiddies sneezing in my face!!

So have most of the symptoms subsided yet for you?

Hi there Dave- some of them as lessening a bit. With this thing-
the eye waters (by itself), you feel like you went to the dentist but it didn't ever wear off. You can't feel that side of your mouth, your eyebrow is
crooked, basically, one whole side of the face is affected. It's better
in the early part of the day, gets worse as the day goes on. Blurry
vision in that eye is bad later in the day, also & if it gets bad enough,
this eye won't close. I am pretty tough though, been through
worse than this, I won't let it beat me. Thanks for your reply. Take care-
Hugs, marieanne

I have no doubt that you will bounce back and be better for the experience. I believe the same thing happens with my brother even today. You can see the eye lid droop as we get to the end of the day and he gets tired. Do they think you will get the feeling back inside your mouth? I think of all the things that you described, that one would bug me the most. Like after the dentist when you are drolling and have no idea. You get the rest that you need and I am sure that you are going to be fine.

Hi Dave, I woke up this AM & looked Normal! I think that's bc I rested the night
though. This for sure was worse ( a lot) when I first got it. I guess from what
I've been hearing, this is more common than I would have thought. A little
weakness left at the left corner of the mouth & a little in the back of the left
side of the throat. More of a problem as the day goes on, but the eye looks the
worst. Hell, looks ain't everything. Maybe I amuse people when they try to
figure out why I have a crooked face?! I get some stares but I don't care at
this point, I'm just glad it wasn't something worse- all the way around. I
thank God daily for my life, & beyond that "I guess HE has a sense of humor"-
Hugs to all, marieanne
P.S. Smile for me, can't do this yet…

I am smiling. I love your attitude. Keep making lemonade!!

Hhmm.I have a problem with the left side of my mouth.When I smile, I can't fully smile with that side, mostly lower lip..A couple of MD's asked me if I haD BELL'S, but I was never diagnosed.At 2 years old I had anaphylaxis in reaction to penicillin and had convulsions, turned blue, lack of o2 from the farm out in the middle of nowhere 10-12 miles w/o being able to breath.I was in an o2 tent for a week.Noone in my family remembers what exactly happened medically, noone in my family is in medicine, either.I think that might've caused it.

I'd be more inclined to think that if it lasted this long that it was due to lack of oxygen to the area of the brain that controls that area of your mouth. Being that far away with your oxygen saturation probably being REALLY low could very well have caused permanent damage. Just thank God that it's only that little area that was damaged.

That is definitely it!Thanks sooo much, Lori!My lips were blue and it probably took 10-15 minutes to get to the hospital..i had an ear infection and they gave me penicillin, then we went to the farm(my grandmother's when i was 2), I stoppped breat hing and convulsed…either it was a febrile seizure or anaphylaxis to penicliin…i'll never know, because there's no way i'll try peniciilin, wish i could though..thanks for putting pieces together for me..Man, we would've had a blast working together in the E.R.

That is definitely it!Thanks sooo much, Lori!My lips were blue and it probably took 10-15 minutes to get to the hospital..i had an ear infection and they gave me penicillin, then we went to the farm(my grandmother's when i was 2), I stoppped breat hing and convulsed…either it was a febrile seizure or anaphylaxis to penicliin…i'll never know, because there's no way i'll try peniciilin, wish i could though..thanks for putting pieces together for me..Man, we would've had a blast working together in the E.R.

You're right, we would have. I had a GREAT night shift staff-everyone helped each other and as Assistant Manager, I helped wherever I was needed, besides expediting the flow of patients.

Now, now Lori, please don't tell me I have a lack of oxygen in my brain! lol
U R too funny Dear1!! LOL Hugs, marieanne

Sorry Dear1, thought you were talking to me. :) Just teasing you though-
Hugs, marieanne

No, I was talking to XRAY. Hers has lasted for years-yours definately sounds like Bell's Palsy.

ndeer: ALL pain SUX.!!!!

I am so glad that there may be an effective treatment!!!!

Hi Dear KXRAY, I was told that this "Bell's palsy" can be triggered by having
a cold &/or virus. this is what happened to me, I had a bad cold that turned
into something worse, then came the Bell's palsy after that.I was surprised to
learn also that it has a genetic base & it is a virus, that surprised me a lot-
never heard of such a thing. The (relaxed muscles) sagging on one side of the
face, mouth, eye, even eyebrows can be your sign to have it checked out-
it is fully treatable & these symptoms (they tell me) should not last longer
than a short while, like maybe a week. They do expect a full recovery- I am
told.Thanks & Hugs, marieanne

It is treated with very strong anti-biotics. Hugs, marieanne

Ya know Hon, Lori could be right!! LUB ——————————————————> just alec

Hey Phonse, do you hear the bells, too!?
Hugs, marieanne

Mary, I don't heare bells I hear opera! I want 50's & 60's . Miss that old time Rocn n' Roll

You and me both!!

Hi Dear Phonse, I am so sorry that you are hearing the opera! Yuk-
I too, want that 50s & 60s- sounds good to me! :)
Hugs, marieanne

THERE IS A PLACARD ON THE WALL OF ONE OF MY PM MD'S EXAM ROOMS. IT POINTS OUR FIVE MALADIES COMMON TO PAIN SUFFERERS:

OBESITY (Caused by an ultra slow metabolic rate, holding your intake off nutrients and caloric intake until you finally find a way to push it out, and hand-in-hand,

CONSTIPATION, and,

DEPRESSION, and,

ANXIETY, and, as in your case,

INSOMNIA.

