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Original poster

Bell's Palsy

44 replies

ComeOnThenFanny · 21/04/2023 14:07

As the title suggests, I have it. It's very random and strange, and it's affecting my mental health far more than it should.
Is this normal? I don't want to be wallowing in self-pity, but it's really getting me down, and it's only been a few days.

Does anyone have any tips to share on getting myself out of this slump and getting on with it?

Thank you.

OP posts:
ChocHotolate · 21/04/2023 14:30

Have you been to the Dr and got steroids?

Brunosmumhasnaffallgoingon · 21/04/2023 14:53

Im sorry your dealing with this. I had it. Bloody awful ! Steroids helped but to be honest I’m 4 months on and my right eye still isn’t right.
while my face was really bad I concentrated on improving my skin care routine and taking really good care of my hair. I think it helped because I was focusing on the things that I could control rather than the right side of my face which I couldn’t 🤣
I also took selfies so I could keep track of the improvements. Helped loads when I’d get myself upset or stressed about it.
Give it time and it will improve. Your only a few days in so go easy on yourself

CurlewKate · 21/04/2023 14:57

I live in a smallish community, and I put a FB status up about it because then everyone would know and I wouldn't have to explain every time. It's horrible-but you do kind of get used to it. It's worth trying steroids, but they don't work for everyone. Solidarity.

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Original poster
ComeOnThenFanny · 21/04/2023 15:01

ChocHotolate · 21/04/2023 14:30

Have you been to the Dr and got steroids?

Yes, I went on Tuesday when I woke up in the morning and thought I'd had a stroke! Thank god it wasn't.
I think it might be the steroids making me feel crappy tbh, but needs must.

OP posts:
Original poster
ComeOnThenFanny · 21/04/2023 15:03

Brunosmumhasnaffallgoingon · 21/04/2023 14:53

Im sorry your dealing with this. I had it. Bloody awful ! Steroids helped but to be honest I’m 4 months on and my right eye still isn’t right.
while my face was really bad I concentrated on improving my skin care routine and taking really good care of my hair. I think it helped because I was focusing on the things that I could control rather than the right side of my face which I couldn’t 🤣
I also took selfies so I could keep track of the improvements. Helped loads when I’d get myself upset or stressed about it.
Give it time and it will improve. Your only a few days in so go easy on yourself

This is a great idea, thank you!

I never considered myself a vain person, but apparently I am!

OP posts:
Original poster
ComeOnThenFanny · 21/04/2023 15:05

CurlewKate · 21/04/2023 14:57

I live in a smallish community, and I put a FB status up about it because then everyone would know and I wouldn't have to explain every time. It's horrible-but you do kind of get used to it. It's worth trying steroids, but they don't work for everyone. Solidarity.

Yep, I made sure to put a pic up so that nobody has to ask me what's wrong, or I might cry! Ridiculous.

My son asked me earlier why I look so sad. Erm... It's my face 🙄

OP posts:
misspositivepants · 21/04/2023 15:09

I had it the Dr believed it stemmed from a really bad cold sore I had.

Mine disappeared within about 6 weeks, and there was weekly improvement, you can’t even tell I’ve previously had it. It feels and looks bad in the early days but as you recover it will get easier and better. Lots of self care, early nights stop looking in the mirrors for changes and fingers crossed for a quick recovery!

I really remember when mine came on, I was trying to eat my lunch but my sandwich wouldn’t go in my mouth it was the strangest thing!

Original poster
ComeOnThenFanny · 21/04/2023 15:13

misspositivepants · 21/04/2023 15:09

I had it the Dr believed it stemmed from a really bad cold sore I had.

Mine disappeared within about 6 weeks, and there was weekly improvement, you can’t even tell I’ve previously had it. It feels and looks bad in the early days but as you recover it will get easier and better. Lots of self care, early nights stop looking in the mirrors for changes and fingers crossed for a quick recovery!

I really remember when mine came on, I was trying to eat my lunch but my sandwich wouldn’t go in my mouth it was the strangest thing!

I've had a bad coldsore too, it's obviously a trigger. Had I realised, I couldn't eat or drink properly the day before, but had no idea why!

