Eyelid Twitching
Okay, it seems like a large number of people visiting my site are coming to read about eyelid twitching. In my fourth post (I am now over 250), I simply mentioned that I had one of those eyelid twitching episodes a lot of people seem to get, and it was irritating the heck out of me.
Suddenly, this site became the Mecca for Eyelid Twitchers. I can only suppose that there is relatively little out there about it, or that more people link to my site than they do to sites all about Eyelid Twitching, so I rank higher in Google.
Anyway, I started feeling bad for all those poor twitchers who came to my site seeking information or relief, and just found a really small note saying that my own eyelid was twitching as well. I mean, misery loves company and all, but it really isn’t useful outside of that. So I figured I might as well write something more substantive about eyelid twitching, so here it is.
First off, there’s a name for this: myokymia. “Myo-” is the Greek root for “eye,” and “-kymia” means “I’m making up this etymology.” But the name, at least, is for real. They’re also called eyelid “tremors,” as it sounds kind of psycho to have a “twitch,” or worse, a “spasm.” Nobody likes spasms. “Tremors” sounds cooler.
Myokymia is, according to doctors, “a common condition where a few of the muscle fibers of the upper — or more commonly the lower — eyelid contract irregularly. … Myokymia is closely associated with stress, fatigue, lack of sleep and too much caffeine.”
That’s doctorese for, “you’re eyelid’s twitching, moron. Try changing something.”
This doctor says that myokymia is associated with “brainstem neoplasms,” which sounds even cooler than “tremors.” “Brainstem neoplasms” is bound to get people at the office to pay attention when you talk about your problem. But then, the treatment for that includes a “lumbar puncture with examination of cerebrospinal fluid,” so maybe it’s best not to milk the neoplasm idea too far. Especially for a stupid eyelid twitch.
Frankly, when I get The Twitch, I’m not usually stressed out, I am getting as much sleep as ever, sometimes more, and I don’t drink coffee (I even have decaf Coke). Maybe it’s my Evil Plan to Dominate the World, we usually get eye twitches when we do that.
Some people stand by the theory that it is a vitamin deficiency, usually potassium (because someone once heard that potassium has something to do with muscles; we’re still trying to track that one down), and others swear that it’s a B-vitamin deficiency, saying they lose the twitch immediately when they start taking the pills. I have the strong feeling, however, that this is more to do with something that rhymes with the “flacebo effect.” For all of you who want the above remedies to work, I cleverly disguised my opinions about it there.
Treatment: Reduce your stress, get more sleep, nix the coffee, eat more bananas and B-complex pills. Throw in a couple of sugar pills for good measure. Save the cerebrospinal fluid exam for emergencies.
Or, you might just wait for them to go away on their own. Whatever.
@Kate
Hello Kate,
I am glad to know I am not alone! Hopefully the twitching will
stop for me eventually too! Wouldn’t be so bad is my hub’s
didn’t point it out to me! Now I feel self conscious about it!
But at least I know there is hope! Thanks!
I also have to say I can’t believe these comments have been
going for almost 6 years, over 2000 comments!
Lee, I think it’s a more common thing then we could realize. I don’t know if my twitching will come back again someday or not. I hope not. It does seem that it eventually stops in most cases, but the timing is different for everyone.
My left eyelid is back to normal now. But when it was twitching, I would look at it and really notice the lid was lowered. My husband confirmed it for me. I think my eyes were really tired out. You don’t have twitching in the other eye, do you? I had it in both, but the left was more consistent. It was really really annoying.
I hope you stop twitching soon!
Kate
Wow! More people get those tremors than I originally thought. They are extremely annoying since it ruins my line of sight. My mother totally doesn’t think that it is a big deal but the truth is that it makes me very self-conscious since I am a Theatre Major and perform in front of people. Also, I am a Design Major as well so it doesn’t help that my eyelid twitches for the entire time that I am staring at my drawings and trying to concentrate. My left eye tremors continued for four months and then it stopped. Unfortunately, my right eye started twitching but it was stopped after a few nights of rest and now my left eye tremors are back and worse then ever! I am starting college again so I was desperate to try out these solutions now. I don’t know how miraculously my tremors will disappear but I will definitely try them out. Thanks and be strong for the people going through the same intolerable situation that I am.