THIS LIST IS ALL INCLUSIVE. ONE SYMPTOM FEEDS ON ANOTHER. YOU MUST TREAT ALL OF THE SYMPTOMS BEFORE YOU CAN WEAKEN ANY OF THE OTHERS GRIP ON YOUR LIFE. EVEN PM MD's DON'T REALIZE THIS. MY PM MD BELIEVES IN EXTENDED RELEASE MEDS. LUNESTA, A GREAT MED FOR INSOMNIA, CAME OUT WITH AN EXTENDED RELEASE AND MY DOC GRABBED HOLD OF IT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE NEW, IMPROVED VERSION TAKES ME FROM A $5 CO-PAY INTO A NEW TIER, ONE WITH A $40 CO-PAY. I EVENTUALLY CAME UP WITH A MIXTURE, BOTH ON THE $5 CO-PAY THAT WORKS WITH MINIMAL SIDE EFFECTS AND NO LINK TO ADDICTION.

IT IS PHERERGAN AND A LOW POTENCY MUSCLE RELAXER, BACLOFEN.

TRY THIS, BOTH ARE SCRIPTED SO YOU'LL NEED HIS HELP. BUT IT GETS BACK TO A TRUST ISSUE; YOU MUST TELL HIM WHAT AILS YOU AND WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO AVOID. HONESTY, AFTER ALL, IS THE BEST POLICY. HOPE THIS HELPS.

LESTER

So did you work all that out with your doc? How in the world did you come up with a combination like that? It is really helpful that you have a doc that is willing to work with you on the cost of the meds in addition to the effectiveness.

There's another good medication for sleep that's non-addictive-Trazadone. I've taken it for almost 10 years, it's extremely cheap, and I don't wake up in the middle of the night having to take a pain pill anymore. For those of you with depression, I've been on multiple meds that didn't work, but the new med, Vibryd, seems to work wonders. My GP even prescribes it (although it is at the top of the co-pay range, just like Cymbalta). As far as the obesity, I hadn't been able to figure that out until I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and was put on Synthroid, and I've lost 15 pounds so far-good since I can't exercise.

Years ago I predicted that "Golden Oldies" would out live me!!

Hi Dear Phonse, I hear you & you both could be right?! Scary, heh!?
Keep joking friend! It'
s good 4 all of us. :)

You just crack me up alec!!

I'm glad Dave! I figure I may as well make the most of each day!

Mary, I've been tryin to figure out your "crooked" mind for months————————>just alec

Hey Dear Phonse, keep trying & "good luck with that!"
Hugs, marieanne

I think that may be a pretty good guess.

I know that I had a brother that had Bell's Palsy. He went into the hospital with the paralysis on the side of his face just as Marianne described. All they did for him was to an EEG to verify that it really was Bell's Palsy and not something else. He recovered about 95%. He still smiles a little crooked and he has an eyelid that droops a little. If you didn't look close you would never know.

My grandmother had a much more severe attack. Her whole left side was paralyized for the rest of her life, but it really didn't bother her that much and she lived a full, healthy and happy life. I don't think there is any treatment, but Marianne would know better.

How did they test for inflammation? What did they do to treat it? Glad you are OK and back with us.

Thanks Vegas Dave. There are treating me with anti-biotics & something
for that awful inflammation. I believe mine was an infection in the middle
ear that started out as a bad cold. They might have not had these treatments yrs. ago, thus a different outcome for some people in the past. How they
tested for the inflammation, I am not sure bc they did a whole bunch of tests
to rule out other things- such as stroke, I never thought I'd be so blessed
to have a dx of something other than stroke! I have heard that they do have
test for inflammation, but I do not know what they call it. Time
to ask one of our resident nurses here. :) I am glad to be back here.
Hugs, marieanne

OK nurses!! What is the test for inflammation? How do they find it?

The test for inflammation is called a WESR or a "sedimentation rate". It's a blood test-in fact I had one drawn just today due to having swelling and pain in all my joints, including between the ribs. They're testing me for polymyalgia rheumatica, which is caused by a previous viral infection. Since they're sure my headache was caused by viral meningitis, it could have been the cause. They've already r/o rheumatoid arthritis, and if this isn't the diagnosis, it may be fibromyalgia.

Thanks for the explanation. I had no idea that there was even a test. Hope they come out the say that you wanted them to. Feel better soon.

What kind of treatment are they giving you for the Bell's Palsy? Back when I was still nursing, there was no treatment for it-it just had to run it's course. I'm so glad to hear that your back pain is so much better.

why?Is it caused by a viral infection?

Sorry that I didn't see this sooner friend. It is caused by the same thing
that brings on "shingles." The latent virus caused by having had chickenpox
at some point in your life. Hugs, marieanne

I had a friend and neighbour who had Bell's Palsy. This was 43 years ago when I was 20 years of age it was her left side that drooped as well but she had it for 9 months before it corrected itself. I don't know if she had any other health issues prior to this happening but you must remember 43 years is a very long time as far as medical science is concerned they may not have connected other health issues to Bell's Palsy way back then. Nor would they have had the same treatment and after care that they have now. I am a great believer in positive thinking. Just keep saying to yourself "I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful and happy". Take care and God bless. LOL ☺☺☺

Thanks cavie2- you have a good positive attitude! I like it! :)
Hugs, marieanne

Mary, I lub cavie2 because she's scottish! In my world, I am the King of Scottland!

Oh and before I forget you are correct, Scottish has 2 tt's in the middle but, Scotland only has one. AND we are not Scotch (that is a whisky) we are Scots, or I am a Scot.

"lub" crickey whit's that!!!

I don't remember either. I would google "cranial nerves" on the internet and it will tell which CN is affecting that area. Glad to hear from you-I've missed you.