Bell’s Palsy

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Here’s a free collection of resources about Bell’s Palsy- Bell’s Palsy blogs, support groups, first-hand experiences and advice from people who have Bell’s Palsy, etc.

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Bell’s Palsy Blogs

Here’s a list of Bell’s Palsy blogs- blogs by people who have Bell’s Palsy, or about Bell’s Palsy.

****Email alexbalinski@gmail.com to submit your blog to this list.***

Bell’s Palsy Blog	bellspalsy.me	2016
Hell’s Bells Palsy	hellsbellspalsy.blogspot.com	2016
Holley Grainger	holleygrainger.com	2016
BellsPalsy.net Blog	bellspalsy.net	2015
My Bell’s Palsy Blog	mybellspalsy.co.uk	2013

Bell’s Palsy Support Groups

Bell’s Palsy Support Groups On Facebook

Other Bell’s Palsy Support Groups And Forums

Bell’s Palsy Association Support Forums (1,475 members, 16,855 posts)

Bell’s Palsy Survey

We’re surveying people about their experiences with Bell’s Palsy. Here will be a collection of their responses.

*This information is not meant to replace medical advice, and the information gathered via surveys may or may not be correct. Hopefully it will be helpful to you!

*Response format = Answer (Name, Age)

**Click here to share your experience with Bell’s Palsy**

Bell’s Palsy Symptoms

What symptoms have you experienced?

Facial paralyzation, numbing, and sensitivity when chewing. (Emma, 4 years old)
Pain in the head, migraines, sickness with migraines, numb tongue, unable to close eye, to smile, and to raise eyebrows. (Rebecca, 21 years old)
A headache, numbness, swelling, and slurred speech. Watery eye, earache, and not being able to drink. Loss of taste buds and not being able to close my eye. (Candice, 22 years old)
Facial paralysis. Face pain. (Katie, 23 years old)
Migraines, runny nose, fatigue, severe neck and ear pain. (Allie, 23 years old)
Eye twitching, dry eye, throbbing painful jaw, neck and ear pain, severe headaches and severe sensitivity to light. (Bianca, 25 years old)
The right side of the face is totally functionless. (Saba, 25 years old)
Crying eye, pain in the back of my ear, and unintended movements. (Israel, 25 years old)
When I had BP, I suffered from extreme anxiety and depression along with numbness in the body and headaches. (Jess, 26 years old)
None until diagnosed. (Kim, 26 years old)
Half my face is paralyzed. The residual effect remains – numbness. (Kevin, 26 years old)
My right eye is getting smaller and I feel something heavy in my eye and my ear does not feel good, I’m not comfortable. (Maria, 27 years old)
Pain behind my left ear, watery eye, paralyzed left side of the face, unable to shut my eye. (Carrie L., 28 years old)
Pain around the left ear, numbness of the left side of my face. (Erjola, 29 years old)
Facial paralysis, heightened emotions, depression, facial pain, blurred vision, and severe headaches. (Andrea, 29 years old)
A severe headache, numb face, droopy face on one side only, tired all the time, not hungry, sore eye, and teary eye. (Shaz, 29 years old)
Facial weakness, eye dryness, painful face, and jaw. (Sophie, 30 years old)
Facial paralysis. Head pain. Facial twitching. Forgetfulness. Synkinesis. (Sian A., 30 years old)
The left side of face paralyzed and hearing loss on the left side. This started with a viral infection, turned into an ear infection and my eardrum burst. As the eardrum was healing I noticed that my eye and mouth weren’t working properly and thought I was having a stroke, so I went to A&E, was diagnosed with BP and got kept in at the Ear, Nose & Throat specialist unit, where I received an operation after a CT scan. (Helen, 31 years old)
Facial paralysis, severe pain on the affected side (behind the ear and in the neck), tingling sensation in the neck, upper shoulder and face (affected side only), loss of taste on the affected side, can’t smile, watering eye. (Katie, 32 years old)
Pain in my jaw for three days and tingling in my upper lip then woke on day 4 with the left side of my face not working. Dry and itchy eye pain in the ear, pain in the back of my head, feel week and exhaust. Not being able to talk or smile properly. (Sarah, 32 years old)
Twitching eye, headache, numbness, tiredness and much more. (John, 32 years old)
Facial paralysis, pain, slight loss of hair on the affected side, fatigue, eyesight issues. (Alan H., 32 years old)
No movement on the left side. (Irene, 32 years old)
Numbness on the affected side of the tongue, excruciating pain in the lower part of the back of the neck, in my temple, frontal area, eyebrow, cheek, mandible, teeth – all on the affected side (left side), but sometimes protruding on the right side, slightly. After reaching the peak, which took 4-6 days in total, I’ve experienced horrible pain in my lower jaw and teeth during the first night. It went away without supplemental medication (besides antivirals and steroids). (Andreea, 33 years old)
Numb lips and drooping face. (Craig, 33 years old)
My hearing is louder than usual on BP side, headaches on the side where I have BP, ear pain, jaw pain, tightening on BP side when trying to talk, difficulty with eating, taste buds gone on the effective side, neck pain on BP Side and eye dryness because I couldn’t blink. (Shawntres, 34 years old)
Face drop, half of the face paralyzed, no taste on half of the tongue, twitching eye. (Agnese, 34 years old)
Severe shooting pain down the left side of posterior neck and face. Numbness, drooping, uneven muscle tone, tightness, and residual pain on the left side of my face. My left eye also waters all the time. The two sides of my face differ in symmetry. (Jessica, 34 years old)
Lost sense of taste, lost sense of smell, drooping mouth and eye, paralysis on one side of the face, dripping eye, and pain. (Sara, 34 years old)
Bilateral bells palsy. (Fazal, 34 years old)
Ear ache, facial pains, tiredness. (Kelly, 35 years old)
Facial paralysis, watery eye, pain and dry mouth. (Lori, 36 years old)
The left side of face paralyzed and exhaustion. (Allyson, 36 years old)
Lazy eye, droopy smile, and tears when eating. (Andrew, 36 years old)
Facial paralysis, dry mouth, speech difficulty, dry eye, ear pain, tenderness on the face, and synkinesis (sp). (Tracy, 36 years old)
Complete paralysis of the left side of my face, inability to close eye on affected side, inability to smile, wrinkle nose, move eyebrow on affected side. Pain behind, in, and in front of the ear of affected side – more so at night when laying down. (Kate, 37 years old)
A headache and loss of taste. (Anonymous, 37 years old)
Synkinesis, pain, and dry eye. (Hope, 37 years old)
Synkinesis. (Amy, 37 years old)
Earache, eye drooping, mouth drooping, eye won’t shut, extreme pain in face and head, watering eye, a weird taste of metal, headache, and EXTREME neuropathy. Drawing of the face and permanent nerve damage. (Dawn, 37 years old)
Taste loss; ear, neck, throat, face, cheekbone, and jaw pain; eye dryness and pain. Exhaustion, drooping face. (Elizabeth, 39 years old)
Loss of taste, droopy eye, earache and tingling cheek. Numbness. (Rose, 39 years old)
Left side paralysis, nerve pain, headaches, and tinnitus. (Alicia, 41 years old)
Paralysis. (Holly, 41 years old)
Whole right hand sided palsy, brain fog, and severe pain in the right ear. (Von, 41 years old)
Droopy face, dribbling, cannot close eye, loss of taste. (Helen H., 42 years old)
I had the typical pain in the ear before I came down with BP. 8 years later I am left with synkinesis and the occasional nerve pain in my cheek. (Angela, 42 years old)
Slurred talking. Hard to eat and drink, pain, and droopy eye. (Joanna, 43 years old)
No taste buds, eyes won’t shut, extreme pain behind ear, side and back of neck as well as whole left side of face, and impaired speech. (Jennifer, 43 years old)
Slight drop to right hand side of face. Twitching of eyes, lips and chin and numbness, weakness and tingling in my right arm and hand. Uber sensitive to noise. (Dawne, 43 years old)