So recently my eye started twitching a lot. I did some google searches to try and find the cause. I realized that the twitching started right around the same time I started taking creatine. Creatine is a supplement athletes use, does something with the fast twitch muscle fibers I guess. But anyhow, I am certain that my twitching eye is cause by the creatine. Not sure if I should stop taking it or not, I definitely feel a difference when working out while I’ve been taking it, stronger and more energetic. My point is creatine causes eye twitching, at least in my case.
After over one year of maddening eye twitching, it is finally (temporarily)gone. My theory: anti-depressants. I have been on Lexapro for many years. After the eye-twitching started I thought it was perhaps the build up of Lexapro in my system that caused the twitching, but it was the opposite. I recently had my dose increased, and about a week or so later, the twitching just ceased.
This blog is too funny! I’ve had left eye twitching periodically for 2 weeks now. It’s annoying, but not a big deal for me. Today, however, I realized that my left thigh muscle began jumping around. I take a I rarely eat bananas, so maybe it is the lack of potassium, or it’s just stress. There’s plenty of that.
Hi everyone. Am a 21 year old medical student. Last month, i was on a crash diet and had only coffee, it made me have really bad finger tremors. Then i switched to green tea and had 8 to 9 cups everyday. Some environmental problems and guy issues had driven me sad that time, id just sit and cry. To top it all, due to some patient watching, i was just getting 4 hours of sleep. That was the time, the area below my left eye started twitching. Initially, it would only happen at night but then it got continuous. I was feeling weak that time due to volleyball lessons and periods. Its been 25 days till now. My guy had told me that green tea is good for these fasciculations so i had continued. But it seems he was wrong. I am going to give up all sorts of caffeine, have already started eating right. Am sure it will go away in a couple of weeks.
My advice to all
1. Stop surfing the net about it and worrying. Try to relax and ignore. Please try.
2. Boycott caffeine
3. Drink lots of water
4. Bananas and guavas
5. Exercise to increase blood flow to the brain
6. Stay happy
My twitches have reduced by a great deal. Its still annoying and i hide it with my hair. But i hope they disappear soon.
Facial twitches are mostly benign
I posted a while back about my upper right eyelid twitch. The first Opthamologist told me i had to have botox injections if i wanted it to stop. So i got a second opinion for another opthamologist in pittsburgh.. Well im glad i did. Turns out mine was from an allergic reaction to my contact solution. I had to wear my glasses for 3 or 4 weeks plus put moisturizing drops in my eyes. Well Im glad to say after almost 3 months FINALLY my eyelid twitch has stopped.. The second doctor said 3 weeks and was only off by a week. I hope this helps some people out and give them hope that some day it will stop..Good luck to all!!!
The area below my left eye kept twitching non-stop eversince I woke up this morning and I am getting so worried about it.
To me it is a six-sense that something unpleasant or some trouble is going to take place when the area below the eyes twitch.
However, when my upper eye-lid twitch, I can expect good things to happen.
All of you might be laughing at me, and I still hope that it is a false alarm and hope I am wrong and your theory of tiredness and lack of sleep is the cause.
@flozzy
Flozzy,
I hope that you are wrong only because I don’t want anything bad to happen for you! Lack of sleep can be one of many causes for eye twitching. If you read some of the posts through this blog you will find many of them. Maybe you have just changed something in your daily routine that you wouldn’t think would be a problem.
Either way, I’m not laughing at you!
Lee
Lee,
Perhaps you are right. Daily routine has changed for me and there is a feeling of uncertainty. But this sixth-sense thing is real for me.
Well, I will just have to learn to deal with it. It is still twitching, quite distracting. Okay, will try meditation and see if it helps.
