bell's palsy

[wayseeker]

i haven't been here much. we lost our internet for awhile after i first found this place, so nobody will know me, but i didn't know where else to turn to find others who might know about bell's palsy.

it started with my tongue going numb last wednesday. by thursday morning, it included my lips, by the afternoon the whole left side of my face.

after a week now, i've kinda started to come to grips with it. the emotional side was real, real tough the first few days. even though this is a mild case, i am horribly self conscious about it.

the wild thing is that i guess i may deliver early because of it. my OB said at my appt monday that i'm already 25% effaced, and dialated to a 3. she also is expecting me to go fast when i go, as this is my 4th kiddo and all. i'm not due till the 9th of june!!! but she says that if i make it 2 full wks, she'll be real surprised. and honestly, with the way i feel, i think she's right.

and i know that bell's doesn't always go away upon delivery, so i've braced myself for that.

i guess i just want to maybe hear about anyone else's experiences with bell's because i've never seen anyone go through this before, and it caught me completely off guard.

anybody got a story to share?

[momtokay]

my dh got bell's palsy when dd1 was a couple weeks old. it was a scary time, so i really feel for you. i can't remember exactly how long it took to go away (it was weeks not years), but he has no visible symptoms of it anymore though he says his face still feels tingly/numb when he gets very tired. i hope that baby cooks long enough to come home with you and that the bell's palsy goes away quickly.

[Marvelleaux]

Mama

I don't have any experience with Bell's Palsey. I didn't even know what it was before you mentioned it. I hope your baby stays in as long as it needs to and that it goes away fast after delivery.

[wayseeker]

i hadn't known much about bell's either until i got it, but it apparently is not uncommon for 3rd tri mamas.

there are few treatment options, and only one i'm even willing to try. the ER tried to give me acyclovir, which is an antiviral, but it's totally investigational, and turns out to be a chromosomal mutagen! thank God i refused it! my OB gave me a steriod pack to help with the inflamation, but there are risks with those too, and as i'll happily live with my face the way it is in order to not expose the munchkin to anything potentially hazardous. i've found some info on vit b12 being helpful, so i'm going to try that.

it's so bizarre to have half your face paralyzed. i can't eat, drink, or talk properly. i can't spit toothpaste or blow hot food. the pain was what was surprising though. since the right half pulls and tries to compensate for the left half's unresponsiveness, i have a constant dull ache from my shoulders up. not fun when i'm already have crampy BH contractions, the worst heartburn i've ever had (which my OB says has happened to everyone she's had that had bell's, not sure why though), and my hips joints feel like they are on fire most of the time any time i change positions (sitting to standing, lying down to getting up, etc.)

ugh. sorry that was whiny.

[wombatclay]

Several people in my extended family have had this...it can apparently run in families so it's something I keep in the back of my mind. Everyone who has had it was fine within a few weeks, though one uncle has pretty frequent attacks, probably 4-5 a year.

I hope you feel better soon! It's no fun...

[WhiteWax]

oh, that really really stinks!!! I dont know anything about it but I'm sorry you have to go through it!

[ericswifey27]

I hadn't heard of that during pregnancy, I'm sorry to hear you are dealing with this right now!

Is it known what causes it or is it just a mystery?

[sebarnes]

I don't know anything about it, but just wanted to offer a

[willoLevin]

I'm so sorry you are dealing with something so uncomfortable and probably frightening!

I only just heard about Bell's Palsy in pregnancy on one of those Discovery Channel birth shows the other day. I think they said it often, but not always, goes away at delivery. I hope yours clears up soon.

I get neurological symptoms with my migraines, and my left side goes numb. It is creepy and unsettling, and I don't even have your pain and fear of effects on the baby to worry about.

So sorry you are suffering.

--willo

[Mere]

My MIL got this a while back, and going to an accupunterist resolved the problem pretty quickly (like w/in about 2 weeks I think). She is a very coventional-medicine type of person too so I was shocked that she even considered accupuncture. Now she is a convert though!

[daniandquin]

Originally Posted by Mere

My MIL got this a while back, and going to an accupunterist resolved the problem pretty quickly (like w/in about 2 weeks I think). She is a very coventional-medicine type of person too so I was shocked that she even considered accupuncture. Now she is a convert though!

EXACTLY!!!! Accupuncture is the Answer!! My girlfriend got BP at about 34 weeks and because her chiropractor shared an office with an accupuncturist they wisked her in right away and she had partial recovery within days and full recovery within 2 weeks!! (She was really disappointed about it because all of her baby shower pics she looks like she's sneering because one side of her mouth was paralized and she could't smile properly!!!) any way- she mad e total recovery withthe accupuncture and that's NOT guaranteed with any of the drug regimes that a doctor will put you on!!!