Ear itch for two months before BP with on and off ear pain radiating from entire left side from jaw to temple. Headaches off and on before onset. The third month I woke up with mild droopiness, extreme pain in ear, jaw and front of head for five weeks. I had to quit my job for recovery. (Sara, 44 years old)
Left side of my face became paralyzed. I couldn’t blink on the left side. Slight pain. From speaking to others I seem to have had a medium to mild case. 9 months later and I’m about 80-85% healed. Most movement and functions have returned and the pain has pretty much subsided to nothing. (Jason, 44 years old)
Almost complete paralysis, headache, pain in jaw, cheek and down neck, dry eye, and unable to close eye. (Jenny, 45 years old)
Foggy headed, fatigue and vertigo. (Tara, 45 years old)
Head pains, blurred vision, dizziness, eye pain and so on and so on. (Lisa, 45 years old)
Loss of taste, loss of ability to blink, unable to close eye, numb lips, unable to smile, pain in ear and jaw, stiffness in face, vision problems, and fatigue. (Angie, 45 years old)
Limited use of the muscles on the right side of my face and some pain on the back of my neck. (Tom, 45 years old)
Crooked face, paralysis, and I couldn’t blink my eye for almost 90 days. Hard to eat, drink and talk. (Candy, 45 years old)
Facial paralysis. (April, 46 years old)
I had two separate Bell’s incidents, one on each side. 2010 on the left side and 2013 on right side. During both onsets, I experienced a tingling in my jaw area just below the ear. In 2010, I lost feeling and taste on the left side of my tongue. In 2013, I felt the tingling and then just woke up in the morning and couldn’t move the right side of face. The 2010 incident lasted about four months, but I was back to some normalcy in about a month in 2013. My left eye will start watering like I am crying out of the blue to this day. (Eric, 47 years old)
Lost of taste, smell pins and needles in same side of BP to feet & hands, vision and hearing loss, unable to sleep, head aches and pain behind the ear and the neck. (Cindy, 47 years old)
Facial paralysis, synkenisis, ear pain, jaw pain, and sensitive hearing on affected side. (Mary, 47 years old)
Facial drooping, facial numbness, nerve pain in head, heightened sensitivity to sound, changes in taste, incredible fatigue, bilateral symptoms, and frequent recurrence. (Carla, 48 years old)
No feeling in the left side of face and left eye rolls up and doesn’t close. Collapsed nostril swelling on no side pain in ear and eye socket. No smile, loss of taste, can only chew on opposite side, loss of eye sight in left eye and bad crying all the time. (Norma, 48 years old)
Eye pain, sore, can’t touch it or the lid, dry, tears run, have flu like symptoms, ache all over, tired, food/beverages are a challenge, half smile, headaches, can’t sleep, next time all I want to do is sleep, jaw/teeth pain, speaking is a challenge at moments, know what I want to say but comes out very wrong, muscle spasm, tingles, itches, skin irritation, always thirsty, off balance, ear pain, threat pain, and hard to swallow. (Elisha, 49 years old)
Facial paralysis on the left side. (Mark, 49 years old)
Tingling, paralysis, runny eye, discomfort. (Stellestage, 50 years old)
Neck and shoulder aches, constant tired and dry eyes. (Judy, 50 years old)
I’ve had BP for the past 11 years now. In the beginning I had all of the classic BP symptoms. Couldn’t shut my eye, couldn’t smile, couldn’t use a straw, slurred speech, watery eyes, drooling, etc. I have regained about 75% of my smile back and to this day, my eyes still water and aren’t even. I look “bug eyed” in pictures if you catch me off guard. (Margit, 50 years old)
Headaches, mouth & eye drawn, spasms in face that move toward my ear and neck, my eye would not shut at first, and I had to use eye gel & patches at night, affected my speech & the way that I would have to eat, it’s affected my vision, my eye will tear up while chewing my food. (Stephanie, 51 years old)
2nd time of Bells Palsy, 30 years apart. Milder this time, sore tongue, taste altered, mild paralysis this time, pain in back of neck under ear on affected side. Tiredness, chesty cough, cold, drippy nose and eye. Burning sensation in tongue. (Fiona, 52 years old)
Synkinesis. Jaw clicking. (Lisa, 52 years old)
Headaches, facial spasms, eye issues, anxiety and depression. (Monique, 52 years old)
Eye tearing all the time, slurred speech, everything is loud on one side, hard to eat and drink, can’t smile or laugh normally. Sharp pains in my head and behind ear that come and go, tired a lot, and super thirsty. Coughing a lot, dizziness, and blurry vision. (Nikki, 52 years old)
Numb face, twitching, shingles in the ear but no pain as yet! (Lisa, 52 years old)
Facial Pain, headaches and earaches. (Margarita, 54 years old)
Paralysis of left side of face for 14 weeks, pain, eye open & not blinking, difficulty eating & drinking, and depression. (Caroline, 56 years old)
Facial paralysis. (Tim, 56 years old)
Sore eye, drooping lip, eye-watering, headaches, and unable to close affected eye especially at bedtime. (Alex, 57 years old)
Tingling in the nose. Then the total collapse of the face. Numbness. I was 11. (April, 57 years old)
Paralyzed face, not being able to smile, close eye, and eat or drink on the affected side. Ear, neck, jaw and tooth pain. Running nose and eyes. (Rhonda, 57 years old)
Ear pain, headache, face ache, closing of eye, and pins & needles in face. (Christine, 57 years old)
The right side of my face is paralyzed; I could not shut right eye, could not press lips tight on right side, and ear pain. Before my face was paralyzed I had pain running horizontally from my right ear to my face. After I am about 90% ok I have ear pain going down my ear like an ear infection. (CDN, 58 years old)
Total paralysis on the left side of the face. (Mattey, 58 years old)
Too many over the last 35 years to list here. (Caroline, 59 years old)
I was completely paralyzed, 100% LHS on March 31 2017. I recovered quite quickly but suffer from blurred vision, brain fog, fatigue, pain behind ear, base of jaw and my cheek feels like I have had endless visits to a bad dentist. These symptoms are slowly subsiding. (Karen, 59 years old)
Drooping of right eye and no movement in right side of mouth. Couldn’t raise right eye lid or brow along with biting my right cheek. My eyes were very sensitive to Sun light and fatigued quickly. (Roxane, 60 years old)
Originally, full left side facial paralysis which over one year has modified somewhat. I have synkinesis which draws up my cheek and partially closes my eye. My eye tears when I eat, but no other time. It is unusually dry and the vision has been diminished somewhat. I cannot drink from a water bottle and have problems brushing my teeth. I have intermittent problems with my hearing on my BP side and often have headaches. The BP has affected my jaw and I have had to have some of my teeth ground down to return my bite pattern to more normal. My speech has been affected as well. After one year I still have no movement of my forehead, eyebrow, nose and mouth on the BP side, my eye does blink and will pretty much fully close, but still is not working properly. (Holly, 64 years old)
I woke one morning in 1998, with a strange tingling in my lip, and ignored it, a couple hours later I had a pounding headache, earache, and one side of my face looked like it melted. I was SO nervous. When that side “somewhat healed”, the other side fell (shooting pains in my head, ears, eyes. The BP went from one side to the other for a couple years (8 times). Then in 2012, I woke one morning and the left side of my face fell again, the next morning the other side fell. I now had Bilateral. PAIN was through the roof. I have had BP a total of 11 times. (Lin, 66 years old)
Ear pain, nose rash, paralysis, and twitching. (Beth, 66 years old)
Paralysis of R.H. side of face. (Chris L., 70 years old)
Still have a slight droop of my mouth and my eye doesn’t close with the other at the same time. Been over 40 years. (Eloisa, 70 years old)