Years ago I saw a TV program about all the small bugs that live on human bodies; most are microscopic and we don’t even know they are there. Like bacteria, they are helpful until their number is either too many or too little. Anyway, we have these bugs that live on our lash lines and when their number grows too large, it can cause your eyelid to “twitch”. The solution offered was to wash the lash lines with mild baby shampoo like Johnson’s twice a day and throw away the mascara you are currently using. This has always worked for me.
@Flozzy
flozzy, you are so right! the twitching has been very much a sixth sense for me for a long time, for me and my brother it has always followed the following protocol: left eye bad news right eye good news.
i also believe that it may be tracking the bio-signatures of those that you have a relationship with. ie lover,spouse,boss etc ect..
and i take it as a warning to do something different if it is the bad “left” eye.
I don’t know if we are referring to the same area where the twitch is, I am not able to draw an illustration here on this blog, therefore I have the illustration of a face uploaded on this url and I have marked the spot “A” and “B” - http://www.webbpoly.com/eyetwitching.gif
Spot “B” is below the eye area where the eyebag is while Spot “A” is on the upper eyelid (nothing to do with the eyebrow, though and I don’t use mascara nor apply eye makeup cosmetic).
It is nice to know I am not the only one who is getting the sixth sense hint.
I can get anxious when the twitch is at spot “B” see illustration at this url http://www.webbpoly.com/eyetwitching.gif
@sixth sense
It started happening to me yesterday. Some people claim it means someone else is talking about you, soem say tiredness etc. the list is endless, i so glad its a real medical thing, nothing fake!
The hint was I forgot to pay one of my bills and got myself penalizsed for it…the twitching has stopped and so that was the warning.
This evening my upper eyelid gave a rapid-twitch and then it stopped. I knew something pleasant is going to happen…indeed I am right, the small windfall came at a time I needed it most. (smile)
my left eye has been twitching for weeks now. It really sucks. About a week before it started, I was taking the prescription pill Vicodin, and after they were used up, I felt some withdrawals, and that’s when I noticed the spasms. Magnesium and potassium are known remedies, and smoking less ciggs and watching your caffeine intake helps. My next self-help plan is to smoke some marijuana and observe the effects. Actually, I just want to smoke a joint because it relieves stress for me. Stress is ever-present in my job as I works with young (20-25 yrs old) people whose work ethics revolve around focusing their day on hurrying up home to play on their XBox360. What a lost generation.
So, pot, potassium, magnesium and no alcohol and/or caffeine is my best affordable course of action. Please don’t judge.:)
sounds like a good plan to me! i’m just curious… what state are you in?
@Alabama
Errr that sounds healthy.. ;x
Hope you get treated aside from just drugs for being depressive!
hie
thanks 4 that im soooo glad im not alone I was starting to think im some kind of freek with tweching eyes. i just want it to stop i really find it annoying. i never dirnk cofee(hate the taste) i take 6 vitamns a day and eat a healthy diet(so im getting all my vitamens) and im not stressed wats there 2 be stressed about im 16. so i dont know wats causing it. grrrr is there anything i came take 2 stop it.
@flozzy
So … which was it? Something GOOD I hope?
Flozzy, see if the animated photo on this page is what you are trying to convey: http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/eye-twitching.htm
I couldn’t have done it better. This is what I am feeling.
Dry eyes and twitching ?
http://www.bettervisionforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79
Bettervision Forum - Eye Twitching and Eye Spasms
http://www.bettervisionforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=11
@Barbara
No Barbara, not that eye area as in the animated photo - I was referring to the eye bag area (below) that twitches.
@Lee <
I tried everything for my lower eyelid twitch. This is the BEST method I came up with.
1. Boil a pot of water
2. Pour some eucalyptus oil in
3. Carefully drape a towel over your head and put your face over the rising steam for 10-15minutes
The eucalyptus will open your pours allowing the heat to work deeper into your skin. It will not only relax the lower eye lid, but all the muscles/nerves around it. Directly after the steaming, buy some St.Ives Apricot facial exfoliating cream. Use a little and rub it into your lower eye lid area. This will further sooth the skin and pours. Repeat for a few days.
You can also microwave a damp towel with eucalyptus oil. My own concoction that works really well! Goodluck!
