Bell's Palsy

[Shannow]

Woke up Monday last with half my face on strike, diagnosed as Bell's Palsy (not really a diagnosis, as he was the guy that worked out if you break nerve X, you get face droop Y)...put on a week of Prednisone, which I ditched after feeling like being hit by a truck, and developing photosensitivity (red sunburn after 20 minutes...hours less than I should even be going pink), and craving pasta (which I don't do, ever).

Been eating raw garlic (lots), and beetroot juice (fresh from my garden), and spending time with my zapper. Bicarb, and VitC (spaced out, not together). Vit B and Cod Liver in the morning before work.

5 days in, and my bad eye closes much easier, doesn't need to be taped for bed.

Last 24 hours, my face side feels like it's re-booting. Pulses, shocks, shudders and aches...and it's painful/annoying.

Not sure whether I am venting, informing, or asking for advice here.

But clearly in my mind, everything I'm doing is "feeling" right...the Prednisone "felt" wrong, and I should have listened to it early on.

[Mike Gorman]

Prednisone is a hugely powerful cortico steroid, basically it fools the body's reactive immune system (and all response systems) into believing nothing is going wrong.
My oldest daughter used to be given this with a bad Asthma attack, it aborts the attack but has long term consequences-they also give it to terminal illness sufferers
to reduce symptoms. I think you are doing the right thing, support your body with vitamins and good food, lots of rest and calmness-plus try firing the nerves by attempting to move facial muscles.
I believe Bell's Palsy is self limiting-it will return to normal-that is my 2 cents, best wishes.

[childs hood end]

a girl friend of mine had that strike on one side of her face last sat/sun...
she had to have x-rays and a cat scan was kept in a death centre for 2 nights...
they could not find anything rong ?
be interesting to see if any one else had bells palsy last week...
if something's triggering it.
peace.

[sheme]

So very glad you are on the mend.

[Shannow]

childs hood end...

FWIW, to add to the information.

Been working on sinus/ear-ache on my normal side (RHS) for 6 weeks. Cayenne snuff, and saline/bicarb irrigation had it on the run.

Last Sunday developed an ear ache in LHS, which is very unusual for me, and was kept awake most of the night. Sharp drilling pain, followed by a wave of throbbing, that lasted 5-10 mins. a brief sleep, then at it again.

Monday, eating toast felt like it was after a dentist visit. Got shampoo in my left eye, and when I brushed (in the shower), the froth fell down my chest....I started flipping and called in the better half, and while she was coming in, checked how much pressure I could apply to each hand grip, up, down, gross mtoro stuff, so was relatively calm when she told me that I had no wrinkles on LHS forehead.

GP seemed cool, and then ordered ER visit, sealed letter, we'll call them and advise..."ride like the wind" was the message.

ER booked me in, then I jackpotted the machine with 200/120 BP, and 25 respiration.

Doc came in and was explaining the "syndrome", and the stress dropped down to 150/95, and respiration down to low teens...damn near stroked me out with the "shss",and "tut-tutting", which got me to wondering just how much stress someone who is REALLY ill gets with the tests and prods...

In my circle of people, Sunday was a shocker. One bloke had a stent installed, another surgery for diverticulitus, my face fell off.

[sheme]

I always read those sealed brown envelope letters it is about me after all.

[Kristin]

Check into Lyme disease. Bell's Palsy is a symptom.

From the Heart,
Kristin

[vilcabamba]

I talked to someone recently who got this and it went away. Sounds like something is attacking the nerves in the face..this could be viral or nanotechnology. I would take antiviral herbs like olive leaf, elderberry and rub clove oil on your teeth. Many illnesses are due to pathogens in the gums.
I also recommend contacting Dr. Staninger at Integrative health systems..she as an at home foot pad that you wear and send back to her and she lab tests it to find out what is in your body that could be causing this.
She also has technology that can kill the viruses. She saved my life when i had a health crisis. I'm alive because of her. She does phone consults for people not in Los Angeles.

