My left eye started twitching yesterday morning, and has continued almost unabated for about 30 hours. Of course I finally Googled “eye twitch”, and I was stunned to learn that eye twitches “usually stop within a week“. I was hoping for a matter of hours!
Update (April 8th): I originally posted this 9 days ago, and the twitch hasn’t gone away. I’m getting sort of used to it now though; like an old friend. I guess it’s time to ’see somebody’ about it. *sigh*
Update (April 23rd): Okay, now it’s really starting to get annoying. This eye twitch still hasn’t gone away! Before you ask, no, I haven’t gone to the doctor about it… I would feel so lame telling a doctor that my eye is twitching – that’s my problem. I’ll give it one more week.
#1 by Kim at August 8th, 2008
Wow, too funny. This dates back to 2005? Well,under my left eye twitches so much that my face is numb now. I’m going to try potassium pills and magnesium. (allergic to bananas…) Hope this helps, and hope you all are doing better!
#2 by Up_the_Pomp at August 8th, 2008
Found the potassium was a definite healer for me – hope you get on well with it.
Re this thread – it will make interesting reading for those alien anthropologists when they are completing an audit of life on earth….
#3 by Heather at August 11th, 2008
Wow, someone who’s had this problem longer than me(Up the Pomp! I was getting scared when most of the posts listed their problem as lasting a few days or so. I’ve had mine about 8 months and getting worse. My eye doctor said it was because I needed reading glasses and my left eye was weaker than the right, thus making the right work harder. The reading glasses haven’t helped & are driving me insane. I’m going to get some bananas tonight, for sure! I was also wondering if this twitch could be related to my abscessed tooth on the same side. Hmm. I’m getting old! All these ailments. I hate looking at a computer now, but that’s my JOB! Time to change jobs, too.
#4 by jeanne at August 17th, 2008
i have had an under eye twitch for nearly a year now…quite annoying.
i had an opthamologist check it out and he said that is probably “myokymia” which usually goes away in anywhere between 1 week to four months……..but i still have it. idk what age or anything you are. but im a 16 year old female affected by it
#5 by Richard at August 17th, 2008
Your webpage takes way too long to load.
#6 by Heather at August 18th, 2008
I’m 45. So far the bananas haven’t worked but I’m probably not eating enough. Guess I’ll look into magnesium as well. My twitch is under my eye. I must get this abscessed tooth pulled and see if that alleviates the problem. It’s on the same side as my twitch!
#7 by Sheign Erin at August 29th, 2008
Richard — The entire webpage took just a few seconds to load for me. Maybe it is your connection?
Anywho. I've had this eye twitch for over a week now and it is irritating, to put it lightly. I seem to be getting it once or twice an hour, which is nicer that getting it every few minutes, I suppose, but still.
I guess I'll end this before it becomes a huge rant.
#8 by Ann T at September 6th, 2008
If you are trying to increase potassium….
One banana has 540 pg of potassium, but one potato has 940 mg.
#9 by Alex at September 25th, 2008
Wow, what successful thread!
Jason, you're a star with this one. Bet you never imagined this thread would attract such enduring attention when you first posted it 3 years ago.
Well, like most that have wandered through, I, too, have a twitch in my 'lll' (left lower lid). It began a couple of days ago, but it wasn't until looking in the mirror this morning that I realised it was totally visible. In the past, when I've experienced the odd twitch, it's never been outwardly apparent. Oddly, I can't even feel the twitch today, but it's definitely twitching. It looks as though there's something living under there.
Well, I can make some correlations to some of the listed causes. For one; the past 3 weeks, I've been getting an average of 4 hours sleep per night. In the past 9 days, I've had 3 all-nighters. Additionally, we don't drink tap water, and we ran out of our usual supply of spring water 4 days ago. I do generally drink about 2 litres of water a day; however, my aversion to tap water has seen my intake greatly reduced. As a small aside, I'd like to encourage all who are reading to stop drinking tap water. Contrary to popular belief, chlorine and fluoride are not harmless chemicals. They are one reason we're seeing such a sharp increase in serious disease, and particularly in thyroid dysfunction. Chlorine combines to produce a number of carcinogens. Please do not assume that your governments will be ever watchful or caring about your health. They are as ignorant as the rest of us. And if changing something that is so heavily practiced means spending billions of dollars, you can bet it won't be changed until breaking point.