Bell’s Palsy Interesting Facts

What interesting facts have you learned about Bell’s Palsy?

So many, it may be linked to shingles which are linked to chicken pox. Emma got her last chicken pox vaccine 6 weeks prior to onset. She also had strep throat 1 week prior and the morning of had finished up antibiotics. (Emma, 4 years old)
It’s more common than I thought. (Rebecca, 21 years old)
Everyone takes different amounts of time to recover. It comes on suddenly. You can get it at any age. (Candice, 22 years old)
That it can affect anyone. (Katie, 23 years old)
I didn’t know this affected people of all ages. (Bianca, 25 years old)
It can last forever. (Israel, 25 years old)
It is not at all interesting. Completely weird. (Saba, 25 years old)
Recovery ways – no medicine, only through unproven ways – physio, acupuncture, self-muscle exercise. (Kevin, 26 years old)
Fifth cranial nerve information. (Jess, 26 years old)
It sometimes happens while pregnant. (Kim, 26 years old)
That its far more common than I thought and that in most cases it disappears by itself over time with or without medication.
It affects everyone differently and lasts for different lengths of time. (Carrie L., 28 years old)
That it’s related to stress and cold. (Erjola, 29 years old)
The less you stress the better for recovery. (Andrea, 29 years old)
That it can be caused by an inner ear infection. (Sophie, 30 years old)
How life changing it really is. (Sian A., 30 years old)
Emotions are often linked to whether I’m having a good recovery day or not. Bells Palsy is linked to pregnancy, mine started at 37 weeks pregnant after an ear infection. (Helen, 31 years old)
No one knows who gets it or why you get it and what stops it. (Sarah, 32 years old)
That many different causes can have the same medical symptoms. (Katie, 32 years old)
How common it actually is. (Alan H., 32 years old)
Responds well to vitamin b12, it’s shameful. (John, 32 years old)
Nerve mapping, nerve regeneration patterns, massaging techniques, possible causes of BP, side effects of treatment. (Andreea, 33 years old)
It’s horrible. (Louise, 33 years old)
The lesser you stress or worry, your recovery goes faster. (Shawntres, 34 years old)
That it exists and in the 20th century no one knows what causes it, BP can be treated and can come back. (Agnese, 34 years old)
The etiology is unknown and there isn’t a cure so to speak. (Jessica, 34 years old)
That different people recover at different rates and to different degrees. (Sara, 34 years old)
That I have took it on both sides at different times. (Kelly, 35 years old)
It takes weeks and months to get better. (Allyson, 36 years old)
More people have suffered from it than I realized, mostly women. The similar Ramsey Hunt Syndrome caused by herpes/chicken pox. (Andrew, 36 years old)
There’s no medical cure. Only methods that might work. (Tracy, 36 years old)
That it does get better. (Lori, 36 years old)
There’s no research. (Dawn, 37 years old)
It can happen bilaterally and repeatedly. (Amy, 37 years old)
People I know who have had it and recovered. (Rose, 39 years old)
No two cases are the same. (Elizabeth, 39 years old)
Can occur multiple times. (Alicia, 41 years old)
Not very many it seems to be something that people just don’t care about. (Holly, 41 years old)
It affects your memory as well as your face. (Von, 41 years old)
That no professionals know what causes it, or why it recurs, or how to prevent it. (Helen H., 42 years old)
It makes you feel poorly. (Joanna, 43 years old)
How common it is. (Dawne, 43 years old)
Chewing gum is stated to make it worse rather than better, but I have been told numerous times to chew it from other bp affected people. (Jennifer, 43 years old)
Stress can cause BP. I was under a lot of stress for a year before BP. (Sara, 44 years old)
It takes time to heal, and I’ve found that time is the only effective healer. (Jason, 44 years old)
More frustrating than interesting is that very little is known and doctors don’t know much about it so it’s very difficult to get any answers. (Jenny, 45 years old)
You can have it more than once. (Tara, 45 years old)
You can get it more than once. I got it twice in 8 months. (Lissa, 45 years old)
It has many causes. (Angie, 45 years old)
It’s not well known and most doctors don’t care about giving you answers. (Candy, 45 years old)
No real cause and limited treatments. (Tom, 45 years old)
How to cope with it. (April, 46 years old)
That it can be recurring (obviously). (Eric, 47 years old)
You do not heal 100% from it and it pops up anytime (mine due to stress) when you are tired symptoms are worse. Nutrition also helps the healing process. (Cindy, 47 years old)
It reoccurs! (Carla, 48 years old)
Chiropractic care helped me. C1 and c2 in my neck were misaligned so I started with adjustments after 3 weeks and made a 98 percent recovery. (Norma, 48 years old)
There’s no cure, no great information that really explains. (Elisha, 49 years old)
Apparently, I either have viral meningitis or herpes lol. (Mark, 49 years old)
I never imagined it was any more than an uncooperative side of the face. (Stellestage, 50 years old)
Bells Palsy is more common than people think. Once you have it, seems someone knows of someone who has had it. Especially pregnant people. BP can attack both sides of the face, though rare. Most people recover completely from BP, though not everyone. BP can happen to people of all ages and more than once. (Margit, 50 years old)
Triggered by stress, low body immunity and virus infection. (Judy, 50 years old)
Everyone has a different story & the way that it affects them. I’ve learned without the proper rest & vitamin therapy I’m worse! (Stephanie, 51 years old)
There’s not enough research into causes or treatment. (Caroline, 51 years old)
Supposedly it’s not hereditary, but my mom had it 5 years ago. Supposedly it is rare to get it twice. I have had it twice in the past 3 years, once on the right side, and now on the left side. (Nikki, 52 years old)
Already knew quite a lot, just need to rest and resist the urge to keep doing tasks. (Fiona, 52 years old)
That you sometimes never heal. (Lisa, 52 years old)
Skynesis and Bell’s are different. There is no magic cure for lifers, medical professionals are clueless about it. (Monique, 52 years old)
Don’t exercise the numb side, rest, it varies so much. (Lisa, 52 years old)
It affects everyone with BP in a different way. (Margarita, 54 years old)
I learned that my nerve can regrow. (Caroline, 56 years old)
How many people have had it. (Tim, 56 years old)
No two cases are the same. (Alex, 57 years old)
That it’s so widespread. I thought I was an oddity. (April, 57 years old)
I have had it for ten years with little or no advice. (Christine, 57 years old)
It is never predictable. (Rhonda, 57 years old)
I had never heard about it and once I got it I was surprised at how many people had heard about it. One person told me the cold air caused it. I live in Michigan and if that was true there would be a lot more cases. It wasn’t worth arguing with her. (CDN, 58 years old)
If a person has extreme ear pain (behind the ear), the person should be checked by a specialist to see if they have Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. Steroids and antiviral drugs help tremendously if given shortly after the onset of facial paralysis. (Rose, 58 years old)
Can’t close/blink my eye. Face and eye socket sunken. Loss of taste 90%. Can’t chew/eat on the left side. Impaired tongue movement. Difficulty speaking clearly. Nerve pain around the ear. Nerve pain lower jaw/mandible bone. Bone pain base of the skull. Pressure pain in temples and behind the left eye socket. TMJ extreme pain from overuse of right side of the jaw. A general headache upper left part of the skull. A severe migraine headache. Air conditioning irritates the eye, but needed, cover with patch/glasses/eye mask. (Mattey, 58 years old)
It’s something to do with the 7th nerve in the ear not because your pregnant and the baby is laying on a nerve. (Caroline, 59 years old)
That doctors know nothing about it. (Karen, 59 years old)
The duration is different for all experiencing, some have pain while others may not. It can be reoccurring, I’m not sure what causes the episodes. One should not receive any vacations for up to a year. (Roxane, 60 years old)
Pretty much that no matter what treatment you try it doesn’t seem to help, and doctors don’t know very much about BP at all. (Holly, 64 years old)
I have learned it is caused by Pneumonia & flu shots, and Lyme Disease. I have NEVER heard of anyone having it as many times as I have. (Lin, 66 years old)
That it is a virus. (Beth, 66 years old)
The only way to confirm it is to operate behind the ear. (Chris L., 70 years old)
I didn’t know you could get it again. (Eloisa, 70 years old)

Bell’s Palsy Relief

What are effective ways to relieve your pain? (if applicable)

No pain now but Tylenol helped. (Emma, 4 years old)
Gabapentin. (Rebecca, 21 years old)
Sleep and a warm nice smelly flannel. (Candice, 22 years old)
Normal painkillers and face physio. (Katie, 23 years old)
Excedrine Migraine, hot compress, and frankincense + lavender + Panaway essential oils. (Allie, 23 years old)
Lavender oil facial massages and dark rooms. (Bianca, 25 years old)
I didn’t experience pain at all. (Saba, 25 years old)
I was prego, so nothing. (Kim, 26 years old)
Painkillers, peppermint oil and just relaxing. (Jess, 26 years old)
Only massage. (Maria, 27 years old)
Massage and Ibuprofen. (Erjola, 29 years old)
A hot water bottle on my face (also ate a space cake for the first time in my life and the pain went away, gave me the giggles which was amazing exercise for my face and within two days there was major improvement). (Andrea, 29 years old)
Pain killers, hot and cold packs on my face. (Shaz, 29 years old)
Painkillers. (Sophie, 30 years old)
Medication, regular. (Sian A., 30 years old)
Not much pain now, had an operation on my ear to drain fluid. As the muscles have started to twitch again I feel like my face is painful to touch on the left side and I experience headaches and still need to remember to lubricate my eye and tape it shut at night. (Helen, 31 years old)
Heat compress, advil and extra strength Tylenol or Motrin combination, and sleep. (Katie, 32 years old)
Ice and heat, I put Vick’s vapor rub on the part of my face that’s swollen. (Irene, 32 years old)
Fresh fruit and vegetable juices! (Alan H., 32 years old)
Steroids and pain killers. (John, 32 years old)
Antivirals and anti-inflammatories prescribed by the doctor. (Andreea, 33 years old)
Ibuprofen. (Louise, 33 years old)
Advil. (Craig, 33 years old)
Rest and pain medication. (Shawntres, 34 years old)
Tylenol and Advil. (Sara, 34 years old)
Heat, ice and pain relievers. (Jessica, 34 years old)
Pain killers and acupuncture. (Kelly, 35 years old)
I don’t suffer with any pains now. (Andrew, 36 years old)
Motrin and heat. (Tracy, 36 years old)
Steroids. (Lori, 36 years old)
A moist, folded flannel heated in the microwave for 15 seconds and then applied as a compress several times a day. Paracetamol. (Kate, 37 years old)
Peppermint oil and Motrin Steroids. (Dawn, 37 years old)
Cannabis. (Amy, 37 years old)
Gabapentin, tiger balm and heat. (Elizabeth, 39 years old)
Ibuprofen and rest. (Rose, 39 years old)
Ice and heat, ibuprofen, paracetamol and tramdol. (Von, 41 years old)
Meds and sleep. (Alicia, 41 years old)
Moist heat! Baked potato or a rice sock. (Angela, 42 years old)
Painkillers. (Joanna, 43 years old)
Never really had any any pain. (Dawne, 43 years old)
Ibuprofen and gently massaging pained areas. (Jennifer, 43 years old)
Facial massage, cold compress, Ibuprofen and meditation. (Jason, 44 years old)
I found that heat helped a lot! Rest and no stress. Found facial exercises after five weeks for healing, helped with recovery. (Sara, 44 years old)
Rest and sleep. (Jenny, 45 years old)
Rest. (Tara, 45 years old)
Heat and pain reliever. (Angie, 45 years old)
There was no relief. (Candy, 45 years old)
Gabapentin. (Lissa, 45 years old)
Ice on back of my neck. (Tom, 45 years old)
Ice and Motrin. (Eric, 47 years old)
Warm compress, and hydrocodone. (Mary, 47 years old)
Heat, sleep, eye patch with the meds prescribed. (Cindy, 47 years old)
Heating pad and massages. (Norma, 48 years old)
Chiropractor, massage therapy, and hot, relaxing bath with natural bath salts. (Elisha, 49 years old)
No pain. (Mark, 49 years old)
Hot pads and plenty of rest. (Judy, 50 years old)
The steroid shot at onset helped a lot and so did taking vitamin b12 which I had been doing prior. Taking ibuprofen and sleeping a lot helped tremendously. (Stellestage, 50 years old)
A warm washcloth on the face, taking Gabapentin, Super-B Complex, Echinacea & L-Lysene. (Stephanie, 51 years old)
Rest. (Fiona, 52 years old)
Hot washcloth, massages, and 800 mg Ibuprofen. (Nikki, 52 years old)
Topamax and Baclofin (facial spasms). (Monique, 52 years old)
Painkillers. (Lisa, 52 years old)
Rest, stress free and pain meds. (Margarita, 54 years old)
Massage, turmeric drinks, paracetamol, ibuprofen and resting. (Caroline, 56 years old)
This may sound silly but I use an electric toothbrush to massage the inside of my cheek at the affected area, it works for me. (Alex, 57 years old)
pain relief. (Christine, 57 years old)
Steroids and pain killers. (Rhonda, 57 years old)
I still get ear pain and only a narcotic will relieve the pain. Norco or vicadin. (CDN, 58 years old)
Rest! Not watching TV or reading on the computer. Once I rested quietly, I had much less head pain. (Rose, 58 years old)
Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Hot pads/cold compress. TENS electrical stimulation, hot/cold shower, pain patch (Salon Paas), and Coffee/High caffeine. Don’t Talk to people, avoid conversation, noise, and distractions. Meditation relaxation, soothing Classical/Jazz music, and slow relaxing driving. (Mattey, 58 years old)
Acupuncture, anti inflammatory drugs, prednisone at beginning of BP but not for long term use. I’m being hypnotized next week for the anxiety of it returning and to relax me, I feel strangled or suffocated when my throat or nose close in. (Karen, 59 years old)
I take 1000 milligrams of naproxen daily. Sometimes Tylenol, in between. (Holly, 64 years old)
I no longer have severe pain. I used Vicodin when it was extremely painful. (Lin, 66 years old)
Paracetemol. (Chris L., 70 years old)
No pain now. (Eloisa, 70 years old)

