i have a droopy eyelid on my left eye. i dont know if it is bells palsy. it is mild but makes my right eye look slightly smaller than my left. i have had this for about two years. i want to get it fixed, and i talked with a plastic surgeon who suggested a browlift. i dont know if this will fix the problem of the eyelid though, or just the brow. any suggestions?
Posted by RC1 (Member # 31923) on :
I had a droopy eyelid, mine corrected itself with treatment.
Posted by lymeinhell (Member # 4622) on :
Try applying a drop of peppermint oil above your eyebrow. If the droop is from muscle fatigue, you will see improvement quite quickly (it worked for me). Peppermint oil refreshes the muscles (and also the brain, so be sure to cup your hands in front of your nose and inhale deeply for 30-60 secs).
Posted by jpsmom (Member # 23895) on :
I have had the droopy eyelid on the left as well WITH INTERMINTENT TWITCHING, i had a eye dc call it ptosis, i call it lyme symptom, i will try the peppermint theory, THANKS :-)
Posted by katrinab (Member # 30330) on :
alright well is it permanent? i dont know what using peppermint oil is going to tell me as far as what type of surgery i need to have to fix it...
Posted by RC1 (Member # 31923) on :
Mine went away with treatment, both eyes are the same size again. Lol. It took about six month though.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
This is a known Lyme symptom; I'd postpone surgery until after completing Lyme treatment because if the Lyme treatment improves the drooping eye and you have surgery prior to the improvement, what will happen? Will one eyebrow then be higher than the other? I don't know the answer to these questions, but just posting them to get you thinking about this.
Posted by lymeinhell (Member # 4622) on :
Katrinab - if the drooping is from muscle fatigue (as your muscles get tired bc your body is using all your energy to fight infection), peppermint oil should help with the droop. And the droop will go away as you get better, its a temporary condition, so use the oil in the interim.
There are other causes of the droop that are lyme related - again related to the infection. I too would postpone any type of surgery until you see how you fare after treatment.
Posted by 365SunnyDays (Member # 29969) on :
A droopy "half-mast" left eyelid (on top of fatigue) was what got me to searching for what is wrong with me. I had a diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis (the eyelid droop is the classic first sign of this autoimmune disease, which affects the nerve-muscle junction and can affect the entire body (legs, arms, lungs)). I believe this was brought on by Lyme and other infections (e.g., molds). The droop has improved, but never has fully gone away.
Surgery will not help with eyelid droop from this disease because the lid will continue to droop. I would recommend that a neurologist rule out Myasthenia Gravis before proceeding with any surgery or other radical approach.
Posted by Tracy9 (Member # 7521) on :
I agree with SunnyDays, I also have Myasthenia Gravis, caused by having Lyme for so long, and this is a classic symptom of it. You should definitely see a neuromuscular specialist or contact your local Muscular Dystrophy Association to be tested for it. It's a very serious autoimmune disease that requires treatment.
Having a bacterial infection for a long time can cause autoimmune diseases. The sooner you catch MG, the better. Please look it up and see if you have any other symptoms, though for many people the droopy eyelid is the only symptom. Get tested!
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
Ergggh! Is it common to have it with both eyes in MG, Tracy?
I have it badly in both eyes. I thought it was from getting older, although it's pretty extreme.
I have also wondered if it wasn't a bit of Bell's Palsy or other Lyme symptom. I did have Bell's on one side of my mouth a few years ago. It wasn't super bad. And I still have it a little, although it's not really noticeable to others now.
But my eye lids? They're bad! I've been wanting to get them fixed surgically, but of course I've got too much else that is way more important than that. I'm fighting to get well. Sigh. It's such a long, long battle.