Back to topic – I've also been under significant stress lately, and these 3 things do, indeed, seem to be the big 3 triggers. Fatigue, dehydration, and stress. I have no doubt that the twitch will go away once these 3 triggers are under control.
Good health!
#10 by harry39 at October 14th, 2008
Like Angela, my twitch started in the left temple, 3 years ago. It starts out bad for a few months, then slowly went away. Then all of a sudden it starts over again. Doctors did all kinds of tests, found nothing. Neurologist found nothing and actually said I had no reason to come back to him about this again, he had no suggestions. Another doctor hasn't found anything. The funny thing is I've tried to rule out every possible thing, diet, stress, sleep, sitting position, computer use, had my eyes checked, stopped medications, you name it and this twitch just comes and goes for no reason. Each time it goes away, it stays away a little longer , but eventually it comes back. Right now it's moved a little back just above my left ear. When it's in full force, all I can do is take large amounts of a muscle relaxer and sleep it off, then it's gone for a couple of days (just sleeping doesn't help without the drugs).
I've never really thought of the water issue or bananas, but I'm gonna try it.
In the mean time, this has driven me insane……
#11 by Heather at November 13th, 2008
Started taking magnesium/potassium supplements as well as B12, and the twitching actually stopped within a couple of weeks!
I also stopped drinking diet soda (just by coincidence). But it's gone!! YAY!!!
#12 by Andrew at December 10th, 2008
Hello fellow twitchers! I’ve had a lower right eyelid twitch for about 6 weeks now. Not non-stop, but maybe 3-5 times per hour for about 10 seconds each. It stops at night, but sure enough starts right back up in the morning. I don’t consciously feel stressed, but I’m in grad school, so it’s a possibility. My last test of the semester is tomorrow, so I’m praying the twitch magically disappears afterward. I also was taking Wellbutrin, but got off recently. I’ve taken B-12 and upped the banana intake too. Time to try magnesium and tonic water I guess.
One good thing is that the twitch has scared me into treating my body better. I’ve given up caffeine, I eat healthier, and I exercise more. A silver lining I guess….
Good luck to everyone! Let’s keep fighting the good fight against twitches!
#13 by Kristine at December 15th, 2008
This.Is.Awesome. Crazy too. I can’t believe this dates back so far.
I’m a ull twitcher. It began around three weeks ago and has been constant since. Earlier in the month I had a strange fuzzy/buzzy feeling in my thight, like a muscle twitch beneath the skin. When that stopped, the eye started. Now, the thigh has started up again two weeks later. So, now I’m twitching below and twitch above. It’s annoying to say the least.
I’m thinking it could one of two things and praying it’s nothing majorly serious. My thoughts are:
1) Low potassium levels. In October I was taking Mucinex for a really bad cold with mucus. I have high blood pressure and take atenelol to slow my heart rate (I’m thirty-three, btw). One morning after a couple of days on Mucinex I awoke and my heart was beating erratically. I spent several hours in the ER with them attempting to get it back to normal. They suggested a procedure, but said it could cause a stroke if I had developed a clot. Of course, I said I’d rather do an EKC and Echo first before I do that to avoid a stroke. So, they sent me home, told me irregular heart beat happens all the time and won’t kill me. It went away in 24 hours. The point of this story is because during my lab work that day they found my potassium levels were a tiny bit low. Being hypertensive this is expected. Due to the sudden eye twitch, and the reserach I’ve done on the internet, I figured I should make it a point to eat more bananas/potatoes (which I abandoned in order to lose a good amount of weight and improve my blood pressure) as well as take a potassium supplement. I started last week w/ the supplements. I’ve noticed a bit of a decrease in eye twitch, but it’s still there.
2) Pinched nerve. Just before the heart rate incident I slept wrong on a pillow one night. Next couple days I could barely move my neck. It was so bad I took an ibuprofen, which I generally try to avoid taking. Later that week I had strain like feelings in my chest. Couple of days later “twingy” like feelings in my left groin area when I’d do things like put on pants or move a certain way. Then, the leg “fuzzy/buzzy/twitchy” feeling began. Then, the eye twitch.
I have an appt. scheduled with the doctor tomorrow to begin the crazy game of testing to figure out what’s going on. I’m actually quite baffled because I have never had an eye twitch last this long. A day, yea… three weeks? Ridiculous.
I wish you all much luck in your eye twitches and shall continue to check back for more stories and input.
#14 by Kristine at December 15th, 2008
Oh, the whole point in #1 was if you are on any type of blood pressure medication, please be careful of the over the counter medicines you take for cold. They can mess you up really bad and interact with your perscriptions.
