Hemifacial Spasm

[ntuc]

Medication-induced Non-stop Persistent Eyelid-twitching - How I Eventually Get It Totally Cured By Acupuncture & Other Medical Details



Note : The following article is only meant as a reference material to the intended recipients and advices should be sought from the medical experts to establish the authenticity of its contents. For your information, I get this sickness while living abroad indirectly from depression (Schizophrenia) through subsequent allergy and overdosage of the related-medications (Risperdal)and I hope that the information given below will be useful to the intended readers.


Non-stop eyelid twitching, which is lately referred to as Blepharospasm or Myokymia is actually 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.


Generally, the movements of one's muscle is controlled by the nerves around them that in turn receive signals from the brains which ultimately dictate the variety of 'ways' in which such movements are to be conducted based on a person's will.


The causes of such non-stop eyelid-twitching symptom in most common cases may just due to short-term stress, over-tiredness, over-straining of one's eyes, occasional anxiety, temporary panic fits and nervousness which in turn can be easily relieved and recover naturally by a good rest, more relaxation and trying to calm oneself down to stop getting anxious, panic and worried and stressful over certain things. In this regard, such phenomena tend to be quite common among certain students and other professionals.


However, in the cases of a persistent uncontrollable non-stop twitchings of the eyelids which only get aggravated rather than improved over time and last for months and even years, it may just probably imply that the nerves around the eyes organ are simply not 'properly functionable' enough to bring about the desired movements of the muscles based on the mental instructions from the brains of a person.


Except for any brain and other eye muscle damages/eye muscle disorders caused by permanent lack of certain nutrients and minerals etc or other irritations to that organ like dry eyes, sore eyes, bacteria infections etc, such a chronic eyelid-twitching sickness may likely be caused by certain disturbances and disorders that affect or weaken the functionality of the nerves around the eyes to bring about the desired movements of this organ based on the person's will.


In this regard, the possible reasons of such chronic non-stop eyelid-twitching sickness may probably due to the causes as mentioned above which is experienced by a person over a considerably long period of time rather than just temporarily. Apart from that, other likely causes maybe be certain traumas, especially the emotional ones, allergy to or overdosage of certain medications that carry such side effects as muscle spasms, particularly photophobia in the case of non-stop eyelid-twitching symptom.


In fact, I myself have also been suffering from such a sickness due to allergy and overdosage to such medications like Risperdal and other similar drugs (of which I have stopped taking and replaced with something else so as not to further worsen the non-stop eyelid-twitching problem and to prevent a relapse of that sickness after I get healed). As such, I would very much like to share my own genuine personal experience with you over the course of my treatment of such a sickness and I hope that it will somehow be helpful to a certain extent especially to those who have been having the similar experience as mine and I would to emphasize that it again only is meant as a reference material to anyone reading it.


For your information, I have been suffering from this sickness in the past few years whereby my eyelids also tend to twitch both continuously and uncontrollably without me being able to do anything to control the twitchings at all. As a result, my eyes would seem like blinking all the while to anyone who looks at me and I totally could not drive, look directly and persistently at the pc or tv screens and most of the times, I simply can’t read any books or newspaper properly.


And I have sought lots of medical treatments and advices as well as apply various kinds of eyedrops, taking various types of vitamins, mineral pills as well as many types of anti-muscle spasm medications from lots of eye specialists, neurosurgeons and psychiatrists (who explain the medical theories mentioned above to me), ENT specialists and other general practitioners, and even have the MRI examinations taken to get my eyes cured , but these efforts turn out to be in vain as they fail to yield any positive results and my eyes still keep on blinking non-stop.