Bell’s Palsy Difficulties

What are the most difficult aspects of living with Bell’s Palsy?

Society. (Emma, 4 years old)
Unable to smile at my baby. (Rebecca, 21 years old)
Having to explain to everyone why you look the way you do and what it is. Getting tired and not being able to speak as much as you want to. Having to always drink through a straw. Not wanting your photo taken. Getting headaches behind the ear a lot. (Candice, 22 years old)
People staring. (Katie, 23 years old)
Low self-esteem, feeling embarrassed by how your face looks. (Allie, 23 years old)
Constant pain, facial twitching and the fear of palsy coming back. (Bianca, 25 years old)
Inferiority complex. Lack of boldness to speak in front of others. (Saba, 25 years old)
It affects your social life and even financially because of lack of confidence. (Israel, 25 years old)
Could not speak properly. (Kevin, 26 years old)
The depression and the uncertainty. (Jess, 26 years old)
Lower self-esteem. (Maria, 27 years old)
I’m now (27 years later) 95% recovered and have a hard time with makeup on my right eye. (Kim, 26 years old)
General day to day tasks – eating/drinking. Explaining to others what it is. Having a lack of confidence. (Carrie L., 28 years old)
Not having my smile and synkinesis. (Erjola, 29 years old)
Feeling hopeless and depressed. The feeling of not being able to do simple things like drink from a cup is very emotional. (Andrea, 29 years old)
Tiredness, headaches, not able to go out in public, sore eye, and not being able to drink anything properly. (Shaz, 29 years old)
Constant pain every day. (Sophie, 30 years old)
Not letting it beat me. (Sian A., 30 years old)
Confidence knocked and difficult to be in public as I was struggling to hold conversations and also to hear what was going on. I felt everybody was staring at me. I struggled to come to terms with the length of recovery time, even the best case scenario of 3 weeks seemed such a long time and got me down. (Helen, 31 years old)
Cosmetic (different appearance), unbearable nagging pain that brings me to tears sometimes, and loss of function (I can’t close eye to sleep, and need to tape it down). I can only drink with a straw, etc. (Katie, 32 years old)
Eye and speech are the worst for me. (Sarah, 32 years old)
Pain. (Irene, 32 years old)
Facial paralysis. (Alan H., 32 years old)
Hard to talk and hold anything in the mouth, I preferred to call it facial palsy. (John, 32 years old)
The prospects of possibly having permanent after effects, synkinesis, social anxiety, the fact that doctors don’t really know what’s causing it and how to prevent it. The prospect of having another/other episode/s in the future. (Andreea, 33 years old)
Fear of it coming back. (Craig, 33 years old)
Physically I hated the way I looked, it was one of the worst times of my life. (Louise, 33 years old)
Hard to see, focus and to talk and eat. (Shawntres, 34 years old)
1st that you are unable to do things that you used to, 2nd is losing your senses and 3rd how you look. (Agnese, 34 years old)
I will never recover completely. I miss my old smile. (Jessica, 34 years old)
Unable to express my inner feeling by effective physical expression. I say one thing and people can take its other meanings. Sometimes I can not pronounce a simple word and people do not know its meaning and often children laugh when they see such a crooked face. (Fazal, 34 years old)
Inability to have a full smile. (Sara, 34 years old)
Makes you feel self conscious. (Kelly, 35 years old)
Feeling accepted and confident among crowds of people. (Andrew, 36 years old)
Slurred speech. (Allyson, 36 years old)
Since there is no cure, all of the unknowns are very scary. (Tracy, 36 years old)
Vanity – hated how I looked. (Lori, 36 years old)
Feeling self conscious when talking to people and trying not to smile as I know I look silly. (Kate, 37 years old)
Mouth paralysis. (Anonymous, 37 years old)
The difference in symmetry from right to left. (Amy, 37 years old)
Having a smaller eye and uneven smile. (Hope, 37 years old)
The Naturopathy pain and it coming back. (Dawn, 37 years old)
Appearance, eating, and appearance when eating. (Rose, 39 years old)
Social, psychological and emotional. (Elizabeth, 39 years old)
Muscle recovery. (Alicia, 41 years old)
Embarrassment. (Holly, 41 years old)
I don’t look like me. (Von, 41 years old)
Lack of confidence, self-esteem, not been able to close my eye, or drink/eat properly. (Helen H., 42 years old)
Grieving the person you were when you could easily smile without even thinking about it. I always feel like I look worse than I do. Everyone always wants to take pictures all the time and they can’t understand why it is so difficult for someone with BP or synkinesis to be in them. (Angela, 42 years old)
Feeling ugly. (Joanna, 43 years old)
I personally feel different and how it’s dropped my eye and face I feel like I’m looked at differently. Relearning how to eat drink and talk is hard at times. It has killed my self-confidence. (Jennifer, 43 years old)
Washing my hair in the shower was difficult with an eye that wouldn’t shut and have to drink through a straw and not being able to chew very well. (Dawne, 43 years old)
Probably the feeling of self loathing. Being upset with yourself for it happening to you even though there’s nothing you can do to prevent it. The fear that it will be permanent was my biggest fear and the stress that induced didn’t help the healing process. (Jason, 44 years old)
Still recovering from it, but when I had extreme pain, I was not able to live my life. (Sara, 44 years old)
Keeping your eye protected, if you need to keep your eye taped it is very difficult to find medical eye patches, eating and drinking can also be a challenge. (Jenny, 45 years old)
People saying it doesn’t have lasting affects. (Tara, 45 years old)
Pain, fatigue, looking weird, and being emotional. (Angie, 45 years old)
Occipital neuralgia which began with first onset of bells palsy just over a year ago. (Lissa, 45 years old)
Not being able to smile or blink was the hardest and not having answers. (Candy, 45 years old)
The strange looks you get while talking. Then having to explain. (Tom, 45 years old)
Someone laughing at you. (April, 46 years old)
The frustration in my 2010 bout was infuriating. I thought I was never going to be normal again. The speech thing was difficult too…talking on the phone was super difficult. (Eric, 47 years old)
Bad table manners, having people wonder if I am happy or sad, looking odd, and losing my smile. (Mary, 47 years old)
I lost my smile. I use to smile always, and I use to make people laugh but now I hide my face if I am going to laugh and I try not to make people laugh any more. I lost me, I lost my self-confidence and self-esteem, it is so easy to become depressed while trying to learn patience in healing with this. (Cindy, 47 years old)
Can’t smile, can’t eat right, can’t drink right, can’t talk right, can’t think right, and don’t want to look at anyone. (Norma, 48 years old)
The inconsistency of health. (Carla, 48 years old)
Not all medical persons are on same page or support. (Elisha, 49 years old)
Speech. (Mark, 49 years old)
Absolutely can’t be without sunglasses when it’s bright out. Looking bug eyed in pictures. Not having my full smile anymore. I hate selfies on my phone! (Margit, 50 years old)
Constant rumbling in the affected side of the ear, face stiffness and lost of taste buds, dryness of eyes and unable to close eye lids completely. (Judy, 50 years old)
It was very uncomfortable. Made me feel ill and very tired. Also, since it was my face, it is also emotionally difficult to handle, thinking I was being stared and laughed at. Eating, drinking, and speaking is very difficult. (Stellestage, 50 years old)
Damage to eyes. (Caroline, 51 years old)
The deformation, affecting vision, dealing with the headaches, and embarrassment. (Stephanie, 51 years old)
Tiredness, pain, steroids, not knowing how long it will last, or if it will improve. (Fiona, 52 years old)
The way my face looks. (Lisa, 52 years old)
Other people’s reactions. I just recently started dating a 30 year old man. We had gone on 4 dates, it was going well, then Bells Palsy happened. Good to know what he is all about though. (Nikki, 52 years old)
Being tired, pain, facial spasms coming when they want, being sensitive to smells and medical professionals not having understanding and knowledge. (Monique, 52 years old)
Looking different. (Lisa, 52 years old)
Not being able to smile. (Margarita, 54 years old)
Eye care & not being able to smile. (Caroline, 56 years old)
Lingering facial paralysis. (Tim, 56 years old)
The way I looked, constant watering of the eye and the headaches. (Alex, 57 years old)
Having one eye smaller and a crooked smile. (April, 57 years old)
The constant pain and dropping mouth and eye I have just learned to live with it, but please try and find a specialist who knows about this horrible condition. (Christine, 57 years old)
Not being able to eat or drink without a bib. The pain. the embarrassment on how you look and talk. Eye hurting due to dry eye and not being able to close your eye. (Rhonda, 57 years old)
The pain in my right ear; when I get tired I feel the right side of my face is slower to move. (CDN, 58 years old)
Waiting to get my smile back. The mouth comes back later because it takes 14 muscles to smile. Be thankful that the eye closing comes back early. (Rose, 58 years old)
Pain, difficulty relaxing & sleeping, and difficulty seeing, talking and eating. (Mattey, 58 years old)
People’s stares and ignorance about bells palsy. (Caroline, 59 years old)
People are not understanding: if I said I had a stroke I would get understanding, trust me, I’m thrilled I didn’t, but would like a little compassion. (Karen, 59 years old)
Annoyance of the affect of the nerve inability to function. (Roxane, 60 years old)
I was forced to retire from my job as a Sign Language Interpreter. I also have struggled emotionally with my appearance. People seem to treat BP sufferers like they are mentally deficient or something. That has been a big struggle for me. (Holly, 64 years old)
The first few times, it was like I moved to hell. I saw the disgusting faces people made, the hurtful hateful comments. I was/am unable to talk, eat, drink right (I choke very easily) my eyes tear & close when I eat, drink, and talk. I have to hold my lips to pronounce certain words. For me, it has been a nightmare. (Lin, 66 years old)
Being myself and expressing joy. (Beth, 66 years old)
First few weeks. (Chris L., 70 years old)