#15 by Freeze at December 28th, 2008
Wow, thats a lot of reading. I have been going on 9 months with a right eye twitch. Luckily for me it is only when i sneeze, blink rapidly or blink hard. Eyes tested good, opthalmologist says come back in 4 months to re assess. He suggested botox, but im not sure.
#16 by Shelley at January 6th, 2009
The Twitch…
Since the first of December I have had a twitch in my right upper eyelid whenever I sneeze or squint – it’s such a pain! Last year almost to the day, I had cataract surgery – they removed the lenses and put in a fake one. I am very young compared to most patients having this surgery so I healed super fast. I haven’t had any head injuries, changes in diet, stress etc.
I think it’s muscular given the circumstances of when it happens and the duration of time it actually is twitching – any thoughts?
Thanks
S
#17 by Jenny Engle at January 9th, 2009
Well, I have all of you beat…had a twitch for 7 years…called it the seven-year-twitch. It’s a calcium/magnesium imbalance (electrolytes). Don’t believe what all the doctors say about taking calcium or calcium-rich foods. Calcium stimulates nerves and this is what is causing the twitching. Don’t wait to get a kidney stone before cutting down on calcium and calcium-rich foods, dairy mainly. Take extra magnesium and see the difference. This is the voice of experience!
#18 by jes at January 13th, 2009
i wish i could have read everyones input, but at least i don’t feel so crazy with this eye twitch! mine started about 2 weeks ago, ongoing all day (except when i sleep). constant. it is so frustrating, it is driving me crazy. i checked out the web for all possible causes (i thought it may be the beginning of a nerve system disease!!), though main consensus is stress and fatigue. well, i was on holidays so couldn’t be stress, must be fatigue? now i’m back at work and it’s still the same, but i can’t concentrate with all this twitching!!! based on all the advice, i am drinking heaps of water tomorrow and eating bananas, see how i go. thanks for the help, cant believe this goes back to 2005!
#19 by Tracy at January 25th, 2009
Wow-I had no idea that there were so many others also suffering from crazy eye twitches! Mine is right below my right eye (lashline) and has been twitching on and off for almost two months. It twitches a few times each day and I noticed when I sneeze (which is a lot I have horrible allergies) it follows immediately with tons of crazy twitching and also when I start laughing hard it will also start the twitch afterwards. What gives?!? I have no idea! I am well rested, relatively stress free, and drink plenty of water. I even cut out caffeine for awhile until I decided no way for that one. When I sleep it goes away but comes back upon waking up. I will have to try the bananas next! Let me know if anyone else finds out more! THANKS!
#20 by sandy at January 29th, 2009
My right eye has been twitching for 3 years off and on. I have a problem with the top and bottom right eye. I hate it. I make a point of looking people in the face when talking to them. That’s my natural. Since developing this problem; I look away to avoid anyone from noticing the movement in my eye. I am often asks if I have a headace because my hand is touch that area of my face. I am stressed. The company I work for will be closing soon. I have started to drink plenty of water, but the problem still presist. The bright spot, I was happy to learn that I am not alone. Do anyone know if their is a active study going on anywhere? I love to know so that I maight can participate or monitor the results. I welcome any comments or help.
#21 by sarah at February 7th, 2009
I thought i was going crazy but then i found this site, around 3 weeks ago my left eye started twitching, it really has got a mind of its own once it starts thats it, i am sick of looking in the mirror as most of the time people can not even tell. I am constantly asking people if they can see it but most of the time they say no,they really do think i am cracking up as i am now getting obsessed with it. I do use computers but not as much in the last couple of months.
#22 by Karen at February 20th, 2009
Not that I would wish eye twitching on anyone, but I am relieved to find out there are many other people with this issue as well. I started off with a hive breakout at Christmas, and then the twitching began. The hives have been on and off since then, and the eye twitching is almost non-existant some days, and other days it goes for a couple of minutes, every 5 to 10 min. Very annoying as I work with the public. Work has been stressful, but that has now been resolved. I’m going to try more water and potassium tablets. I have been to the doctor and they are looking into allergies, etc.
