Hi… I’ve recently been diagnosed and wondering who else has constant eye twitching. If you did then what, if anything, has helped it?? Mine is getting worse even as the anticonvulsants help with the pain.
I have had eye twitching for some time. My niece and sisters seem to have it too…No TN thankfully just eye twitching. Not sure why that is.
I went to a massage therapist, and she took a q-tip and pressed it (rather hard) against my upper lid (where the twitching occurred). Then she had me look to the right and left. Unbelievably, the twitching stopped. Once in a while, it started again, so I performed the same procedure. Also, taking a mild tranquilizer can help. I took a very small amount of atavan, and it helped. Good luck.
I have had this happen to me too. I have bilateral TN. I asked my dr. about the eye twitching and they said that it is most likely just from stress. It makes sense because my sister, who does not have TN get it too! Although, she gets migraines sooo maybe there is some sort of crazy connection!
Thanks for the replies. I’ve had stress for years without twitching. I also have rheumatoid arthriris but twitching just this past year and getting worse. Oh well. I’ll talk to my rheumatologist next visit.
Ally Castellano said:
I have had this happen to me too. I have bilateral TN. I asked my dr. about the eye twitching and they said that it is most likely just from stress. It makes sense because my sister, who does not have TN get it too! Although, she gets migraines sooo maybe there is some sort of crazy connection!
eye twitching can occur from using anti seizure medications. it’s in the fine print as a side effect. check with your doctor if you’re using any now.
there is also a condition called hemifacial spasm which is a compression of the 7th (facial) cranial nerve. it usually starts with eye twitching, however the twitching is generally pronounced and eventually progresses with time to the whole side of the face. a thin slice MRI scan can determine if the facial nerve is being compressed. speak to your neurologist.
vesper
I was wondering if an MRI could show nerve compression. Hemofacial spasm sounds dreadful. Is there no end to this suffering? 
vesper venustas said:
eye twitching can occur from using anti seizure medications. it’s in the fine print as a side effect. check with your doctor if you’re using any now.
there is also a condition called hemifacial spasm which is a compression of the 7th (facial) cranial nerve. it usually starts with eye twitching, however the twitching is generally pronounced and eventually progresses with time to the whole side of the face. a thin slice MRI scan can determine if the facial nerve is being compressed. speak to your neurologist.
vesper
the MRI must be thin slice to have the best chance to show a compression.
eye twitching does not equal hemifacial spasm. lots of factors can causes facial muscles to twitch; fatigue, meds, low potassium, anxiety, just to name a few.
don’t panic, speak to your neurologist.
vesper
Jean Mikhail said:
I was wondering if an MRI could show nerve compression. Hemofacial spasm sounds dreadful. Is there no end to this suffering?
vesper venustas said:eye twitching can occur from using anti seizure medications. it’s in the fine print as a side effect. check with your doctor if you’re using any now.
there is also a condition called hemifacial spasm which is a compression of the 7th (facial) cranial nerve. it usually starts with eye twitching, however the twitching is generally pronounced and eventually progresses with time to the whole side of the face. a thin slice MRI scan can determine if the facial nerve is being compressed. speak to your neurologist.
vesper
I have an MRI tomorrow…not sure if it’s thin sliced. I just started anticonvulsants a month ago but have had twitching much longer, so it is not from the medication. Due to my other symptoms the dr did express the concern of something pressing on nerves other than just the trigeminal. Hopefully the results will reveal an explanation and in turn a solution.
vesper venustas said:
the MRI must be thin slice to have the best chance to show a compression.
eye twitching does not equal hemifacial spasm. lots of factors can causes facial muscles to twitch; fatigue, meds, low potassium, anxiety, just to name a few.don’t panic, speak to your neurologist.
vesper
Jean Mikhail said:
I was wondering if an MRI could show nerve compression. Hemofacial spasm sounds dreadful. Is there no end to this suffering?
vesper venustas said:eye twitching can occur from using anti seizure medications. it’s in the fine print as a side effect. check with your doctor if you’re using any now.
there is also a condition called hemifacial spasm which is a compression of the 7th (facial) cranial nerve. it usually starts with eye twitching, however the twitching is generally pronounced and eventually progresses with time to the whole side of the face. a thin slice MRI scan can determine if the facial nerve is being compressed. speak to your neurologist.
vesper
tammy,
sounds like your neurologist is tuned into other possibilities for the twitching, which is reassuring. confirm if the MRI is thin sliced; this is a much better scan to show for compressions.
