This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Awhile ago I posted about weakness in my right eyelid. That's still a constant.

Now, for the last two weeks my *left* eyelid twitches. Perhaps about 20 seconds at a time. But it happens so very, very often during the day.

Today, my husband was able to catch a glimpse of it in action. He said that the movement seemed to come from the the middle of the eyelid and the eyelid moved up and down during the twitching.

The twitching doesn't impede my vision in any way; it's also not painful. But it certainly is annoying!

Has anyone had similar experiences?

Thanks!

-- Niko

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"Avoid making irrevocable decisions when tired or hungry." -- Robert Heinlein

Niko,

This has happened to me a couple of times, but it is not near as repetitive as leg twitches which bug me a lot.

gwa

gwa --

Thanks for the reply! Shortly after I posted, I decided to get a hand mirror to catch my eye in action

What I saw was muscle weakness. I no longer have consistent control over fully opening the eyelid where it wont look like I just rolled out of bed.

I just read it as one more sign of how MS can be a very slow, progressive disease.

-- Niko

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"Avoid making irrevocable decisions when tired or hungry." -- Robert Heinlein

I get that as well, but I usually get a twitch on my tricep. It will last five minutes some times and stays for days on end. Then one day I will realize it hasn't done it in a while. Just nerve impulses I guess.

Hi Niko
I had the eyelid twitch thing going on at one time. It eventually went away. I don't know why. Just another one of those weird, annoying things. I seem to remember that it occured more often when my eyes were tired. Hope yours goes away too.
Lori

This is called a lid fasciculation, and it is not related to MS. The fasciculations can occur at many locations, but the eyelids and arm and leg muscles are the most common. There are three main causes: stress, lack of sleep, and caffeine. Yes, I know...who doesn't have something in that list? In all reality, the cause is unknown. The fasciculations can last from hours to months.

Thanks for the info, EyeDoc. I've been wanting to ask -- doesn't every single person in the world get twitches? We may get more twitches and twinges than the average person, but there's no way to connect ours directly to MS.

The problem with MS is that not a single symptom is exclusive to the disease. Well, one problem among many...

My left leg has been completely covered with twitches 24/7, hip to toe, ever since I spent hours getting tested with electric jolts (EMGs, SSEPs) three years ago.

Is it the MS? Is it from my HNPP (hereditary peripheral neuropathy)? Is there nerve damage unrelated to my diseases just from overdoing the electric torture? Who knows?

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Dx'd with MS & HNPP (hereditary peripheral neuropathy) 7/03 but must have had MS for 30 yrs before that. I've never taken meds for MS or MS symptoms except 1 yr experiment on LDN. (I found diet, exercise, sleep, humor, music help me the most.)

Thanks for the info. I did some quick reading on it and it's just "one of those things" not attributable to MS. Very interesting though

Again, thanks!

-- Niko

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"Avoid making irrevocable decisions when tired or hungry." -- Robert Heinlein

My second clinical exacerbation started out as an twitch or fasiculation of my right eyelid. But then it spread and within a week or two I had constant rippling and twitching of the entire right side of my face. This exacerbation led to an MRI and diagnosis of MS. I had solumedrol treatment, and after a total of 3-4 weeks, these symptoms subsided.

So I disagree that fasiculations cannot be attributed to MS. It's likely that some are merely the result of stress, caffeine, etc., but I know that mine were the onset of an MS episode.

carolsue

I should have added a statement that I make to all of my patients when I am asked about fasciculations: If the twitching changes, i.e. becomes much stronger and more frequent or spreads to other areas, it is something that needs to be looked at further and may not be a simple twitch.

I have not seen a patient that has progressed like you did, carolsue, but it is good to be reminded that it can happen.....damn this quirky MS of ours for muddying the water!

You are correct that all people get twitches from time to time, and I think it a fair assumption to think that we MSers may have more than the average person. I only say this from personal experience. I feel like I have had a leg twitch near my left knee for awhile now, and it just seems different than other twitches I have had throughout my life. I have no medical knowledge or evidence to support that it is MS related. I just feel that it is.

As for your last paragraph and questions...I would defer any answer to that to a neurologist. I won't claim to have knowledge and expertise there!

Twitching has been part of my life for about 6 months now. Not just in the eyes, but in the toung, lips, hands, arms, back, stomach, butt, both lags and feet, top and bottom. It feels like my body is trying to play music, with no melody, but a lot of strange rythems. I have not been dx'ed with anything as of yet. I know what I don't have no clue what I do. Although MS is at the top of the maybes. My nurologest dos'nt seem to be interested when I tell him about the twitches.

This all startrd about a year ago when I developed 6th nerve palsy in my left eye, which then became ON. After spending all spring and summer on prednisone, I got my vision back only to find out that my eyes do not track together so I still have to ware a patch.

The twitches started durring this time so it was blamed on the prednisone. I have been off the drug for 4 monthes now and they never went away. It is always worse when I am tired, which seems like all the time now, or when I lay down. I now beleave I even get them in my ears. When I llay down at night I get this drumming in my ears it sounds like someome beating on a drum. I went to an ENT and he said there was nothing with my ears. After telling about all my other twitches he agreed that that could very well be the problem.

I just had my third brain MRI. I go back to my nurologest on Tuesday. My last one showed about 30 spots (Are spots and leasions the same?)

Sorry to be so long winded. I have a lot to say and no one to listen. GOD BLESS THIS SITE!

During the last couple of days I've added tiny little twitches-- only a few times a day and not visible to the eye-- to my list of complaints about ugly looking MRIs, buzzing, tingling, bladder issues, and just general anxiety. It's like I can for a split second feel my own heart beat in different parts of my body-- my back, my legs, my, arms, under my shoulder blades... I also get leg cramps, and am now anxious beyond belief that I was actually misdiagnosed as having 'only MS' when I'm actually a victim of ALS and that all those Copaxone shots are for nothing!

oo

I was indeed diagnosed with MS-- based on lesions on my MRI and symptoms such as tingling--, but these tiny muscle twitches (combined with my long-standing leg cramps and stiffness) are making me absolutely panic and wonder if the neuros were mistaken and I actually have ALS!