Bell’s Palsy Advice

What words of encouragement/advice can you share with others who have Bell’s Palsy?

Stay strong and be positive. You are beautiful because of what’s inside! (Emma, 4 years old)
If it never fully gets better it will get a little better. Don’t feel down about it. You’re still beautiful. (Rebecca, 21 years old)
It does go! It’s not forever. It gets worse before it gets better. Ride through it and don’t let it take over. (Candice, 22 years old)
To be patient, exercise your facial muscles, and find a good support system. (Allie, 23 years old)
I myself need encouragement. (Saba, 25 years old)
You’re not alone in this fight! (Bianca, 25 years old)
Be brave. (Israel, 25 years old)
Go out, don’t be shy and hide in the house. (Kevin, 26 years old)
It will get better. (Kim, 26 years old)
Bell’s Palsy is something special that is given to us to teach us some type of lesson. Be patient and with time you will realize why we were the chosen ones. (Jess, 26 years old)
Always think positively, everything will be okay. (Maria, 27 years old)
Remain hopeful, stay strong, rest as often as needed, take one day at a time. Buy lots of straws ;). (Carrie L., 28 years old)
Patience and lots of facial exercises. (Erjola, 29 years old)
You will get through this, mine only lasted 6 weeks. (Shaz, 29 years old)
Stay positive no matter how hard it is. Cry if you have to but remember not to let it get you too down. (Andrea, 29 years old)
The movement gets better – keep doing the physio exercises. (Sophie, 30 years old)
Let people help. (Sian A., 30 years old)
Take time for yourself, get plenty of rest and sleep, and ask for help when dealing with being in public or talking on the phone. Also, buy straws for drinking! (Helen, 31 years old)
Hang in there. There are worse things to get. Count your blessings, find a support group. (Katie, 32 years old)
I tell my self to be grateful I’m still alive and to be here with my loved ones. People are worse off then us. (Sarah, 32 years old)
The main symptoms will pass. (Alan H., 32 years old)
One day at a time. (Irene, 32 years old)
Take each day at a time, follow your medication, it’s okay to be scared but it will go away eventually. (John, 32 years old)
The vast majority of surveys published so far say that most people fully recover within 2-3 months after onset. There is hope. Stay healthy, rest a lot, eat very healthy, and strengthen the immune system. (Andreea, 33 years old)
Try to be positive & research ways of getting better. (Louise, 33 years old)
Time heals all. (Craig, 33 years old)
Stay positive and stress-free and rest as much as possible. (Shawntres, 34 years old)
Have a new haircut which covers your eye, buy new sunglasses and go out to talk with people. Don’t fight against it as you don’t know for how long you are going to have it so try to find out about BP as much as you can and try to learn how to live with it. (Agnese, 34 years old)
Trust your instinct and don’t always trust what the “experts” say. The doctors do not know as much as they think they do about Bell’s Palsy. Take it one day at a time. You are going to experience things differently than the next person who suffers from it. DO NOT let anyone tell you that you don’t feel something when you know you do. (Jessica, 34 years old)
Life is short, play your role as best you can. (Fazal, 34 years old)
Get medical attention asap, and take care of yourself. (Sara, 34 years old)
Accept it, it’s who you are, laugh about it without putting yourself down. Keep smiling. (Andrew, 36 years old)
It gets better. (Allyson, 36 years old)
Keep living your life. You are not defined by your bells. The worst of it is temporary. (Tracy, 36 years old)
It does get better. (Lori, 36 years old)
Rest, rest and more rest! Don’t try to resume your normal day to day job as you need rest and relaxation to recover and get your immune system up. Stress and tiredness will delay recovery time. Take vitamins such as b12 and fish oils. Gentle massage with warm olive oil to stop the muscles going into atrophy. Apply a warm compress several times a day. Look after your eye if you can’t close it – use eye drops, eye lid sprays, and cover with a patch or tape shut. (Kate, 37 years old)
You’re not alone and it does get better! (Hope, 37 years old)
if I were blind I would not see your imperfections, so lead the world blind leaving vanity behind you. (Amy, 37 years old)
You’re still beautiful. (Dawn, 37 years old)
When the nerve pain starts a week or two in, you know that it does end, even though it seems it will never stop. Get Gabapentin or Lyrica from your doctor asap. Reach out to others when you are in a dark place, don’t feel like it will never end. (Elizabeth, 39 years old)
Stay positive. Don’t judge the way people treat you. Encourage people to go on the journey with you. (Rose, 39 years old)
Be you, no matter what your face looks like. (Alicia, 41 years old)
Don’t give up hope. (Von, 41 years old)
Everyone heals at their own pace. Do not compare yourself to others. Most people heal nearly completely. Even if you don’t, like I did, you will find ways to accept what you are left with. It isn’t easy, but it will happen eventually. (Angela, 42 years old)
Be patient. (Joanna, 43 years old)
It does get better. (Dawne, 43 years old)
Stay strong, keep your faith and stay as stress free as possible. (Jennifer, 43 years old)
Everyone isn’t looking at you and judging you. Most people won’t even notice that you have it in the small amount of time you interact ( shopping , driving, etc ). Those close to you will notice but they will be supportive of you. It gets better. Meditation helped me to get to a better place with it and realize that the BP wasn’t who I was. I was still the same person. (Jason, 44 years old)
Take time off from work, limit stress. (Sara, 44 years old)
Stay positive as much as possible and don’t lose your sense of humor, the more you can laugh about it the better. The recovery rate is so different for everyone that there is no point in worrying about how long it is taking or whether you will have issues later on. (Jenny, 45 years old)
Get plenty of rest. It does get better. (Tara, 45 years old)
Take it one day at a time. (Lissa, 45 years old)
Hang in there and God will see you through it. (Candy, 45 years old)
rest a lot. (Angie, 45 years old)
I have had it for over 10 years. Just keep on. Laugh about it when it comes up. (Tom, 45 years old)
Just keep smiling. (April, 46 years old)
Hang in there…it got better for me…twice. (Eric, 47 years old)
You are more than your smile. You have the opportunity to show how deeply cool you are. (Mary, 47 years old)
Patience if you don’t have it now, you will learn it and sleep. (if you can’t sleep rest). (Cindy, 47 years old)
Changed my bad negative attitude to positive. Changed ice packs to heating pad and wore sunglasses outside. I stopped looking people in the face because symptoms would get worse. (Norma, 48 years old)
Pray, pray, pray! Surround yourselves with a solid support group. Listen to what your body is saying to you and rest. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! (Carla, 48 years old)
Get in touch with a support group and do research. (Elisha, 49 years old)
“At least it wasn’t a stroke!” Is what I have had said to me the most. (Mark, 49 years old)
Just hang in there. Hope and pray for the best. I had a relatively short case of just 4 weeks to the date. And it was hell in between. (Stellestage, 50 years old)
The first 3 weeks are the worst period. Have complete rest, stop work and other stress-related stuff and sleep as much as you need, drink lots of water and sleep more. (Judy, 50 years old)
Give yourself time to heal. It doesn’t happen overnight. If you don’t heal completely, don’t stress. Thank God it wasn’t a stroke! (Margit, 50 years old)
Patience and rest. (Caroline, 51 years old)
See your Dr right off & start anti-viral drugs & steroids, start facial exercises immediately, & the vitamin therapy of Super-B Complex, Echinacea, & L-Lysine. (Stephanie, 51 years old)
Rest, try to catch it early, this time I caught it at a very early stage and started the steroids, this seems to have prevented it from progressing to full paralysis. You are ill and fighting a disease, treat yourself kindly. Using the eye drops helped me and I’ve put them in both eyes to help my good eye cope. (Fiona, 52 years old)
You can still feel good about yourself and be happy even with BP. (Lisa, 52 years old)
What we have isn’t life threatening but it is life changing. If you need support there are groups on Facebook. (Monique, 52 years old)
It is temporary, just laugh at yourself and make jokes about it. It makes other people more at ease and it’s better than crying about it or isolating yourself. (Nikki, 52 years old)
It will improve, give it time. (Lisa, 52 years old)
Keep the faith. (Margarita, 54 years old)
Have patience, time & rest will heal. Don’t be tempted to try & exercise too early. (Caroline, 56 years old)
It’s not the end of the world. (Tim, 56 years old)
Don’t give up and take your medication and as I said previously no two cases are the same. (Alex, 57 years old)
A smile is a smile no matter how crooked it is. Concentrate on doing all the things you always did, nothing has changed really. I got psoriasis at 13 and then arthritis. I have done quite well regardless. (April, 57 years old)
Take each day as it comes and never give up. (Rhonda, 57 years old)
Try to relax. Everyone heals at a different rate. When I was reading info on the internet the stories were all over the place from never recovered to took 1-2 weeks. (CDN, 58 years old)
Resting, keeping stress away, staying positive, and surrounding yourself with loved ones – they love you no matter how you look at the moment. (Rose, 58 years old)
Positive attitude and stay away from Hardcore pain meds. (Mattey, 58 years old)
If you’re lucky it will recover fully. (Caroline, 59 years old)
Wow, you are certainly not alone! (Karen, 59 years old)
It will get better. (Roxane, 60 years old)
Be good to yourself. Rest, eat right, exercise and try not to stress. Join a group where you can talk to people that really understand your struggles. (Holly, 64 years old)
I allowed people to hurt me, I became a total reclusive for 2 years. That’s 2 years of my life I’ll never get back. It DOES GET BETTER. (Lin, 66 years old)
It is a tough disease – but it isn’t fatal. (Beth, 66 years old)
It usually improves to some extent. (Chris L., 70 years old)
More modern technology now and meds since I had it. So keep up on all new things. (Eloisa, 70 years old)

