Bell's Palsy during pregnancy?? (Long-ish)

RoJo0908 · January 2011

Hi.

Has anyone experienced any Bell's Palsy type symptoms during their pregnancy? Today is my due date and I woke up hungry when my husband came home from work at about 4:30 am. I made myself some grits and while I was eating I noticed that my mouth didn't feel right on the spoon. When I looked in the mirror and pressed my lips together (like you do after applying chapstick or something), I noticed that my lips were moving off to the left. Same thing when I pursed my lips like I was kissing.

I called the on-call doc at about 5:30 and she made me feel like an idiot, but told me I could call when the office opened and they could work me in if it would make me feel better. So I did. The doc I saw (who also kind of made me feel like an idiot) said that it didn't seem like Bell's Palsy because I can blink my eyes in unison, my tongue is straight when I stick it out and my smile is symmetrical. She said it was probably an allergic reaction to something and to take Benadryl.

I just don't feel like it's a reaction. I've never been allergic to anything but some antibiotics. When I chew food, it feels like I don't have a lot of control over my mouth and it's just kind of doing what it wants. When I brushed my teeth, I could only spit the water out on one side and I couldn't seem to seal my lips shut when I was swishing the water around...it kept squirting out of the right side of my mouth. It's starting to affect my right eye now too. It feels watery and a little twitchy.

Very frustrating. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this before? I'm just having a hard time believing the doc when all of my symptoms point to BP. :-(

p1nklemonade · January 2011

can you call your primary care physician and see if you can get a second opinion?

thebigmare · January 2011

My friend got bell's palsy during her pregnancy. The good news? It completely went away a couple months after the birth!!!!

~adamwife~ · January 2011

I had BP with my first pregnancy. Around 28 weeks I was at a wedding one night and my right eye kept twitching. I thought it was just because I was overtired, so I went to bed that night not thinking anything of it (looking back at the pictures from the wedding, my mouth was already starting to droop at that point). I woke up the next morning and went to brush my teeth and couldn't believe what I saw in the mirror. I couldn't move anything on the right side of my face - my eye drooped, my mouth just hung there. Even my chin was lower because all of the muscles were relaxed.

I screamed for DH because I thought I had a stroke. I called my MW and she confirmed that is was BP and told me to see my family doc.

It sounds like you are at the beginning stages if your eye is twitching. Get to your doc ASAP, because some research shows that the sooner you treat it the better the results.

The good thing for you is that you are near the end of your pregnancy. Docs told me that most women who get it during pregnancy don't recover until after they deliver. That was true for me. My entire 3rd trimester was spent with half a face

But as soon as I delivered I started getting better. It took about three months from delivery before I could wear my contacts again and didn't really notice anything wrong with my face. I have some lingering damage - my eye droops when I'm tire, my tongue still doesn't go out straight and my smile isn't the same - but you wouldn't know unless you know me really well.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. My advice if it is BP is to get an eye patch to wear at night so you don't scratch your eye while you sleep, get some rewetting drops since you can't blink, do facial exercises in the mirror every night (try to make vowel sounds using your mouth), and have your SO massage the muscles. Your face will get sore the less you use the muscles and the massage will really help. Also, you may need to take some tylenol for the pain you get behind your ear - that occurs for the first few weeks after the initial damage and then goes away.

Good luck. Let us know what the doc says.

forensicmama · January 2011

Wow. I'd definitely get a second opinion!!!

bridalinsane05 · January 2011

I had Bell's Palsy but not during pregnancy. Lasted about 3 months. It affected the entire right side of my face. I couldn't shut my right eye and had to wear an eye patch (HOT!) I couldn't smile with the ride side, couldn't wrinkle the right side of my forehead. Good luck!

tottee2u · January 2011

I got Bells the last week of my pregnancy. It took about about 2 months to go away. I'm is still a little slow on my left side, more when I'm tired. PM me if you have any questions. It sucks because there is really nothing you can do while PG. You'll be ok, it's hard when you're huge and already feel unnatractive. Good luck you are in my prayers.

madybug · January 2011

i have bells palsy right now. when i called my ob they told me to go to the hospital. the hospital did testing to rule out a stroke and had me meet with a nurologist. he confirmed bells palsy and prescribed prednisone. And told me to follow up with him in a week. He warned me that for 15% of cases not all function resumes. The nurses have also warned me to make sure i follow up and that i have a good nurologist so that i do regain all control. i meet with him in a few days but am already getting a little better from the prednisone after a week. good luck

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