[cursichella1]

Woke up Monday last with half my face on strike, diagnosed as Bell's Palsy (not really a diagnosis, as he was the guy that worked out if you break nerve X, you get face droop Y)...put on a week of Prednisone, which I ditched after feeling like being hit by a truck, and developing photosensitivity (red sunburn after 20 minutes...hours less than I should even be going pink), and craving pasta (which I don't do, ever).

Been eating raw garlic (lots), and beetroot juice (fresh from my garden), and spending time with my zapper. Bicarb, and VitC (spaced out, not together). Vit B and Cod Liver in the morning before work.

5 days in, and my bad eye closes much easier, doesn't need to be taped for bed.

Last 24 hours, my face side feels like it's re-booting. Pulses, shocks, shudders and aches...and it's painful/annoying.

Not sure whether I am venting, informing, or asking for advice here.

But clearly in my mind, everything I'm doing is "feeling" right...the Prednisone "felt" wrong, and I should have listened to it early on.

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this! I had it few years ago and it was awful. I'm not a big fan of drugs, either, but would have taken heroin if my doc had told me to. I opted for massive doses of antiviral (zovirax or similar), prednisone and serious acupuncture (m-f for 2 weeks plus Chinese pills that he gave me that tasted like molasses; quite painful even with Vicodin beforehand! ) plus tons of B vitamins and honeycomb; warm moist heat packs to face and keep your neck, chin and ears covered if there's a draft nearby. It was totally gone in 5 weeks.

You prob know this goes hand in hand with stress so it's time to let go of that. I will send good vibes your way. Hang in there. It is your face. Don't allow the virus to set up house!

[leavesoftrees]

Yes Bell's palsy responds very well to acupuncture. Find yourself a good acupuncturist

[mosquito]

Absolutely acupuncture.

When I was an acupuncturist I only treated 2 people with Bell's palsy, both very successfully. One was at the acute stage, and it cleared up totally within a few days. The other was someone who'd had it a couple of years before and still suffered from paralysis and an inability to smile. She had treatment over a couple of months and, I'm happy to say, was able to smile almost perfectly at the end.

So - the sooner the better !

[Dennis Leahy]

OK there it is, advice from an acupuncturist! (mariposafe) ..plus 2 others that know it works. That would be my number one thing to try.

Since it is a nerve or neural synapse shutting down? off?, I would think any therapies that are helpful to nerve conditions would be supportive. From what I have read, "Lion's Mane" mushroom (http://www.mushroomharvest.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=102) is neuroregenerative. Actually, I'm also reading some amazing things about cannabis and the nervous system, but you may not have access in our upside-down world (where herbs are illegal and dangerous drugs are sold by Big Pharma.)

Dennis

[toad]

I certainly hope that all works out for you, perhaps enjoy some reishi mushroom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingzhi_mushroom) tea along with your regular daily delicousness. Take care of yourself my friend.

[Shannow]

Thanks for all the advice, you've been a great help.

Three weeks in today, and I am in a very very happy place...so happy I was whistling at work this morning,, it was something that I'd tried previously, but today just happened.

Things I did...
* ate three raw garlics over about a week...better half states that she honeslty didn't smell the stuff until about day 6/7, then I sweated something out through the night.
* beetroot juice (from the garden)
* ditched the Prednisone, like I said, it felt awful.
* Lots of Vit B, and a fair amount of Cod Liver oil
* magnesium suppliments, and a bath with Epsom Salts baking soda a couple of times per week, when I could find time to relax and soak in it.
* Croft (actually Orgonise Africa) 9V zapper, on arm for an hour or so every second day, and "massaging" face and eyeline area with it for a half hour at night on the other day.
* Being a fan of EFT, I did some home accupressure (local acupuncture is a bit ordinary looking), LI-4 quite a few times per day (easy in meetings etc), and SI-19, TE-21

About Tuesday last week, I could feel/trace the nerves with my finger as they branched through my face, bad bad nerve pain. Had a aspirin at 4AM, 10AM, and around 7PM, as I felt I needed a little relief, and an anti-inflamatory...Did that for 3 days while it lasted (the nerve pain) - not going to reboot my computer ever again if it feels like that.

Even the improvement from this morning, whistling, to this evening, where I can close both eyes, and preferentially open my "good" one (Can't independently close the not good one) I'm stoked with