Luckily, just about a year after I suffer from such a sickness, I come across an acupuncture expert who studied and observed closely about my problems and then administer a therapy needle on the part of the flesh at the back of the palm which is about 1.5 cm (applicable only to average grown adults) vertically from the point of intersection (that would appear visibly when the fingers are closed loosely together) between my thumb and my forefinger of my right hand (as per illustration in http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/2652/attachmentfilesn4.gif ) to strengthen the weakened and sensitive nerves around my eyes. After that, he just ask me to press (using just mild force) onto the surface of that acupuncture point using such objects like toothpick /normal writing pen (which is out of ink of course) or anything with a blunt-pointed end for at least 2 hours a day and then consistently for about 2 months. Kindly take note that this point is located at a much 'fleshy' instead of a much 'boney' area - perhaps you would need to briefly explore that part of your right hand at the same time to locate that point, and I hope you will understand that the hand structures of each person differ from one another. Having done that persistently based on his order, my non-stop eyelid-twitching that makes my eyes blinking all the while just totally recover in time and I can drive, work with the pc screens, watch tv, movies and read as well as work like any other normal persons. Besides, actually before I decided to seek acupuncture treatment (as recommended by my friends) to deal with this sickness, I did accept the suggestion of a neurosurgeon to take Botox injections to deal with the problematic eyelid-muscles that caused all the twitchings. Next, the Botox injections, in fact did give positive results in the first place whereby my eyelids just didn't twitch that violently after being given the injections.


However, upon knowing from the neurosurgeon that Botox injections was actually not an effective cure for this non-stop eyelid-twitching sickness, for the very reason that the medications would just serve to sort of 'half-paralyse' the eyelid muscles without being able to do anything curative to the problematic nerves around the non-stop twitching eye muscles, coupled with the fact that such Botox medications would tend to get immunized by the human body, it would just mean that larger and larger quantities of such medications would be required for each subsequent injection therapy (which last for 3-6 months each) in order to achieve the similar healing effect of the previous ones.


Besides, it was also actually a very expensive therapy as it would cost me about 5,000 dollars for each injection therapy session and hence, to keep on spending such huge sums of money to stop my eyelids from twitching would just be very unreasonable.


Whilst the neurosurgeon mentioned to me also about a surgical treatment to effectively cure the non-stop eyelid-twitching, the operation, apart from being very costly, was also actually a very risky one as its failure may very well bring blindness to the persons being operated. At the same time, even such surgery were to turn out to be successful, it would also be unable to achieve 100% complete healing to anyone being operated in the sense that the eyelid-twitching conditions can never 'look perfectly normal' like the ones who were totally not troubled by such a sickness at all. So, I just eventually gave up the idea of getting a surgery to treat the sickness.


For your further information, I have also come across quite a couple of people in my real life annoyed by such a non-stop eyelid-twitching problem of different causes and degrees of severity, and accordingly, I just recommend the method as mentioned above to them and within weeks, they just experience significant improvements to their conditions after applying this therapy, and after a few months , they just recover totally from this sickness. . And I hope that by contributing this piece of article to you, it will somehow help you to in at least getting a clue about this sickness.


Lastly, I sincerely wish that the ones troubled by such an annoying non-stop eyelid-twitching sickness can recover finally from their illness. Thank you.

[ntuc]

[b]My Subsequent Experience With Seroquel Drug After Quiting Risperdal[/b]



Note: Advices from medical expert should be sought to establish the authenticity of the following information which is meant as [b]reference materials [/b]for the [b]intended readers[/b].




When I switched from [b]Risperdal [/b]to [b]Seroquel [/b]for the treatment of my [b]Schizophrenia [/b]sickness, apart from enabling me to [b]avoid a relapse of the non-stop eyelid-twitching [/b]sickness after I get totally cured from it through [b]acupuncture [/b]treatment, it helped me also to a very great extent to enable me to have a very good sleep at night. But when I was at work and hence had to refrain myself from taking such medicine so as not to let its [b]drowsiness effect [/b]affect my work performance, I just became quite [b]irritable [/b]without any known causes or reasons. And over time, I simply needed such medication to help me sleep at night, and to stop becoming irritable or get angry/frustrated very easily without any reasons.