I can't eat in front of anyone, I look ridiculous 🙈

OP posts:
Pedallleur · 21/04/2023 15:52

Bass player from Def Leppard suffers with it

It was hard to come to terms with and to understand why. I found it was easy to get into the 'why me?' syndrome. Partly because of the disability. It was more not being able to eat properly, or not being able to sleep without putting a patch on your eye because your eye wouldn't close, and things like that. The effect that it has on your everyday life was the hardest thing. In comparison, it was a very minor debilitating disease.

He considers himself lucky as the drummer lost an arm in a car wreck years ago

Pseudonamed · 21/04/2023 16:08

I have every sympathy for you having had this some years ago and the thoughts of it coming back has actually caused me mental health issues. I will never forget the pain let alone feeling and looking ridiculous and being self conscious at the same time. You poor thing. Hopefully it does not last long and you have no long lasting side effects.

WavingAtTheClouds · 21/04/2023 16:39

I had it when I was 12 and I'm now 43 and it's still present. While my droop is nowhere near as bad as it was, it's still noticeable at times, in the cold and when I'm stressed or run down, and in photos I can spot it. I have met many other people who've had it since and I think I'm just the unlucky few who didn't fully recover, other people I love known since have all recovered.

You're not vain at all, it's upsetting when your body suddenly doesn't do what you're used to or what you see in the mirror isn't what you've seen every day until very recently in your life and it's very easy to think to compare this to "worse" health issues or disabilities and then feel guilty for wallowing but all that does is make me feel like a bad person or ungrateful for being upset at how I look.

It affected my communication too, facial expressions just don't look the same when only one half of your face moves and a smile can look like the opposite. Photos were not taken so frequently as they are now and if social media was a thing and cameras being whipped out so often was a thing when my symptoms were at the worse I'd have struggled a lot too.

I hope you have a speedy and full recovery Flowers

Original poster
ComeOnThenFanny · 21/04/2023 16:41

@Pedallleur there are loads of famous people that have had it, I had no idea it was so common. He's exactly right, it's weirdly debilitating.

OP posts:
Original poster
ComeOnThenFanny · 21/04/2023 16:43

@Pseudonamed I really feel for you, it's a shocker, and I can absolutely understand your dread at ever getting it again x

OP posts:
Original poster
ComeOnThenFanny · 21/04/2023 16:44

@WavingAtTheClouds what a lovely post, you are so right. It feels silly to be upset over something that should be trivial in the grand scheme of things...

Thank you so much all of you - I really appreciate the support.

OP posts:
cafecreme · 21/04/2023 16:48

I had BP after recovering from pneumonia at 37. It went away after a couple of months I think. It was quite miserable and I had to tape my eye shut to sleep.

I’m 48 now and it hasn’t come back (touch wood).

I didn’t think it was still visible and certainly no one comments on my face but I had to see a neurologist recently and the first thing he said was “you’ve had BP”. I was impressed and a little disconcerted!

I hope you feel better soon op. Try to eat a healthy diet and rest as much as possible. The doctor said I got it because I was so run down after pneumonia.

Snowjokes · 21/04/2023 16:52

I hope it starts clearing up soon for you OP. I had it after my first pregnancy, and I really worried about it happening again when I had my second, but luckily it didn’t. Steroids worked well for me and after a few days it started getting better. Taking selfies is a good idea, it can be hard to judge your progress from memory alone. I felt so self conscious eating/drinking. I remember telling my health visitor about it as I was paranoid she’d think badly of me for talking strangely - she hadn’t even noticed an issue. It feels far worse than it appears to other people!

Original poster
ComeOnThenFanny · 21/04/2023 16:52

cafecreme · 21/04/2023 16:48

I had BP after recovering from pneumonia at 37. It went away after a couple of months I think. It was quite miserable and I had to tape my eye shut to sleep.

I’m 48 now and it hasn’t come back (touch wood).

I didn’t think it was still visible and certainly no one comments on my face but I had to see a neurologist recently and the first thing he said was “you’ve had BP”. I was impressed and a little disconcerted!

