BCPs and eye twitching

BRbangle · 10-15-2008, 09:23 PM

Ok, this may sound strange, but I have noticed every time I have been on bcp, my left eye twitches. Not constantly—just for an hour or so at a time, at least once a day. And, not only can I feel it every time it pulses, I can also see it pulsing when I look in a mirror. At first, it seemed to happen mainly in the evenings, following a glass of wine. But, after experimenting with not drinking wine (or any alcohol), the eye twitch persists. It is rather annoying! Has any body else ever experienced this?

Shy One · 10-17-2008, 03:09 PM

I get that all the time but I don't think there is a link with the pill for me. I notice it usually happens when i'm really stressed out or during allergy season. I don't think i've had a problem since I graduated college but I had it a lot then. haha.

sarahjean · 10-21-2008, 01:13 PM

I'll be darned... That used to happen to me ALL of the time as well and I never made the connection between the eye twitching and BCPs. However, ever since I have been off of BCPs, I've never had that twitching. If anyone else know anything about this I'd be really interested to hear more! Thanks for posting this thread!

BRbangle · 10-21-2008, 04:31 PM

Sarahjean, were you on bcp for a long time? I've only been back on bcp for 2 months; so, I was thinking, perhaps, the eye twitch may go away with continued use. On the other hand, I am IR and have had more frequent hypoglycemic "episodes" since starting bcp. The eye twitch sometimes seems to accompany those episodes. If this is the real cause of the problem, I am not so hopeful it will get better over time. Any thoughts on this?

sarahjean · 10-22-2008, 09:52 AM

I was on BCPs for about ten years and I always had the eye twitching during that time. It never lasted for more than a minute or two and it was usually only once or twice a week, but I've never had allergies or anything like that. I was on Ortho TriCyclene. Interesting!

BRbangle · 10-28-2008, 01:23 PM

Ok, so, I saw an opthamologist last week for this problem. I tried to wait it out; but, I finally got so annoyed by the twitching and the visual disturbances, that I decided to make an appointment. The doctor checked my vision and eye pressure, said everything was normal, then suggested I get Botox injections to treat the twitching. Yes, Botox. He said eye twitching is very common for women who wear eye makeup and/or drink too much caffeine throughout the day. Botox, apparently, paralyzes the muscle that is causing the twitching.

So, not only did this doctor make me feel ridiculous for linking bcp with the eye twitch, he wanted to start me on Botox injections at 27 years old! Unbelievable! (For the record... Yes, I wear makeup, but that is nothing new to my routine. I drink one cup of coffee in the mornings, then water the rest of the day.)

etuc · 10-28-2008, 01:47 PM

I hope my posting this doesn't start my eye twitching! Yeah, just talking about it can set me off even though I am not under much stress at this point.

I have suffered from twitching since I was a child, I had a very stressful childhood. Put me under stress and I will twitch to the point of wanting to slap myself, often times my lip will start too!

I got a blood clot from BCP about 25 years ago after being on the pill for a few months so I have little experience with them.

One thing that helps me is to apply light pressure to the twitching area.

I am glad to learn about the botox injections should it ever get too bad.

Funny, I just realized that the last time I had a few weeks of twitching was when my MIL was living with us...

BRbangle · 10-28-2008, 05:13 PM

Now that I know how annoying the twitching can be, I am truly sorry you've suffered with it that long, etuc! Stress could be a factor, in my case, too. While I have noticed I feel significantly less stressed and anxious since starting bcp, I'm still not completely stress-free.

On another note, the opthamologist--in his eagerness to sign me up for Botox--said that insurance would pay for the injections, since it is for functional purposes, not cosmetic.

etuc · 10-30-2008, 04:14 PM

Oh I forgot to mention my non-botox cure for twitching -
I got divorced lol, and have since married a great guy, so now I very rarely twitch. Most of the twitching that has happened in the last few years was related to MIL stress, it has been probably about 8 months since I twitched last, right around when my MIL moved out.

Knock on wood, replying to this post hasn't caused me to start twitching (I seriously was afraid it could trigger an episode).

Hope things get less stressful for you!

kayp · 11-05-2008, 12:49 AM

I had an episode of generalized muscle twitching back in May 2007. I think it was related to a very stressful event, and I was also ttc at the time. It started with my left eye and then progressed to other areas until I felt like my entire body was constantly moving. It was definitely a result of stress, and I was not on BCP at the time. Even though it may seem extreme, Botox is commonly used to treat localized areas, especially if it's really bothersome. Relieving the stress is what finally got the twitches to stop after almost a month of relentless twitching. But my doctor did prescribe clonazepam as a way to treat the twitching. I never needed to take it, but apparently that can help--I assume because it calms the nervous system. Sometimes eye twitching is due to a problem with the eye itself, and sometimes it is due to an overstimulation of the nervous system from stress, etc. If your ophthalmologist says your eye is fine, why not ask your regular physician if you can try something to decrease the nervous impulses first, then move on to Botox if that doesn't work. One other thing, twitching due to stress typically goes away when you sleep and returns after you wake up. When I was having twitches, I would be free of them for about 30 minutes after I woke up and then they would gradually increase in frequency to 2 or 3 a minute for the rest of the day. You might want to make a note of when they happen to try to figure out what is causing them. Just a thought. I hope the eye twitching stops soon, I know how annoying that can be.

BRbangle · 11-13-2008, 02:54 PM

Thank you, ladies! I'm starting to get really concerned... The left eye twitching hasn't gone away, nor has the accompanying blurry vision. I'm starting to get frequent headaches that feel more like migraines; and, sometimes, accompanied by the left eye twitch and the headache, the left side of my face feels almost numb. I'm all too aware that bcp can cause migraines, blood clots, strokes, etc. And, although I don't think I have a family history of these things, I am terrified of this happening. I've put a call in to my doctor, thinking maybe he will have some advice and want to have me try a bcp that contains less estrogen. (I'm currently on Ovcon 35). I would love to hear your opinions on this.

februarystar · 11-15-2008, 08:23 AM

Mine turns up whenever I'm stressed or fatigued - especially when I've been up all night staring at a computer screen finishing an assignment!
I've also heard that magnesium could solve the problem - but in my own 'research', I'd say this is for more serious twitches that occur regardless of your stress levels and amount of sleep you're getting!
And on another note, I personally would consider botox if I was getting eye twitches when I wasn't stressed or tired, botox isn't just a cosmetic procedure, its also used as a treatment for excessive sweating, CNS diseases etc, although wherever possible, I'd try to find the cause.