#23 by Ken at February 27th, 2009
I probably have the worst eye twitch of all. Here is my story and my suggestions. I had twin girls in January 2005. My eye started twitching in May of 2005. I am an engineer so my language here may seem very structured but I hope to get my point across. I have asked my optimitrist and he said it is probably myokymia. I have seen my dentist and nothing is wrong there. I have seen my med doctor and ran blood tests and nothing registered there. I have seen an ear doctor and nothing there. I have seen a neurologist and got an MRI, nothing there, I received botox injections but that shit only lasted about 1 month. I’ve seen accupuncturist, it seemed to help for about 1 day but went back to the twitch. I have seen chiropractors and that didn’t work. Since I am an engineer and trying to think of this as a problem with my phisical wiring I tried to figure out many pressure points. I have also tried many herbal meds. I have found some relief with the following. Try Causticum 30 or higher. They can be found at Vitamin Shoppes. The come in a small blue tube costing about $7. Take about 5 pellets whenever you feel you cannot stand the twitch anymore. I take it like candy and let it stay in my mouth for a while. It helps but does not last long. I also try Nerve Tonic. They also come from the same place. I usually pop about 10 with some water and keep it in my mouth for a while. This also helps but does not last too long. I have tried Murine eye drops, they help with keeping my eye moist and it helps. Probably one of the most effective things I have found is a pressure point on my cheek. It may sound strange but I took a close pin, one that has a spring on it, I would open my mouth and clip the clothes pin parallel with my mouth opening and let it stay there for a while. Your mouth may twitch a while but after about 30 seconds my twitch would stop. I believe that the trigeminal nerve is the major culprit. I am still investigating this and hope to solve this problem. Anyone out there want to help me with this?
Thanks, I hate this shit.
#24 by Ken at February 27th, 2009
Sorry about my typo’s. Phisical should be Physical and close pin should be clothes pin.
#25 by jh at March 7th, 2009
Let me know if it works or if you find something else that works.
#26 by jh at March 7th, 2009
I have had mine for about 4 months and it is my left eye both bottom and upper lids, went to eye doctor and he said that it was too much stress, sleep, and caffeine. Bullcrap! I think it definately has something to do with the nerve and maybe a lack of an amino acid or vitamin. I can’t even come close to someone when its twitching because it is so bad. If I find the answer or even close, I will post it. Feel your pain, jh
#27 by elizabeth at March 9th, 2009
eye twitch…
will it ever stop. mine started twitching a week ago (off and on). this should really be listed as a symptom on web md. as well as a few other things. i have eaten bananas. i take a daily vitamin. the only thing i am lacking are a really goodnight sleep, a stressless day and water. hmmm. sounds similar to the symptoms listed bo others on here. i will try to remedy these things. how does one reduce stress( with an infant, a 2 yr old and a small struggling business as your only source of income in this economy)? god luck!
#28 by Ken at March 21st, 2009
Here is my latest, my bro is a chiropractor and he is seriously trying to help me. He has a BSEE degree and a Doctor in chiropractor degree. He is not a kook. After I told him the many things that I do that may contribute to this problem, including me falling asleep on my chest with my head tilted counterclockwise he thinks that my jaw needs adjusted. Here is what he emailed me:
The occipital condyle is a bony fixture on the inferior part of your skull. There are two of them, one one each side.
The condyles have a convex surface that mates up with the first vertebrae in your spine, known either as C1 or the Atlas.
The condyles of the occiput or occipital bone (same thing) fit on to the “lateral masses” of the atlas or C1.
The lateral masses of the Atlas or C1 have a concave surface. Both the condyles of the occiput and lateral masses of the Atlas are positioned length wise from front to back, although you can’t pick up on this in the pic below.
This allows for the skull to glide forward and backward. If you stick your chin forward and slowly point your nose in the air, you can get a little idea of the glding motion
of the condyles on the atlas.
In your case, I am thinking that your skull has rotated counterclockwise, so that the left condyle is sitting too far posterior, in relation to the lateral masses of the atlas.
that is why I have you laying on your back, rotating your head and nose to the right, and then trying to further push your nose and cheek to the right.
This will relieve any pressure or irritation near your brain stem, where the trigeminal nerve and facial nerve are branching off from..
So, from this, I think that I may have a pinched nerve at my jaw joint. I plan on trying to fall asleep in my back with my head pointing clockwise (which is opposite of how I used to fall asleep). He has not adjusted me yet for me to find out if this works or not. I just want to give all you twitchers some latest news on what I am planning to do. Maybe one of you can help me out on this as well.