“It’s actually called Blepharospasm which is a symptom of involuntary and uncontrollable movements in the muscles around a person’s eyes which in turn make them appear like ‘blinking non-stop’ to other people.
In certain cases, this may be caused by myasthenia (muscular weakness) in the eyes organ as a result of stresses, overstraining of the eyes, lacks of sleeps, the serious lacks of certain nutrients / minerals to support the normal functionings / movements of your eyelid muscles etc.
Next, in the case whereby no stress, any kinds of infections, overstraining of the eyes etc are involved whilst the eyelids and the entire organs just look superficially normal and ok, and at the same time, the eyelid-twitching / eye-blinking just get ‘unexplainedly’ from bad to worse from time to time, such medical scenarios could actually be caused by other neuromuscular disorders which are much more complicated.”
http://silkwise.com/content/viewthread_thread,4243
HSV1 or common coldsore virus, stored in the cheekbone and running along the Vagus nerve, is the cause. Be glad you don’t get it in your diaphragm, making heart flutters… that’s what I had. Also had Bell’s Palsy on the other side…same virus is the cause.
I put ice packs on the eye and cheek and will try to eat some potassium…and Vitamin B12
I have had upper eyelid twitching for 6 weeks now, almost non stop.
This has prompted my doctor to send me to a neurologist for a MS workup. 15 years ago I was suspected of having Multiple Sclerosis but a definite Diagnosis was never made. Looks like I am going to go thru the work up again. I have no doublt I have MS, not bad but still MS!!! The twitching is driving me batty. This is not the 1st episode of twitching but it is the longest by far. Ms can be a weird disease with all kinds of odd sensations and symptoms. Sometimes it feels like a spider or bug is crawling on my foot but there is nothing there. Of course there are worse symptoms , MANY symptoms. I really don’t want the MRI and spinal taps again, MRIS cause me great anxiety and the last spinal tap put me flat for a week. Thanks for listening
@thandy
the same thing is happening to me. i just turned 16, and sure i have a stress free life. i guess i must not be getting much sleep, but its hard when u have to attend netball practice twice a week and all the homework i get.i eat a hell load of veggies, fruits etc. at least now my twitching has stopped, but about 2 weeks after it stopped, it twitched once. so glad im not some weirdo. people didnt believe sometimes when i told them…
Lol. Good one
@NH
My eye has been twitching for about 5 mths now, some days more than others, sometimes for hrs sometimes mins….. I had Bells Palsy as well, so maybe it is the virus you speak of. It’s the first think that I’ve read that makes sense…… I get good sleep, and am not super stressed (though I was about to get married when it first started so that’s what I chalked it up to be), eat well etc…. I’m going to continue looking down that path!
wow i love this explanation{Im planning to dominate the world too lol}
i got on here just to read about eye twitchin because yesterday both my eyes began blinkin and i dont kno why….. It s really annoying me tho.. i bought eye drops thinking my eyes were dry but that didnt help… after awhile it gives me a headache
info from Dr Gott’s column
PDF] Reader finds treatment for spasms that cause eyelid twitch
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Reader finds treatment for spasms that cause eyelid twitch. Dear Dr. Gott: As an avid fan of your column, I read with inter- est the past column from one of …
http://www.tulsaworld.com/twpdfs/2008/Final/W_111208_D_4.PDF -
I have developed a right eyelid twich now for 2 weeks, along with symptoms of sinus pressure and headache. Im scared and expecting the worst because I am a huge hypochondriac. Anyone have the same issue?