Bell’s Palsy Treatments

What’s been your experience with treatments (medication, massage, etc.)?

No medicine was given since she was too young. (Emma, 4 years old)
Facial massage, acupuncture, steroids, MRI scans, neurology appointments and botox. (Rebecca, 21 years old)
6 weeks of tablets at 8 every morning. (Candice, 22 years old)
Only medication. 7 days of steroids. Take them every day like the GP says. (Katie, 23 years old)
The medication gave some rough side effects, but was my saving grace and sped up my progress faster than anything. (Allie, 23 years old)
Lavender oil massages eased so much pain. Along with facial exercises. (Bianca, 25 years old)
Electrical stimulation helped a lot for me. (Saba, 25 years old)
I have not received any treatment since I was a kid. (Israel, 25 years old)
Physiotherapy, acupuncture, self-muscle exercise, and Chinese medicine. (Kevin, 26 years old)
Didn’t have any back then. (Kim, 26 years old)
Acupuncture seemed to help a little bit. The steroids did not. The massages help relax me. (Jess, 26 years old)
Massage. (Maria, 27 years old)
Amitriptyline helped with the pain but made me extremely tired all the time. (Carrie L., 28 years old)
I used B Complex for almost three months, had cortisone, and had facial massages and electrodes for six weeks. (Erjola, 29 years old)
I had steroids for 10 days only they didn’t seem to have any effect. By the time I was able to have alternative treatments I was completely healed. (Andrea, 29 years old)
I had acupuncture which improved my face immediately and I only had 3 sessions. I also massaged my face daily. (Shaz, 29 years old)
Steroids (Dex) were very effective in the first few days and strong painkillers too. (Sophie, 30 years old)
Tegretol, amitriptyline, co-codamol, various eye drops. (Sian A., 30 years old)
I’ve had a big course of steroids and antibiotics as well as an ear operation. The operation reduced the pressure in my head quite a lot. The steroids I believe have helped get my muscles to begin to twitch, but they swell up your face a LOT! (Helen, 31 years old)
Keeping myself relaxed as possible and Valtrex helps me too. I get massages a few times a year. (Katie, 32 years old)
Medication, very little use, relaxation, and natural treatments have sped up recovery. (Alan H., 32 years old)
Steroids, other tablets, eye drops and eye ointment. (Sarah, 32 years old)
Don’t miss any medication. Take aloe vera juice. it helps a lot. (John, 32 years old)
Meds – steroids and antivirals. (Andreea, 33 years old)
Steroids worked. (Craig, 33 years old)
Electric acupuncture was amazing for me. (Louise, 33 years old)
Pain and nerve medication are the only two things that I have tried to relieve pain as well as the symptoms. (Jessica, 34 years old)
Medication for pain helped. (Shawntres, 34 years old)
Medication helped to keep my nerve damage from progressing. (Sara, 34 years old)
Steroids and acupuncture. (Kelly, 35 years old)
It was ok. (Allyson, 36 years old)
The first bout I was told to do exercises and massages, the second bout, 11 years later, I was told not to as this can encourage nerves to re-route. I think the steroids helped. (Andrew, 36 years old)
Doubtful steroids and antiviral helped. Essential oils seemed to help. Massaging the inner mouth often helps keep the muscles soft. Self PT was also helpful. (Tracy, 36 years old)
Helped just waiting for facial surgery as jaw has dislodged. (Lori, 36 years old)
Steroids have definitely reduced the inflammation and helped with the pain. I’m not sure if Anti Virals did anything but they fight the herpes simplex virus and if it’s that that caused my BP then I’m happy to take them. A warm compress definitely helped with the pain. Massage made my face feel less tight as when I stopped it for a few days I noticed the difference. (Kate, 37 years old)
None…you just have to rest, take steroids and wait. (Dawn, 37 years old)
None so far. I would love to try Botox but I can’t afford it. I’m on Medicare/Medicaid due to a brain tumor. (Hope, 37 years old)
Massage, micro-current, and Botox all can help! Prednisone, rest and b vitamins are also recommended. (Amy, 37 years old)
Give it time. (Elizabeth, 39 years old)
Acupuncture with electrolysis. vitamin therapy, prednisone, massages and Chinese herbs. (Rose, 39 years old)
Massage is very important for muscle recovery. (Alicia, 41 years old)
Steroids, Antiviral, and antibiotics. (Von, 41 years old)
I have had a lot of improvement with PT and Botox through MEEI. Definitely not back to my old self, but I am happier with my new self. (Angela, 42 years old)
Steroids and antivirals only. (Helen H., 42 years old)
Just pills. (Joanna, 43 years old)
I have taken all the meds prescribed and nothing else. I massage my own face and neck area. (Jennifer, 43 years old)
Was on 40mg of steroids for a week then 35g etc. etc. until weaned off. Gained about a pound and a half in a month as I was constantly hungry and had some ‘road rage’. (Dawne, 43 years old)
Slow and soft massaging helped and heat. The only medication that helped for five weeks of onset was only Dilaudid meds. After quitting my stressful job I did not have to take the medication anymore. I had mild head pain I could deal with. (Sara, 44 years old)
Acupuncture did nothing. Facial massage and cold compresses eased the pain and helped keep the muscles from stiffening up. OTC pain relievers. Vitamin B complex. (Jason, 44 years old)
Some appointments have been more helpful than others, eye specialist appointment was a waste of time as no help or advise given. (Jenny, 45 years old)
Only treatment I had was steroids. (Tara, 45 years old)
Nothing worked for me. (Candy, 45 years old)
Steroids and anti viral. (Angie, 45 years old)
Helps a bit. (Tom, 45 years old)
I only used the anti-viral meds (valtrex I believe), motrin and time. (Eric, 47 years old)
Acyclovir and hydrocodone help when the pain in the ear gets really bad. For a short amount of time. (Mary, 47 years old)
Massage, medication, physio therapy, meditation and yoga. Make a schedule for it and go do it step by step. (Cindy, 47 years old)
Heating pad and chiropractic care worked for me. (Norma, 48 years old)
Treat it as SOON as you can. I caught mine early enough to where it did not affect my eye! The steroids definitely helped. Acupuncture worked somewhat. (Carla, 48 years old)
Natural vitamins and minerals. (Elisha, 49 years old)
Meds and electric shock therapy hurt and didn’t completely heal me. Hated it! (Margit, 50 years old)
Chinese acupuncture treatment. (Judy, 50 years old)
Steroids very early on helped my symptoms. (Caroline, 51 years old)
I definitely started to see improvement with the meds, exercises, & vitamin therapy. I’m one year & one month in & I still to this day have to do the exercises, and vitamin therapy. If I even miss one day I can feel the difference. I can say that it’s been very depressing! (Stephanie, 51 years old)
Steroids and eye drops. (Fiona, 52 years old)
Steroids, helpful. (Lisa, 52 years old)
I did not get Prednisone in time the first time, this time I did. I am also taking B-12 and other supplements that I researched this time. I can close my eye 3/4 of the way at day 12, though I am not blinking at all. I think I will get better faster this time. (Nikki, 52 years old)
I have a great Nuero who was open to a 2nd opinion, I got in Boston (Mass, eye general) found out I had Skynesis. I use Topamax (migraines), Baclofin (facial spasms) and did botox for 3yrs. (Monique, 52 years old)
Antiviral tablets and steroids helped reduce the severity the last 2 times. (Lisa, 52 years old)
Acupuncture, PT, Chiropractor and steroids. (Margarita, 54 years old)
Massage was the best treatment for me. Acupuncture didn’t make any difference. (Caroline, 56 years old)
All I got from the doctor was eye drops but they definitely helped. (Alex, 57 years old)
I have had nothing but heat treatment in 1971. (April, 57 years old)
I take pain relief and massage my face and back of ear. (Christine, 57 years old)
It’s all just time. (Rhonda, 57 years old)
I took a steroid when I was first diagnosed. I say try some alternate methods if you can afford them. (CDN, 58 years old)
I found that acupuncture has helped me very much. So glad I got the steroids and antiviral drugs at the very beginning. Vitamin B-12 is an important supplement. (Rose, 58 years old)
Effectively helps but does not relieve/alleviate well or cute yet: 60mg Prednisone daily. Ibuprofen Aspirin Diazepam/Lorazepam to relax TMJ pain and headaches. (Mattey, 58 years old)
I was on prednisone and valtrex at onsite. Goop, goop, and more goop for my eye. Take care of your eye, tape it, keep it clean, and full of drops. Physical therapy, acupuncture massage, and electrical stimulation exercise, I’ve tried it all. ER ENT Neurologist Ophthalmologist, vitamins B turmeric, and ginger. I think Acupuncture massage and rest was best. (Karen, 59 years old)