Later,
#29 by Elizabeth at April 10th, 2009
I had the same problem with my eye twitch. It was driving me crazy. I consulted a natural store and they told me to take Magnesium 500mg 1 tab. daily. Within 1 week, the twitch was gone, every 6 months it tries to come back, I take magnesium again, and it went away. Please try it, you will not regret it. I told this to my friends with this problem, and they took it and it went away. Hope this will solve your problem once and forever.
#30 by Bill at May 4th, 2009
I have had an ongoig eye twitch in the lower right lid off and on for about three years( coincidently ever since I started wearing reading glasses. I have been told by numerous doctors that it is a form of eye stress. I don’t know about tap water or bananas or even kangaroo dung for that matter and this has nothing to do with global warming in case you were wondering, but as soon as I put my glasses on the twitch is gone within seconds. So keep drinking tap water, eat as many bananas as you like ,they’re delicious. Although I find them better in the blender with some ice and rum. chill out
#31 by FB at May 22nd, 2009
The twitch was under my left eye lid. It started on Sunday, May 17 and twitched for a few minutes at a time every 30 minutes or so until I fell asleep last night. I found this website on Wednesday. Thursday morning I made my coffee with filtered water (instead of tap), ate 4 bananas in addition to my regular meals, took my multi (i have been neglecting) and drank filtered water all day long. Got up 4 hours ago and no twitching yet
#32 by Scott at June 5th, 2009
Hello,
I used to drink LOADS of milk and have done for about 7 years… at least 2 pints a day plus.
About 8 months ago i started getting a twitching eye lid and areas around my eye. only last about 10 seconds and randomly come back throughout the day after like 30 to 90 mins… at night it would stop.
about 3 months later… my muscles all went tight (and still are)… and it became painful to straighten my arm (tennis elbow), couldn’t sleep on my side, my finger joints swelled up after typing, my neck became stiff, i got gout like symptoms in my foot one night when i woke up and couldn’t walk, got calcium deposits in my shoulders, etc… and recently suffering with some acid reflux. My bodies going nuts all of a sudden!!!
Anyway, been trying magnesium supplements for about 2 days now… and my eye twitching is back! lol… to early to tell if this will work… maybe it’s just a sign that the magnesium is reversing all the problems?
Should i take potassium as well do you think?
Kind regards,
Scott
#33 by Tom at June 20th, 2009
KEN- i like where your going with your problem. I was involved in a MVA (FEB09) t-bone was driver hit on passenger side. i have history of migraines. had one for 12 days after accident. and migraine like cluster like dying pain since 3 a week rating a 9. i see a chiropractor not a quack! he also believes the brain stem is involved with my problem. For 3 weeks now i have had twich in lower right eyelid, switching to my right cheek, to right shoulder, to right knee all visible to the eye. mostly in eyelid. not a concern to neurologist! had MRI and no concern. my face mostly right side feels like its pulsating, and when my 3 daughter squeezed my neck i had pain in my left chest. i am on beta blockers, muscle relaxors, and triptans. i feel like a living zombie $) i have researched CHIARI, neurologist said no without a second thought, even tho my cerebral tossils from my MRI seem to be protruding down my foramen magnum from my point of view. i have read on arterial vein dissection but not sure. great site keep on twitching!
#34 by Ethrdg at June 22nd, 2009
I’ve had a twitch above my ear (in the temporalis muscle) that has been going every few days for months now. When I first noticed it, it would only happen for a minute or so. Sometime during January, it started happening for hours at a time. Since then, it’s become more frequent (every 3 or 4 days) and the “attacks,” as I’ve come to think of them, last longer–sometimes for over 12 hours straight.
I’ve been to a dentist and gotten a TMJ appliance, tried muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories, steroids, ice, heat, massage, chiropractic, acupuncture… I’m currently seeing a neurologist who specializes in migraines. He thinks the problem is due to muscle tension in my upper neck that is pulling on discs and possible compressing a nerve. (He saw this on an MRI of my neck.) He currently has me in physical therapy to try and break up the muscle tension. No luck with the twitching, yet, but he says it could take time, as this sort of thing builds up over months and years.
If this fails, I’m going to try a dr. who specializes in facial nerve disorders. Maybe they’ll Botox the little sucker!
#35 by Courtney at June 29th, 2009
Hello,
I’ve had this twitching under my left eye on and off for a year and a half. Only recently it’s gotten much much worse. It’s all the time, it seems, anyways and now it’s starting on the other eye. My right top eye lid is now twitching. I can make them twitch just by touching them or blinking hard! What’s up with this?! I’m going nuts!