vesper
Tammy Chapman said:
I have an MRI tomorrow…not sure if it’s thin sliced. I just started anticonvulsants a month ago but have had twitching much longer, so it is not from the medication. Due to my other symptoms the dr did express the concern of something pressing on nerves other than just the trigeminal. Hopefully the results will reveal an explanation and in turn a solution.
vesper venustas said:the MRI must be thin slice to have the best chance to show a compression. eye twitching does not equal hemifacial spasm. lots of factors can causes facial muscles to twitch; fatigue, meds, low potassium, anxiety, just to name a few.
don’t panic, speak to your neurologist.
vesper
Jean Mikhail said:I was wondering if an MRI could show nerve compression. Hemofacial spasm sounds dreadful. Is there no end to this suffering?
vesper venustas said:eye twitching can occur from using anti seizure medications. it’s in the fine print as a side effect. check with your doctor if you’re using any now.
there is also a condition called hemifacial spasm which is a compression of the 7th (facial) cranial nerve. it usually starts with eye twitching, however the twitching is generally pronounced and eventually progresses with time to the whole side of the face. a thin slice MRI scan can determine if the facial nerve is being compressed. speak to your neurologist.
vesper
Hi Tammy-
I have had the very same thing happen from time to time. Most often, for me, it is directly related to stress. I have gone to a massage therapist from time to time and it seems to clear up after that. That’s my experience.
In regards to TN (I have ATN), I have some weird numb feeling in the area of my lower right eye and some twitching when my pain is active. I can feel my eye, it looks normal just feels funny. I get a little bit of twitching of my lower eye that is mildly irritating. When my pain subsides so does the sensation of my lower eye area feeling numb and the twitching. Whether it’s related to meds or TN I am not too sure. I have talked with my neurologist about it and he was not concerned- in my case. Best to check with your GP, neurologist, etc. if you are worried. Hope some of this quells any fears you have. Johanna
While 1-mm thin slice MRI (performed both with and without contrast agent, and with post-procedure 3-D reconstruction) is becoming a standard of care for facial pain of neuropathic origin, the procedure generates a lot of false negatives. Neurosurgeons who regularly perform Microvascular decompressions report that in nearly all cases where the symptoms of classic trigeminal neuralgia are present, an artery or vein is found touching the 5th cranial nerve. In some few cases, the offending blood vessel may even have grown THROUGH the nerve. However, even the best resolution thin-slice MRI seems to reveal these compressions in something less than half of the patients who go into MVD.
Thus, probably the best way to regard this procedure is that it “may” confirm a nerve compression. However, even if no compression is seen, it may still be there. At that point, the doctor’s recommendations may be based primarily upon the type and distribution of pain symptoms that you have. If you’re getting volleys of sharp electrical jabs, then there is a high probability of being able to find a discrete vascular compression during MVD. With the burning/throbbing/gnawing pain sometimes called “Type 2” or “Atypical” Trigeminal Neuralgia, there is less likelihood of being able to locate a discrete compression, and surgical procedures generally have a lower probability of successful pain relief.
I hope this is somewhat helpful,
Regards and well wishes,
Red
Jean Mikhail said:
I was wondering if an MRI could show nerve compression. Hemofacial spasm sounds dreadful. Is there no end to this suffering?
vesper venustas said:eye twitching can occur from using anti seizure medications. it’s in the fine print as a side effect. check with your doctor if you’re using any now.
there is also a condition called hemifacial spasm which is a compression of the 7th (facial) cranial nerve. it usually starts with eye twitching, however the twitching is generally pronounced and eventually progresses with time to the whole side of the face. a thin slice MRI scan can determine if the facial nerve is being compressed. speak to your neurologist.
vesper
I was just dx’d w TN and put on anti seizure meds. I thought they were helping (this is the second day) but this am I woke up with extreme twitching in my left eye and a feeling like someone was pulling my cheek off my face. I can’t “bite down” it’s extrememly painful to do so. The pain has diminished some. My eye wouldn’t stop watering this am. I can’t help feeling similarity to the Bells Palsy I experienced years ago. My cheek twitches also so it isn’t a stress thing. Neuro very kind, told me to double up on tegretol and call him either way in a couple hours. This is a lovely disgusting disease…these nerve problems are unbelievable…and I’ve had neuropathy FOREVER…this face thing is the worst…Hugs to All, Julie