About one and a half years ago, I was advised by a [b]pyschiatrist [/b]that it was possible for a person to quit Seroquel and then lead a very normal life just like other persons. However, it would take a very [b]strong determination [/b]and a great deal of [b]emotional [/b]as well as [b]counselling /communication support [/b]from the other people to achieve that goal.




For the sleeping issue, one would need to [b]cut down the dosage of the Seroquel drug progressively over a reasonable stretch of time[/b], such as starting from 200mg to 100 mg , and then 2-3 weeks later from 100 mg to 50 mg and finally to physically break up the tablet into separate parts to achieve a much lower dosage to finally reduce and then totally quit the intake of such medication for the particular person. However, since a progressively lower intake of Seroquel dosage would definitely cause difficulties of sleeping to the particular persons, he/she would then need to put in certain extra efforts on their own, such as doing some [b]exercise [/b]a few hours ago to get oneself tired before sleeping, [b]reading [/b]some really boring novels /[b]watching some really boring TV programmes [/b]or even [b]listening to some sentimental/ sleep-inducing musics [/b]before getting to sleep.




Next, since [b]Seroquel [/b]is meant for the treatment of such sicknesses as [b]bipolar disorders[/b], [b]Schizophrenia [/b]symptoms etc, it certainly has its own medicational values as an [b]anti-psychotic drug[/b]. Hence, to effectively reduce and eventually quit the intake of [b]Seroquel [/b]in order to enable a person to stop becoming [b]irritable [/b]to it due it its addiction whilst at the same time to prevent the mental sicknesses mentioned above from getting worsened due to decreased intake or eventual quiting of such medication, one would need to [b]reach out more [/b]to and have more [b]communications [/b]and [b]interactions [/b]with the other people around them, especially the close kin to seek more [b]emotional support[/b], [b]increased fellowships [/b]and in some cases, get involved in more social/ religious gatherings /indoor/outdoor activities, engage oneself in a [b]hobby/ meaningful activities [/b]for each one has deep interest in such as drawing, doing other sports etc, and obtain more [b]conselling advices [/b]from the trained counsellors in order to improve the sanity /state of mental condition of the patient.




As far as my own experience is concerned a [b]cheerful and contented attitude to life[/b] as well as a[b] balanced approach of living a healthy life[/b] are conducive to developing a [b]greater sanity [/b]and [b]sounder state of mind [/b]for any patients troubled with any mental sickness. And I hope that my suggestions will be useful to you.




Please refer to the following weblinks for further information about the medications mentioned in the articles above:



Risperdal : [moderator note: website address has been removed]



Seroquel : [moderator note: website address has been removed]



Botox : [moderator note: website address has been removed]

[ntuc]

Based on the acupuncturist who deal with my chronic eyelid-twitching sickness, unlike the other traditional method of acupressure which involves the use of fingers to press and massage the acupuncture point, the use of blunt-pointed object as instructed to me for the treatment of such chronic eyelid-twtiching is actually both intended as a substitute for the acupuncture needle and meant as a 'leverage' to provide an adequately focused and hence a 'reflexology stimulus' that is strong enough to deal more precisely and effectively with that acupuncture point as mentioned above.



Whereas, if that acupuncture point is to be treated with fingers, the stimulus effect generated would be very much smaller due to the facts that such pressings and massagings would reasonably not last long enough to provide any reliefs for the chronic eyelid-twitching. Besides, given the larger suface area of the fingers as well as their rounded physical shape (compared to the blunt-pointed objects), a large part of the forces produced from such pressings and massagings would then be reasonably applied onto the related muscles rather than directly onto the intended nerves through the related acupuncture point to deal effectively with such sickness.

[ntuc]

Conclusion

In the first place, I would consider myself really fortunate enough to eventually get totally cured from such an abnormal eyelid twitching sickness which is a symptom of Tardive Dyskinesia caused by prolonged intake of Risperdal.


I don't know really much about the levels of compliance for the established medical ethics for the modern western countries of U.S and other European nations, but as for the country that I live in, which is not as modern or developed, such an issue tends to be ignored by the related medical personnel. To be really frank with you, the psychiatrist who prescribes Risperdal to me in the very first place just dispenses this medication to me more as a mere 'routine' each time I visit his practice and he has actually never notified to me the underlying side effects of such medication when it is taken for the long-term. And even when observing my abnormal eyelid twitching symptom that appears to be more and more obvious to him, he also choose to ignore it and just keep asking me to continue taking the medication.


For your further information, Tardive Dyskinesia syndrome tends to be a rare medical term which is rather unfamiliar to most of the medical personnel in my home country. As such, initially when I sought treatment for my abnormal eyelid twitching, most of the normal medical specialists actually failed to associate such a symptom with the Risperdal drug that I had been taking. In the end, I found the right medical experts who have informed knowledge of my conditions in the expensive private medical centres and honestly speaking, the medical details that I included in my articles were actually told by them during my numerous visits to their practices.


Whilst by the time I have totally recovered from such a sickness, I resume my work in my former firm and at the same time I also undertake a committment as a part-time social worker for my religious body with the main duty of providing counselling services to the in-patients of certain psychiatric wards and dwellers of certain special-care nursing homes. Similarly, most of the doctors-in-charge of these facilities, based on my interviews with them, also tend to be very much ignorant about the adverse side effects of such anti-psychotic drugs, and as a result, the persons taking such medications would tend to be the ones suffer unknowingly from their potential side effects. For this reason, I thus feel that the welfare of these people has been rather 'unintentionally neglected'.


As such, by posting these articles over the net, I just hope that I could promote a higher level of self-awareness among the existing persons taking such anti-psychotic drugs about such syndrome of Tardive Dyskinesia and the need to take the necessary precautions against it. Thank you.

[ntuc]

First of all, thank you for being kind enough to allow me to post these articles in your website.


As far as the anti-psychotic drugs and other related medications which carry such inherent side effects as Tardive Dyskinesia are concerned, I am actually in the opinion that appropriate levels of professional care and discretion should be exercised by the related medical personnel when prescribing and dispensing such medications so that the medical well-being of the related patients can be duly taken of effectively.


In this regard, I am pretty sure that the physicians of the related fields in such countries as United States and other technologically advanced European nations are appropriately eligible and duly conscientious enough to fulfill such a requirement in carrying out such a demanding task.


Unfortunately, such an expected ideal scenario has never been the case in my home country as well as other nations which are not as modern and developed.


For your information, the related patients in my home country have also the necessary access to the similar neuroleptic, anti-psychotic and other related drugs like these modern nations for the treatment of their related sicknesses. Unfortunately, due to the lack of knowledge of the potential side effects of such medications on the part of the patients as well as the failure of certain related medical personnel to duly exercise the essential professional duty of care and other required precautionary measures to safeguard the medical interest of these patients, because of both negligence and sheer ignorance, such category of persons, especially the young children getting such related treatments would tend to be the ones who suffer unknowingly, silently and helplessly from the side effects of such medications in the end.


In such a connection, being a social worker dealing with such category of persons and given the fact that humanitarian principles are the priorities of my religious body and any other charity organisations, I thus feel that I am vested with a responsibility to do my part to promote a higher level of consciousness of such Tardive Dyskinesia syndrome among the related persons so that the unwanted saddening disasters and misfortunes can be effectively avoided whilst the sorry plight of the existing victims of the side effects of such medications mentioned above can be finally relieved.


Lastly, I would like to express my heartfelt thankfulness for your kind and generous support for such a cause. Thank you very much.

[ntuc]

Tardive Dyskinesia Phenomena - Follow-up


With all due respect, in regard of the phenomena explained in my prior message, I would like to highlight to you that the young children in my home country would always tend to be the ones who suffer most innocently and painfully from the ordeals of the bodily-damaging side effects of such Tardive Dyskinesia syndrome owing to their much more vulnerable physical conditions and weaker immune system.


Based on what I have observed so far, such children would eventually tend to have a very much lower self-esteem and in most cases, lead an underprivileged life getting alienated by their peers due to their 'funny looks'. In other words, their lives are basically ruined permanently by the time they get such a sickness.


While their parents, especially the mothers would always tend to immerse themselves in deep anxieties and grave sorrows worrying from time to time about the 'undiagnosed conditions' of their children as well as their unpromising future whilst at the same time simply do not even have a clue of what exactly is going on.


Therefore, I would like to make an appeal and imploration to the related parties to have the necessary mercy and sympathy on humanitarian ground for the sorry plight of these people in the hope of putting an end to such tragedies and misfortunes.

[ntuc]

Human Reactions Towards Tardive Dyskinesia Syndrome - Children Vs Adult


Kindly take note that Tardive Dyskinesia syndrome may affect the movements of other parts of human body too. In this case, I really sympathize those small kids and other young children of my home country who tend to suffer from all other symptoms of Tardive Dyskinesia syndrome on other parts of their bodies apart from the facial muscles.


For your information, based on my observations so far, the symptoms of Tardive Dyskinesia would mostly manifest almost immediately among such young children after their intake of 1 to 2 weeks' dosage of the related medications that carry the inherent side effects of Tardive Dyskinesia (Please refer to the weblink included under the topic 'Further Details About Tardive Dyskinesia' in the prior article above for the list of such medications often prescribed to children).


Given their much more delicate and tiny physique as well as weaker immune system, they are thus far more medically susceptible to the bodily-damaging side effects of such Tardive Dyskinesia-related medications compared to the adults who naturally and reasonably have a far higher level of bodily tolerance and resistance for the side effects of such medications, and that is the reason why the latter could take such medications for a much longer period of time whilst at the same time running a lower risk of suffering from their side effects.


Whilst in terms of treatment for such Tardive Dyskinesia symptoms among the young children, given that they are naturally disadvantaged by their tiny and yet fragile infected bodily parts, these category of persons, even when they are fully accessible to the whatever necessary therapeutical devices and apparatus as well as other related corrective antidotal pharmaceutical drugs, these pitiful fellows quite often would still invariably and sometimes almost undoubtedly have very much slimmer chances of recovery from their apparent physcial defects and disabilities caused by this Tardive Dyskinesia Syndrome compared to the adults who would tend to have a much higher prospect of recovery from the similar sickness due to their fully-grown and much firmer physical conditions.


As such, from my point of view, it would be wiser and more rational for any related parties, especially the parents to take the additional care and precautionary measures to pay the necessary attentions to and cross-examine the medications meant to be taken by their children for the treatment of any of their sicknesses with other more reliable sources in case of any inherent dire side effects that may be potentially present in these medications so that such undesired saddening disasters and tragedies can be effectively avoided in the very first place.


[moderator note: website address has been removed]

[moderator note: website address has been removed]

[ntuc]

For the acupuncture point mentioned in the prior articles above which is identified as LI4 • He Gu • Large Intestine 4, please refer to the following weblinks for further information :


Illustration :

http://curezone.com/upload/Art/Animation/Attachment_File.gif


Additional References :

http://www.acuxo.com/meridianPictures.asp?point=LI4&meridian=Large%20Intestine

[ntuc]

Summary :

Tardive Dyskinesia actually falls under the EPS (extrapyramidal symptoms) syndrome which may well include dystonia, parkinsonism etc.

Such EPS syndrome (especially physical movement disorders, including Hemifacial Spasms triggered by bodily chemical imbalances) in turn is caused by disturbances to the dopamine receptors (one of the main neurotransmitters) of the nervous system which is normally induced by most of the AAP's (atypical antipsychotics).

[ntuc]

Follow-up :


Please refer to the weblink below for a follow-up of the information given above :


http://community.kget.com/forums/thread/2561470.aspx