* The sinus pressure
* dizziness
* eye twitching
* nausea
??????????????????????????????????????????????????
hay, alot of people have one that is amazingly over looked (and hardly mentioned) its commonly reffered to “wind-twich(spasam tremmor ect)” its caused by excessive exposure to wind thus causing the nerves to miss-fire. I know I have it (mainly becuase I sleep with my fan on all night) but what I am having the most difficulty with is what to do about it, there has to be something (probly simple too). oh and BTW, turning off the fan isent going to work becuase it gets like 100 degrees F where I live almost daily, so….
anyone got any answers?
insane_dumb_ass@hotmail.com
ever heard the saying “if you look for it, you will find it”? essentualy it means that perhaps “good” or “bad” events happen to you (or perhaps you take more notice of such events) in the aknolagement (sp?) of the left or right eye lid twich? @sixth sense
the sinus, nausia, and dizzyness are all probly just the common cold, where as the eye twich is more likely to be of some other condition then related to the other symtoms, chances are, u have the cold, and not enough sleep.@Sandy
Thanks for that info. I seem to be like you, in the sense that I don’t drink caffeine and I sleep just fine (8 hrs a day) and still get this stupid eye twitch.
I wanted to let you know that one of the reasons why some people get it is because they spend too much time looking at a computer. I spend about 8-10 hrs a day on the computer. I think this might have affected my twitching.
I’m actually going to cut down on this time and see how it goes.
Happy twitching!
Thank you for your blog ! What a relief ! You make it sound even funny !
thanks!! I have had a stupid eye twitch problem in one eye for weeks now.
Good one. Informative and funny as well. Even I am suffering from these stupid lower left eyelid twitches since past 3 damn days now and it still continues. This feeling when the eyelid twitches is so damn annoying and feels kind of weird. I hope it goes away by it’s own, this stupid eyelid twitch. Medical science has done some revolutionary things since past decade but can’t yet zero down on the exact cause of this? That’s even more stupid.
And yes, here is a good link, visit this as well. And also, notice the image of eyelid twitch on the page in middle of the article, that is hilarious for some reason..
http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/eye-twitching.htm
Hi all,
I have been suffering lower left eye lid twitching after having a partial anterior ethmoidectomy. I am not sure if the two are inter-related, but i have pain and swelling at nasolabial fold and to a lesser extent over the prominence of my cheekbone. The twitching is so severe it feels like it is paralying my eye and like others it feels like ppl can see it, b/c it makes me close my eye. It feels like the twitching just isn’t my lower lid but the actual eye itself also. I’ve been experiencing this now for several weeks. I have tried to be patient thinking once the swelling and healing of my sinus occurs then it will stop. I have had 4 sinus surgeries, and now wonder if I might have nerve damage. Well, off to take a multivitamin after reading this post to see if it helps. If anyone knows anything about sinus and eye lid twitching would love to read it.
thanks 4 ur advice I had these stupid twitches & had noone to ask 4 help apart 4m google.
I was wondering why in the world this was happening to me, ive been getting roughly 5 hours of sleep a night lately, have been worrying about a reaserch paper for english for the past 2 weeks, and ave been drinking half a pot of coffee every morning.
no wonder.
wow it did work . Thanks for the info. i cut down on coffee and it helped me alot . Thanks again
@Lindsey
I had a heart episode for no apparent reason the other night that lasted 90 minutes.
What is disturbing is, it feels like it’s pinched and could happen again at any time.
I was having a lot of stress at the time my eye was going, and it extended to my whole cheek..I had an episode then too.
I think when the virus is hurting my stomach at the time it affects that nerve and can trigger it. My brother is a runner and he has it bad too.
For me, extra gas sometimes triggers it.
Losing weight will help me, since then the stomach is not rubbing too close.
Look up Vagus nerve twitching… It’s related.
Uh-oh. I looked through some of the responses and you guys seem to be talking about that little pulsing feeling that you get in your actual eyelid. Here, the muscle in my cheek that takes part in my purposefully shutting my eyes or squinting spazzes when I flex it and sometimes when I don’t.
thanks for the insight!!! i have been suffering this eye twitching nuisance 3/4 times a day for the last week!!! aaaaaahhhh!!! annoying!
OMG! IM SO HAPPY THAT IM NOT THE ONLY ONE… IVE BEEN
SUFFERING THIS EYE TWITCH 10/20 TIMES A DAY FOR
ABOUT 4WEEKS!!! I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO?