Predizone only. (Roxane, 60 years old)
Acupuncture did restore most of my hearing, I have tried Physical therapy, electric stimulation, Acupuncture, B vitamins, and Botox. I was prescribed Gabapentin but I didn’t like the way it made me feel. Botox does relieve some of the synkinesis symptoms but it doesn’t last. (Holly, 64 years old)
None of the meds helped me. In 2013, I could close my mouth fully, unfortunately, I had Botox shots (suggested by my doctor) and my mouth no longer closes. (Lin, 66 years old)
Nothing worked. (Beth, 66 years old)
Waste of time. (Chris L., 70 years old)
Only had heat treatment back in my day. (Eloisa, 70 years old)

Bell’s Palsy Recommendations

Anything you would recommend for someone with Bell’s Palsy?

Acupuncture and rest. (Rebecca, 21 years old)
Positive attitude and talk to other people going through the same thing. (Candice, 22 years old)
SMILE!! Even though its hard too but smile. The more you smile the quicker you will recover. (Katie, 23 years old)
Essential oils, facial massages, and a hot compress. (Allie, 23 years old)
Don’t slack on doing facial exercises! (Bianca, 25 years old)
Massages and medication. (Saba, 25 years old)
Be strong. (Israel, 25 years old)
Go for physiotherapy, and be positive. There’s a very high percentage recovery. (Kevin, 26 years old)
Patience and a strong support system. (Kim, 26 years old)
Everything is temporary, always remember that. (Jess, 26 years old)
Self-medication. (Maria, 27 years old)
Straws!! Laugh at yourself or you’ll end up miserable. (Carrie L., 28 years old)
It seems like you’ll never be like you used to be, but you need lots of patience, and be happy for the little progress day after day. (Erjola, 29 years old)
I changed my diet to a no meat diet temporarily. I had no alternative treatments and I healed in 3 weeks (25 days). (Andrea, 29 years old)
Rest, get sunlight, cover your eye, and get acupuncture done. (Shaz, 29 years old)
Use tape and eye drops for eye dryness, and try to be patient although it’s hard. (Sophie, 30 years old)
Get advice from fellow bells sufferers. (Sian A., 30 years old)
Rest and relax as much as possible. Don’t overwork or attempt to get the muscles working, let it come back naturally. Stay positive that you will recover. (Helen, 31 years old)
Keep your affected side warm and covered up in the winter, and get lots of rest. (Katie, 32 years old)
Floatation Therapy. (Alan H., 32 years old)
Aloe vera juice. It helped me a lot. (John, 32 years old)
Stay healthy, rest a lot, eat very healthy, and strengthen your immune system. (Andreea, 33 years old)
Keep your head up, it will get better. (Louise, 33 years old)
Chin up buttercup. (Craig, 33 years old)
Eye drops and warm compressor for the face. (Shawntres, 34 years old)
Eyepatch for those who are into running and helps to shower, I also will try acupuncture as many claim it to be good. (Agnese, 34 years old)
Go see more than one doctor if you do not get answers or help from the first one. (Jessica, 34 years old)
Use visualization in healing, and stay positive. (Sara, 34 years old)
Acupuncture. (Kelly, 35 years old)
Relax. (Allyson, 36 years old)
Don’t let it hold you back on what you want to achieve in life. Keep smiling at people, even if they do look back at you with a funny look. (Andrew, 36 years old)
Stay positive. Protect your eye to avoid long-term trouble. (Tracy, 36 years old)
Keep positive & don’t hide away. (Lori, 36 years old)
Know that in most cases you WILL get better. Join support groups on social media to talk with other people who are going through the same thing. (Kate, 37 years old)
Rest…rest…rest. (Dawn, 37 years old)
Try not to stress about what’s happened to you because if you allow yourself the time to rest and not worry you will heal better. (Amy, 37 years old)
Try not to stress and use eye drops and tape your eye at night. (Hope, 37 years old)
Relaxation and time. There is no magic pill or treatment. This has not been studied and researched enough. (Elizabeth, 39 years old)
Don’t base your worth on your appearance, eliminate anyone from your life who can’t realize your worth. (Alicia, 41 years old)
Make sure you take steroids early. (Helen H., 42 years old)
Psychological treatment. I started seeing a therapist right after I came down with BP because I was a children’s entertainer and had to be in front of crowds of children who have no filter. She helped me deal with a lot of the emotions having to do with BP. At the time, I had nobody who understood how I was feeling because they never went through it before. Everyone was telling me how I looked “fine” and nobody cares what I looked like. Having someone to talk to made a world of difference to me in the beginning. (Angela, 42 years old)
Take support from whoever offers. (Joanna, 43 years old)
Don’t lose hope and never give up. Your outside appearance does not define who you are on the inside. (Jennifer, 43 years old)
My case wasn’t too bad, so it’s hard to recommend anything. Just stay positive. (Dawne, 43 years old)
Limit stress!!! If you don’t have Lyme’s, rest. (Sara, 44 years old)
Hard as it is, keep a positive attitude. Keep a support group around you, friends who understand what you’re going through and will accept it and be supportive of it. (Jason, 44 years old)
Don’t panic, try to distress as much as possible. When talking, eating and drinking slow down, it makes enunciating words easier and it also helps with not spraying food and drink everywhere. (Jenny, 45 years old)
Research. (Tara, 45 years old)
Rest, don’t stress even if you feel like your world has ended. (Candy, 45 years old)
Take it one day at a time, and don’t let doctors blow you off. (Lissa, 45 years old)
Get it looked at asap. (Tom, 45 years old)
Be patient!!! (Eric, 47 years old)
Rest and forgive yourself for resting. (Mary, 47 years old)
Remove all the negative out of your life and focus on you. Surround yourself with people who want to see you heal, positive people. (Cindy, 47 years old)
Good chiropractic care. (Norma, 48 years old)
Sunglasses, earplugs, straws and a bib…….. and seriously, patience I think. (Mark, 49 years old)
As soon as you get the first inkling it is BP, head to the after hours clinic, emergency room, or doctor to get that shot. Also, acupuncture helps tremendously. (Stellestage, 50 years old)
Seek immediate medication within the first 3 days at the onset of Bells. Don’t delay or self medicate. (Judy, 50 years old)
Don’t stress, listen to your Drs, take any and all meds prescribed and advice. Join a support group. BP is frightening enough without support from others who are living in your shoes and understand. (Margit, 50 years old)
Just try and stay positive, get plenty of rest for this is a must, & do the exercises & take the vitamin therapy daily that I suggested above. Try & stay stress-free. Stress enhances it. (Stephanie, 51 years old)
Try not to get stressed or tired it seems worse then. (Fiona, 52 years old)
Pray a lot. (Lisa, 52 years old)
Counseling. If you’re getting depressed my Nuero recommended pet therapy and my support dog helps me so much. (Monique, 52 years old)
Educate yourself, join online support groups, sleep with eye patch or eye taped shut at night, keep working, don’t isolate, it feels worse than it looks. People around you will get used to it fast, and a year from now they will barely remember anything was wrong with you. (Nikki, 52 years old)
Get support from a group. (Lisa, 52 years old)
See Acupuncturist within the first two weeks. (Margarita, 54 years old)
Ayuvedic massage and fresh turmeric in soups & salads. (Caroline, 56 years old)
Get to an ER asap and start on medication. (Tim, 56 years old)
If you’re having a drink use a straw lol. (Alex, 57 years old)
Please find a medical professionals that know about this condition. (Christine, 57 years old)
If you can afford to buy some supplements do so. I bought some from a health food store to help boost my immune system, and reduce inflammation. You may have symptoms that nobody notices (after you start healing) so don’t get too engrossed with how you look. (CDN, 58 years old)
Don’t go back to work until a specialist thinks you are ready. Some professions are harder to return to, such as teaching. (Rose, 58 years old)
Seek immediate attention. (Mattey, 58 years old)
Accept the fact it may be with you permanently. (Caroline, 59 years old)
Take care of yourself, get plenty of rest. (Karen, 59 years old)
Be patient with your self. Look with humor in your condition. I lead water aroebic classes and I was nicknamed Elvis. (Roxane, 60 years old)
Talk to other BP sufferers, and don’t depend on doctors to know what to do. (Holly, 64 years old)
Be patient, do your daily facial exercises. Avoid stress and get checked for Lyme Disease! (Lin, 66 years old)
Rest and no stress! (Beth, 66 years old)
Be patient. (Chris L., 70 years old)
Have faith. You will get through this. (Eloisa, 70 years old)

Bell’s Palsy Resources

What specific resources have you found most helpful?

Facebook groups. (Emma, 4 years old)
Neurologists. (Rebecca, 21 years old)
Talking to others with the same condition. Having the support of friends. (Candice, 22 years old)
Real-life stories from the internet and Youtube and video loggers. (Allie, 23 years old)
Literature and articles. (Saba, 25 years old)
Support pages and my family who have also had bells. (Bianca, 25 years old)
Physiotherapist. (Kevin, 26 years old)
Meditation. (Jess, 26 years old)
I didn’t find much information on it. (Carrie L., 28 years old)
Internet. (Erjola, 29 years old)
Medicare free acupuncture, and medications from doctors. (Shaz, 29 years old)
Facebook groups. (Sian A., 30 years old)
Support groups on Facebook and knowing that others are going through the same thing. (Helen, 31 years old)
Info from my doctor and my online support group. (Katie, 32 years old)
Facebook bell’s palsy support group. (John, 32 years old)
Internet. (Alan H., 32 years old)
YouTube, videos of people who suffered from BP, Facebook groups. (Andreea, 33 years old)
Facebook groups. (Craig, 33 years old)
The internet & forums. (Louise, 33 years old)
Google everything lol. (Shawntres, 34 years old)
Talking with other BP patients, social network, Facebook BP group. (Agnese, 34 years old)
Other people. (Jessica, 34 years old)
The family doctor, and online support groups. (Sara, 34 years old)
Internet and forums. (Kelly, 35 years old)
YouTube videos, others stories, and physical therapy tips. Since no one knows how to cure it, find whatever makes you feel better. (Tracy, 36 years old)
Internet. (Lori, 36 years old)
Support groups on Facebook and just Googling about Bell’s Palsy. (Kate, 37 years old)
Facebook groups for Bells Palsy. (Dawn, 37 years old)
This Web site and support groups. (Hope, 37 years old)
Creating Bells Palsy Strong helped me connect with many people just like me who have BP. (Amy, 37 years old)
Facebook groups. (Elizabeth, 39 years old)
Bell palsy Facebook group. (Von, 41 years old)
Facebook support groups. (Alicia, 41 years old)
MEEI has been excellent in helping with care options. Facebook groups dedicated to facial paralysis have also been a big help because you can vent to people who get it. We all have some same shared experiences there. (Angela, 42 years old)
Facebook groups. (Joanna, 43 years old)
A bells palsy support group on facebook. (Dawne, 43 years old)
Bell’s palsy groups on Facebook and internet searches on Bell’s palsy. (Jennifer, 43 years old)
We bit from U.K. On BP. (Sara, 44 years old)
I have been unable to find any useful resources relating to bells, however, joining a couple of support groups on Facebook has helped as you can discuss it with people who have already had it or have it. It always helps to be able to talk about it. (Jenny, 45 years old)
Facebook. (Tara, 45 years old)
Bells palsy Facebook group. (Angie, 45 years old)
online support groups. (Lissa, 45 years old)
Facebook groups helped me more than physicians. (Candy, 45 years old)
Facebook groups so you realize you are not alone. (Tom, 45 years old)
The BP Facebook groups are real people with their real stories, hints, and ideas. (Cindy, 47 years old)
Bell’s palsy group pages on Facebook helped a lot, they’re a very supportive group. (Norma, 48 years old)
Bell’s Support group on Facebook. (Elisha, 49 years old)
Interweb. (Mark, 49 years old)
Support groups. (Stellestage, 50 years old)
Bell’s palsy group chats, forums are major sources which help new sufferers to better understand and actions needed to manage bells. (Judy, 50 years old)
Facebook support systems. (Margit, 50 years old)
Just trying to do research & following the resources that my mom has found for me like taking the vitamin therapy. Also, the Bell’s Palsy Strong group that I’ve been a member of since it was started. It helps to communicate with people that are going through what you’re going through! (Stephanie, 51 years old)
BP groups on Facebook. (Lisa, 52 years old)
Support groups on Facebook and counseling. (Monique, 52 years old)
support groups. (Nikki, 52 years old)
Acupuncture. (Margarita, 54 years old)
Website of crystal touch clinic in Rotterdam – best diagrams and description of BP. (Caroline, 56 years old)
Bell’s palsy website. (Tim, 56 years old)
Can’t say anything really. (Alex, 57 years old)
I found a lot by looking on the internet and then using common sense. Don’t believe everything you read but find a website you can believe. Join a FB group. (CDN, 58 years old)
My facial paralysis doctor and my chiropractor/acupuncturist. (Rose, 58 years old)
Difficult. I have no medical insurance and can’t qualify for Medicaid, can’t afford Obamacare, ACA, rely on family medical professionals. (Mattey, 58 years old)
BP support groups on Facebook. (Karen, 59 years old)
Youtube videos of a physical therapist. (Roxane, 60 years old)
The BP support group on Facebook. (Holly, 64 years old)
Reading about others that have BP. Essential Oils and FECO (full extract Cannabis oil) has done the MOST good for me. (Lin, 66 years old)
Facebook group. (Beth, 66 years old)
Nothing. (Chris L., 70 years old)
Just reading all the new things that are out there now. (Eloisa, 70 years old)