Bell's Palsy

[DtPeabodysLoosePants]

My mum has been diagnosed recently with Bell's Palsy and I'm hoping to hear from people who have had this who have any tips on how to cope. She's struggling to eat normal food as can't chew. She's ok with soft foods. She was told at the hospital that she can't drive but no one has said how long for. She's had a course of steroids and had eye drops and is taping her eye closed at night.
Does anyone have any advice from experience? Thank you

My brother has this. This initial few months were the hardest and it's got easier now although some days are still worse than others. Doctors cant say when/if he will get fully better.
Soft foods are your friend.
Yes, to the not being able to close his eyes. I think that was the worst part, he was in so much agony, and did the whole taping his eye down. I remember him being so physically and mentally tired but he still couldn't sleep. A year on and that's gone now. It's shit though cos he's only in his 30s.
One advice I would give is that look out for her mental health as well as her physical health.
X

I had this a few years ago and it was awful. I couldn't eat or speak properly and also had to tape my eye shut at night. Luckily I recovered after 2 weeks. I think I had a 10 day course of steroids (8 per day) and had zero improvement after one week. I was very down and felt hopeless, but then suddenly began to get feeling back. After 3-4 weeks I was fully recovered, I was very lucky.

Has your mother finished the course of steroids?

I hated taping my eye closed so found using a tight sleep mask kind of rolled up, with another sleep mask worn normally over the top, worked better and was more comfortable.

I hope she recoveres soon. It really knocks your confidence when you have something wrong with your face /speech.

This happened to my ds1 (25) s week ago! So scary.
No advice really. He's having trouble eating and drinking too. And had to tape his eye shut at night because it won't close.
DR just gave him steroids and eye drops and said it affects everyone differently

My dad isn't long over his second bout of Bells's Palsy in the past 15 years.

Like Fuchsia, he had around a 10 day course of steroids. Plenty of soft foods. Drinks via a straw for the first fortnight or so. Eye really did need taped down, but he found it so irritating that he didn't bother. Eyedrops for around two weeks as well. Dad was very tired a lot of the time, so advice would just be to rest up as she feels necessary. And just to mind herself - it's tough, and I know my dad felt very self-conscious being out in public.

One thing to say is that we saw absolutely no improvement in Dad for a month, even after the steroids. So don't panic too much if it seems as if there's no change or improvement. When the improvement did come, it came quickly. I'd say dad was fully recovered within 6 weeks but the first four or five weeks of that was hard, with little or no change.

Thank you everyone, that's reassuring. She's 80 and normally fit and well so has really knocked her. She's tired mainly and just not feeling right. I think it's just over 2 weeks now since it started and she's finished the steroids.

I had this - was never told not yo drive though.

I hadn’t even noticed I had it but was brunching with friends and couldn’t keep scrambled in my mouth.

GP diagnosed me by trying to get me to whistle - it was bizarre, like having facial numbness from a dental visit.

I was also exhausted by it.

Recovered fully now, get a mild droopy eye and lip if I am dry tired.

Hi how long it took to fully recover