I hope you feel better soon op. Try to eat a healthy diet and rest as much as possible. The doctor said I got it because I was so run down after pneumonia.

I have been trying to eat a little more healthily than usual, but because it's so difficult to eat, I can't be arsed. The steroids are making me ravenous.

I can't rest much unfortunately - I have two 21 week old puppies that demand my attention, but they have been very good nurses ❤️

OP posts:
Original poster
ComeOnThenFanny · 21/04/2023 16:53

Snowjokes · 21/04/2023 16:52

I hope it starts clearing up soon for you OP. I had it after my first pregnancy, and I really worried about it happening again when I had my second, but luckily it didn’t. Steroids worked well for me and after a few days it started getting better. Taking selfies is a good idea, it can be hard to judge your progress from memory alone. I felt so self conscious eating/drinking. I remember telling my health visitor about it as I was paranoid she’d think badly of me for talking strangely - she hadn’t even noticed an issue. It feels far worse than it appears to other people!

That's what dh says, he can't notice it, but it's impossible not to, he's being nice. If I try to smile, I look like The Joker 🤦🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
WavingAtTheClouds · 21/04/2023 17:55

The kids in my family ask me to my "The Rock" impression because I can only as I can still only move one eyebrow. Grin

WonkyFeelings · 21/04/2023 17:58

Find a good acupuncturist near you. It can help a lot.

Badbudgeter · 21/04/2023 18:03

You have my sympathy OP I had this 18months ago and I felt awful. I had to go to the Gp after a week to get a sick note and I just burst into tears. I don’t think I’m vain but life is tough when All of a sudden half your face doesn’t want to move. It took a while but my face went back to normal. Maybe 60% mobility after steroids and the rest came back slowly.

Original poster
ComeOnThenFanny · 23/04/2023 09:43

Thank you all, I thought I was improving yesterday, and went out for a really long walk, but it's absolutely killed me off today. I just want to feel and look better.

OP posts:
Badbudgeter · 23/04/2023 10:01

I think the steroids give you a false sense of get up and go. Honestly rest I found was the best medicine. Well that and a lot of pills. I think I was a bit unusual but two days after I finished the course of steroids I was hospitalised as nerve inflammation came roaring back. In hindsight I do wonder if that could of been avoided if I’d rested more.

christmaspudding43 · 23/04/2023 10:16

I had it too, quite a few years ago, I'd had shingles a few years prior and there is believed to be a link. I found it much more distressing that I'd expected, I think partly because the medical people involved were a bit shirty - diagnosed in a&e as out of hours refused to see me because the symptoms obviously mirror stroke, which is fine, and we have no walk in. Got given the wrong prescription and had to try and sort that, was told to follow up with my GP who rang and said I've no idea why you need following up, what's the issue. Also referred to optometrist at hospital but was improving by the time the referral came through and she was pretty shitty about me being there too.

Anyway, it was upsetting but I recovered well and you'd have to be looking very closely to spot anything, I'd say it's only noticeable if I'm very tired and even then you'd need to know me well. Take it easy and rest, give your body time to heal.

OhhhhhhhhBiscuits · 23/04/2023 10:21

I had BP last year. I was 99% healed within 8 weeks, but those 8 weeks feel like a lifetime.

My top tips are

  1. get signed off work and rest, rest and rest some more. Rest is honestly the best thing for it.

  2. have some acupuncture after about 4 weeks.

  3. use a decent tape and eye patch for your eye at night. Nexcare Sensitive Tape is the best one as it doesn't damage the eye skin when you remove it.

  4. use your eye drops and eye ointment religiously. The eye hospital told me to use drops every hour during the day and ointment 4 times a day and put loads in at night before you tape and patch your eye.

  5. nerves when they are regenerating bloody hurt. Get some painkillers from your GP for when this starts happening. I had cocodamol and tramadol and that really did help.

  6. carry on resting. Honestly literally do nothing. Sleep and lay down as much as you can.

The only thing I am left with is my nose runs when I eat (I think that's permanent now) and when I am very tired or stressed I can notice my eye is slightly different but no one else can notice it they say.

Wishing you healing thoughts. AND REST!