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How Can Severe Eyelid Twitching Be Treated?

Posted on Tue, 27 Jun 2017

Question: Hi 29 yr old male, my right upper eyelid has been twitching for 3 weeks now comes and goes during the day howver it is constant, i have tried cutting back on coffee but i do stress about it. and has also just recently started in the left upper eyelid. They feel like a butterfly floating in my eye they only affect upper lids and is really bothersome.i Am really worried it may be a start to essential benign blepharospasm as ive been reading up. In your experience what are the initial symptoms of benign blepharospasm and could it be this. I am generally an anxiouse person and have had severe anxiety in the past. I am really scared it is a start to that disease. Can yu help me, what do you think it is and why is it affecting both eyes now. My sleeping has been ok but i just wanted an opinion of a specialist.

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (6 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Probably due to anxiety/caffeine

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist, here to answer your query.

Considering your young age and other factors associated(anxiety,caffeine), it should not be blepharospasm, which is usually seen in elderly. Further, I must say here that otherwise benign eyelid twitch associated with stress, lack of sleep, excessive caffeine, smoking --may continue for a couple of weeks altogether. So, I would suggest you to address all these factors and see if still, the symptoms persist.

Hope that helps.I shall be glad to have you in follow-up with further queries in this regard.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (8 hours later)

Thank you, it has been 3 weeks now and still does not seem to go away. It is always triggered by touching or rubbing the eye, even looking up sometimes. Before it started in the right eye i did feel it was very irritated. In your opinion what are the early symptoms of benign blepharospasms. Is this normal to happen in both eyes?

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (33 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Try to eliminate the above factors.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for being in follow-up.

Of course, Blepharospasm often is bilateral. However, I still suggest that you should try to limit your anxiety and other factors as we discussed above and see if it still persists.Doing meditation/yoga on a regular basis may help.

Hope that helps.If you have further questions,I shall be glad to answer them.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (46 minutes later)

Does that mean you think it might be blepharospasm. I have been stressing alot less and Today and yesterday the twitching has slowed down heaps i only felt it a couple times during the day do you think this means it is going away. If it were blepharospasm what other symptons would i have

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Its less likely to be Blepharospasm.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for being in follow-up.

Its less likely to be blepharospasm. The reasons are several-
1)It improved significantly with improved stress.
2)Persisting for just 3 weeks don't make it Blepharospasm.
3)Most importantly, your age is not the usual age of onset for blepharospasm.

Other symptoms in Blepharospasm may be ocular pain, ocular irritation,photophobia but these are not so specific. Most important thing is its progression,unlike significant improvement as has occurred in your case.

Hope that helps.If you have any further questions,I shall be glad to have you in follow-up.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (4 hours later)

Ok thank you alot that really helps. Last question is i woke up and felt a light twitch on my eyebrow, wha do do you think this means. Feels liie a little tic every second or so. I ahve been doing some housework however.

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (35 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Benign twitches.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for being in follow-up.

These appear to be benign twitches.You should not feel worried about them.These are likely stress related.

Hope that helps.If you have any further questions, I shall be glad to have you in follow-up.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Remy Koshy

Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (7 minutes later)

Hi dr

Sorry but last question, i went to see a local gp last week and because of my anxiety he prescribed me with diazepam 5mg to tale for one week, i have been taking 1 at night and half a tablet in the morning. It has helped me relax alot and i feel stress free and the twitches seemed to have stopped alot. I am only worried that once i get off the tablets soon the twitches will return. The twitches on the eyelid only comes when i rub my eye. My question is if i did have essential blepharospasm would these tablets help it. I am worried that it might return once i stop

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (10 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Reduce the dose gradually and then stop it.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for being in follow-up.

You should not stop Diazepam at once. Taper the dose gradually over a few days and then stop it.

Further, meditation, physical exercise and Yoga are better means to relieve your anxiety as compared with diazepam.Of course, your lifestyle lies in your hands only.

Further, Essential blepharospasm is not your diagnosis and diazepam is not the primary drug for the same.

Hope that helps.If you need further clarifications,I shall be glad to have you in follow-up.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (2 days later)

Hi dr

I have been feeling that twitch in my left eyebrow again just above the eye. Is this a stmptom benign blepharospasm. Or could it be a side effect of the diazepam. The twitch in right eye has stopped but this has started annd feels like its getting worse. Still worries about benign blepharospasms for some reason. How does that symptom start

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (11 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Don't worry.It is not likely to be Blepharospasm.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for being in follow-up.

These are just benign twitches. First of all, this is not the age for Blepharospasm.Secondly, if it would have been blepharospasm, it would not have stopped completely and then occur singularly at times.

Hope that helps.If you have further questions,I shall be glad to have you in follow-up else please close the thread,rate it and write a review.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar