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Ptosis/drooping brow.

justy

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Hi, i have read other discussions that mention ptosis (drooping eyelid) i started getting this about 2 months ago, it was a completely new symptom for me. However it has now moved on to being a drooping brow, both my brows seems to drop and i look a bit like a demented woman that is frowning and has no eyelids (nice look!) If i look in the mirror and see that i know i need to go and rest. Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience?
Cheers, Justy.
 

Sasha

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Hi justy - I noticed this in my left eye (not brow) for the first time in March. It can be a sign of some serious stuff (stroke, for a start!) so it is important to get it checked out. In particular, if your pupils are different sizes when it's happening it's important.

I fixed an appointment with my optician (it was anyway time for my annual eye test) and asked if it meant anything serious. He said it was likely due to at least one of the ten viral infections I'd had up to March in quick succession (colds) and that having examined me, he couldn't see anything to worry about. I asked if I needed to see my GP and he said that my GP would have sent me to an optician.

That said, I noticed a recurrence lately and I haven't had any more viral stuff recently so I think I will anyway mention it to my GP just in case.

Better safe than sorry, I think! Having ME for a long time sometimes means we are at risk of attributing all our new symptoms to it (a mistake our doctors can make as well, I think). I'm glad you've started this thread - I'd like to hear about others' experiences with this too!
 

justy

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Thanks Sasha, yes it would be interesting to see what others have to say. Mine definately comes and gos according to how much i have been doing, and looks a lot like a deep frown without the frown lines -a bit neanderthal i guess! the weird thing is that now i have the whole brow going down i dont get the one droopy eyelid so much.
Take care, Justy.
 

Snow Leopard

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5,902
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South Australia
I developed this about a year ago. My left side droops slightly more than my right such that I now have an epicanthal fold on my left side. I also have major pain in the brow area and kind of behind my eyes.

Eyelids do droop as people age. But you don't normally expect that in your mid 20s.
 

Tulip

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437
I have this, it started back in 1999 ever so slighlty and has become quite pronounced in the last 3 years, it has been permanent the entire time though. I am getting checked out for myasthenia gravis when I can afford the $$$ for the specialist!, my doctor seems to think it is highly likely to be MG.
 

justy

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Thanks Tulip and Snow leopard. It seems we all have a slightly different experience of this. Mine is luckily not permanent like yours Tulip, but comes and goes. I hope you manage to find out soon.

Snow Leopard -i also have the really bad brow pain and pain behind the eye. When i told Dr Myhill about it recently she seemed to think it was migraines but also described it as a strange/unusual symptom (the pain not the drooping -i forgot to mention that) but i thought eye pain was quite common.
 

Snow Leopard

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I'm not sure about a migrane link as I've never had migranes before. Aren't migrianes associated with other problems such as vision issues or nausea (I get bad headaches, but those symptoms are not associated with them).
 

lizw118

Senior Member
Messages
315
My brow area got very swollen and heavy looking with pressure and some pain when I got sick and has been a problem since. Estriol and norepinephrine help. I feel like it is vascular inflammation.
Liz
 

justy

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I'm not sure about a migrane link as I've never had migranes before. Aren't migrianes associated with other problems such as vision issues or nausea (I get bad headaches, but those symptoms are not associated with them).


I had migraines as a teenager and tht was nothing like what i have now. I do get headaches but not searing ones and i do occasionally (once every few months get eye disturbances (flashing etc) but not at the same time as pain or nausea. To be honest i dont know if my eye pain is being cused by migraines, she reccomended very strictly no dairy to see if it made a difference as she feels its an allergy thing. Its hard to tell though as im also pacing better and resting more which should also theoretically reduce the eye pain and drooping.
 

Tammy

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2,176
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New Mexico
It sounds like some of you are describing nerve pain which could be from a non-rashing strain of shingles........which attacks the nerve and can cause the subsequent droop. When I had shingles on the side of my scalp...........the pain often would include the eye on that same side and my eye would feel droopy...............didn't necessarily look droopy but felt droopy.
 

erin

Senior Member
Messages
885
Justy I have this drooping eyelid thing too. I look strange it is like someone elses face when I look in the mirror. It is permanent with me so far. It is upsetting me. If I look at something carefully, or examine something I actually struggle. I'm like this since the pneumonia. It came quite sudden and still here unfortunately. Make up looks ridicoulus too!
 

bread.

Senior Member
Messages
499
Justy I have this drooping eyelid thing too. I look strange it is like someone elses face when I look in the mirror. It is permanent with me so far. It is upsetting me. If I look at something carefully, or examine something I actually struggle. I'm like this since the pneumonia. It came quite sudden and still here unfortunately. Make up looks ridicoulus too!
Did it go away for you?
 

erin

Senior Member
Messages
885
Sorry to reply this late @bread yes it went away. Similar droopy eye occurs every now and then when I'm crashed but it looks and feels different from the above experience. It went away gradually within 6 months.
 
Messages
20
Location
SK, Canada
Hi, i have read other discussions that mention ptosis (drooping eyelid) i started getting this about 2 months ago, it was a completely new symptom for me. However it has now moved on to being a drooping brow, both my brows seems to drop and i look a bit like a demented woman that is frowning and has no eyelids (nice look!) If i look in the mirror and see that i know i need to go and rest. Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience?
Cheers, Justy.
I started experiencing similar symptoms 5 months ago. It comes and goes, sometimes staying only for moments. I have noticed the following:
* it's usually on my right side
* my facial muscles are weakened as well (smiling is difficult)
* I have been experiencing periodic paralysis in my legs, face and body (ME comorbidity)
* Waiting to book UPRIGHT MRI to RO cranial cervical instability
I hope you find some answers, or at the very least are comforted to know you are not alone. I know I am! Thank you for posting 😁 sending much 💕 and virtual 🤗, Auds
 
Messages
21
I had something similar and it was herpes zoster (shingles) which is dangerous on your face please go to doctor asap and get Valtrex. You will have permanent nerve damage if you don't go to doctor within 72 hours and if it goes in your eye, you can lose your vision.
 

lizw118

Senior Member
Messages
315
I have this condition and, like Scarlet56, I have traced it to a HV related neuralgia in the cranial nerves around my eyes. I have had nerve blockers in my supraorbital and trochlear nerves which make the swellin, drooping and discomfort go away. However, this is not a viable treatment because it scars the nerves. I wish there was a new treatment for neuropathic symptoms, but it seems like it is the same old stuff like gabapentin which caused major weight gain and other symptoms.
I had something similar and it was herpes zoster (shingles) which is dangerous on your face please go to doctor asap and get Valtrex. You will have permanent nerve damage if you don't go to doctor within 72 hours and if it goes in your eye, you can lose your vision.
 
Messages
52
Hi, i have read other discussions that mention ptosis (drooping eyelid) i started getting this about 2 months ago, it was a completely new symptom for me. However it has now moved on to being a drooping brow, both my brows seems to drop and i look a bit like a demented woman that is frowning and has no eyelids (nice look!) If i look in the mirror and see that i know i need to go and rest. Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience?
Cheers, Justy.
how r u doing these days? how's your ptosis?