Brilliant blog… thanks all for contributing! I’ve been worried as have had this twitch in my upper right eyelid for about 6 weeks now… I am not a coffee drinker, and probably get too much sleep if anything! Maybe that’s the cause? I also work from home so spend much of the day looking at my computer or the TV…
Which could also be the cause! So, I am going to cut down on that, plus start taking a multi-vitamin… And keep watching this site for any other success stories and possible solutions! 
Ok, twitching as I am typing this. Was seriously thinking about going to a doctor, now I am willing to wait a bit longer. Left eye - twitch twitch twitch (upper and lower lids mostly upper)…I rub it, close it, it’s driving my bonkers. Put my glasses on, take them off, look away from the monitor, nada. Twitch twitch twitch…Any conspiracy theorists out there…some crazy idea like it’s deodorant or something in the water. Who knew so many people were twitchers…haha ;)(Signed ~Twitcher in Oregon)
At last a group of people who know what I am going through. I am so happy to find this blog! The area below my left eye has a pulse like beat and a couple of times my left upper eye lid felt the same. I quit using the computer for 2 days. I thought that was the cause. But it continued. I am going to try potassium. Hopefully it will work.
I have had Left eye twitching off and on for probably 5 years or so. It lasted over a year one time. My eye doctor did mention Botox and drinking tonic water; never did either one of those and yes it did eventually go away. But mine is NOT where everyone is describing theirs. Mine is not upper or lower eyelid but over in the far corner of the outer eye diagonally from the eyebrow slanting out towards the ear. It twitches and ‘thumps” all day long to the point that my head aches by the end of the day and it truly physically wears me out. I just want it to stop. I do however feel that stress plays a major role. Anyone out there have their twitching in this location?
@Marcus
Because it works like caffeine, giving the energy effect. This is a type of neurological provoking, unbalancing your nerve system.
thank you for the information posted.
My left eye twitching has been going on for 9 years (started during a pregnancy) and sometimes the right eye twitches too and my left brow at times.It happens before i get a headache.The headache is always on the left side it feels like its behind my eye. I do think i need glasses i can bearly see up close. i do worry about the possibility of a tumor.
HILARIOUS and useful
Hi everyone,
I’ve had hemifacial spasm for almost 3 years. The left upper and lower eyelids twitch quite severely and when I try to smile, the affected eye tend to close. Certain positions of the head make it worse, like looking down or slouching on the couch.
Recently I set up a towel bar at the top of a door and begun hanging with the arms, doing some pull ups as well.
It seems that the eyetwitch is diminishing, so do try it for a few weeks. Try to stretch those neck and shoulder muscles.
All the best..worth a try?
@Mick Qato
I have to reply myself. Nothing else would work other than this MVD operation.
1) http://www.blepharospasm.org/hfs-video/video6.html
2) http://www.blepharospasm.org/1999wilson.html
3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMbzYbH_wJM
and the operation is the same one for a condition that worse than twitching : trigeminal neuralgia
4) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_XO4ZGgwWY&feature=related
Not sure whether I should go to Pittsburg, but considering…
@adnornilknarf
Hi, first my twitching was below my eye, then my upper lid, and later just at the side of my eye (same place as u mentioned) it went on non stop for 2 days. I got really scared. I continued to eat bananas as mentioned on this site and prayed too. The twitching has gone for now and I am praying for it to never come back. I get this strange flutter also all over my body at times. Hopefully its only lack of potassium.
Hi - When my eye twitches I drink a can of tonic water. There is
quinnine in tonic water that will help stop or at least reduce the twitching.
My optometrist told me about this remedy!
Hope this will help! Marilyn
My eye is twitching uncontrollably. I’m not stressed,fatigued,i don’t drink coffee or soda,and being 13 i sleep plenty. i looked all over the internet, asked my science teacher what to do, asked pretty much everyone i know. the twitching in my upper eyelid is so annoying. i can see the eyelid go over my eye and everything. i HATE it. HELP!
first 2010! eye twitch for 3 days straight. Gave up coffee a week ago. I think quitting caffiene is the reason for me.
My right eye has been switching all morning. after reading some of the comments. i do not what to belieave. i know i am not tired. i have been waking up naturally all week now. kinda worried.