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Strange Thing Happening! Could this be MS?

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    Strange Thing Happening! Could this be MS?

    My left side is by far my weaker side. Don't know if there is any correlation or not. About two to three weeks ago my left eyelid started not opening when I wake up in the morning. I usually have to open it myself by pulling it open. My right eyelid is fine. Once I get it opened it works alright as far as I can tell, until I again go to sleep or get in a very relaxed state with my eyes shut. Then it happens again.

    Could this be MS related? I have had optic neuritis in the past, but of course this is not that. I am just wondering if, as my left side weakens, my eyelid is weakening also. It is like it is paralyzed in the mornings until I manually reach up and open it.

    I am going to the Opthomologist in two weeks, but just wondered if anyone has heard of anything like this.

    Thanks,
    Virginia
    Virginia

    #2
    I think that there's often a connection. If your left side is weak, your whole left side may show signs of weakness.

    My left side is weak too. That's the side of me that slumps when I'm tired. It's also the side where my eye veers off center and my eyelids do weird things. The entire left side of my face droops sometimes.

    If I look in the mirror and this is happening, it looks as if somebody drew a very straight line right down the center of my face. The right side looks normal, but on the left side the lips droop, the eyelid and eyebrow droop, and sometimes that entire side of my face looks withered and pale.

    I don't usually know this is happening unless I look in a mirror. Sometimes there's a slight tightening feeling on the left side of my face.
    SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) since December 2020.

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      #3
      My left side is also my weak side but i havent had that eye thing, Virginia. I did have Bells Palsy about 5 yrs ago and strangely, it was on the right side of my face.

      I'll be very interested to hear what your Optho thinks.
      Love, Sally


      "The best way out is always through". Robert Frost






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        #4
        Sally, years ago before I was diagnosed with MS I also had Bell's Palsy but it was on the opposite side of my face than what later turned out to be my weakest side.

        One of my brother's had it and then later had it on the other side. He completely recovered. A lot because his was after mine and I told him what was happening to him and to get to a Doctor quick and get medicine so that he would not have any residual effects.
        Virginia

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          #5
          Virginia, I also have myasthenia gravis as well as MS. In March I had surgery for cataracts on both eyes. In April I had an exacerbation of what was thought at first to be MS however some blood work was done and I tested positive for myasthenia gravis. My left side has always been the weaker side as well and the obvious symptom was a droopy eye lid. You might want your doctor to do the test for MG. It is a blood test for Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody.

          I believe in my case the anesthesia brought forth the MG which I have probably had but was hidden for a number of years.

          Gabriella
          Last edited by Gabriella7; 01-04-2012, 05:55 PM.
          Progressive/Relapsing MS, Myasthenia Gravis, Spinal Stenosis, Degenerative Disc Disease, Diabetes, Hypertension, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
          Advocate for ADA, Artist's Community for Change, ADAPT, Universal Living in Place, HopeKeepers, Complementary and Alternative Medicine

          "Life is mostly froth and bubble, two things stand like stone. Kindness in another's trouble, Courage in your own"........Adam Lindsay Gordon

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            #6
            I agree with Gabriella about the anesthesia causing a reaction in my case it causes a flare usually a major one. And for what ever reason the last couple of times I have been knocked out I have gone CRAZY.

            As we all know MS affects everyone differently but I seem to have weakness along the whole side and I have a pinched nerve that causes problems on my right leg and numbness in certain spots rather than the whole leg as the MS has caused.

            Comment


              #7
              Maybe that's one of the reasons I'm feeling so loagy lately....general anesthesia on the 18th for cataract. Next one is being done on the 11th of January and the first eye is not healing well. That left sided facial slowness may or may not be related to MS but it concerns me enough that if it were me, I would not wait two weeks for the eye doc but would call my primary. This is one case where some oral steroids might help more than harm.

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                #8
                Had not thought of that Cherie. I might try for the PCP, however she is not well versed in MS. I like her but she is young and her knowledge of MS is not much. I have already noted that she prefer that someone else take care of anything relating to that. However, I don't know if this is related to MS or not. It is still doing the same thing - no change.

                Virginia
                Virginia

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                  #9
                  Just a quick update to this thread. My eye started opening on it's own about 4 or 5 days ago. Was actually a shock to me the first couple of mornings when I woke up and it opened wide.

                  I kept my appointment with the Ophthalmolgist today since it was time for me to go see him anyway, and also it lasted so long I wanted to know what had happened. He definitely does think it is the MS. He asked if it is my weaker side and of course it is. I hope I have seen the last of it because I got the impression he couldn't do anything about it no matter what it is. I think, due to the questions he asked, that he thinks I have had an exacerbation. This could also account for the severe muscle spasms I talked about in another thread.

                  He did not appear to be in a good mood today. I think something is going on in his office - like possibly money problems. One of his technicians told me how much he had paid for some equipment and he is in this practice alone so he is having to shoulder all the financial and other problems. Anyway, some little something has broken down on this piece of equipment and they have to fly someone in from Japan to get it fixed. She says that the fact that Doctors are being forced to put everything on line is also causing a lot of problems in a small office like that. I think he is trying to get an exemption because of what all it entails. Everything is not always as it seems I guess.
                  Last edited by Virginia; 01-18-2012, 05:09 PM.
                  Virginia

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