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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> droopy eye
        
(Message started by: agonymum on Jan 24^th, 2006, 6:53pm)

Title: droopy eye
Post by agonymum on Jan 24^th, 2006, 6:53pm

hi all , this is my 3rd cycle but the only one where i have recognised what it was , thanks to this site .
previously it was thought to be trigeminal neuralgai, and last time a sinus infection and an abcessed tooth.
(ive had 2 big molars pulled now , one just last week , and i really dont think i needed them out -but its too late now so ..hey ho)

my question is about the droopy eye. on my cluster side (right) , during an attack it is nearly closed , streaming with tears and the whole side of my face drops with it , it looks like ive had a stroke and i cant speak properly just mumble .
as soon as its over , it goes as quick as it came .

BUT, the eye droopiness has seemed to have stayed with me , the right eye looks permenantly dropped and smaller that the other one .i have to do a clever cover up job with my make up to hide the fact .
its quite depressing to think this is a legacy of these attacks which will stay with me outwardly .

i wondered if any one can identify with this ?

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by maffumatt on Jan 24^th, 2006, 6:58pm

its normal, mine droops a little during my entire cycle, more so during an attack. People vary though, some don't even get it at all.

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by E-Double on Jan 24^th, 2006, 7:15pm

http://www.clusterheadaches.com/about.html#Related%20Symptoms%20and%20Signs

http://www.webmd.com/hw/brain_nervous_system/nord864.asp

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/images/ency/fullsize/19241.jpg

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by chewy on Jan 24^th, 2006, 10:13pm

Quote:

i have to do a clever cover up job with my make up to hide the fact .

Me to. Fortunate for me I'm a transvestite.

Seriously, the droopy eye thing is a classic cluster symptom. Just comes with the territory.

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by carriefu on Jan 24^th, 2006, 10:18pm

my left eye never quite opens during the whole cluster

dont worry , it will open up

it embaresses me to no end

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by Barry_T_Coles on Jan 24^th, 2006, 10:38pm

Yep I get the same: although it's not prominent I can see it, also the left side of my face the cluster side always feel heavy even when out of cycle but this may be due to the Exploding head syndrome I battle with which only attacks my left.

As Chewy say's it's a classic for some.

Kind Regards
Barry

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by agonymum on Jan 25^th, 2006, 5:30am

thanks very much everyone for responding .

hey E-double how did you get that picture of me ?? ;)

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by Ghost on Jan 25^th, 2006, 10:03am

on 01/25/06 at 05:30:35, agonymum wrote:

thanks very much everyone for responding .

hey E-double how did you get that picture of me ?? ;)

He is good aint he? [smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif] [smiley=laugh.gif]
You should see the one Donna D got of me! :o :o [smiley=laugh.gif]

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by Guiseppi on Jan 25^th, 2006, 11:06am

My wife will sometimes see my cycle start before I get the first headache cuz my "lazy eye" kicks in. When i was 18 they prescribed glasses for my lazy eye assuming that was causing my headaches!!

Guiseppi

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by E-Double on Jan 25^th, 2006, 2:25pm

Here's a question and maybe I will start a new thread....

Is your CLUSTER eye smaller regardless of attack.

Mine is.
It isn't coc keyed (just in case of censor) but it is smaller and always has been.

Just curious.

E

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by agonymum on Jan 25^th, 2006, 3:32pm

no my left eye is smaller than my right which is the cluster side :-/

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by jon019 on Jan 25^th, 2006, 3:35pm

Hi E,

Never had the droops, just lots of tears (sometimes both kinds). The pupil does constrict to a pinpoint which looks really weird (have seen it reported that it opens for others). We're all the same here BUT we're all different too!

Regards

Jon

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by boybath on Jan 25^th, 2006, 4:07pm

hun

mine droops and stays there for a while. Personal theory since ch is due to pressure on nerves it depends what blood vessels are pushing on which nerve at what time. Ergo some times I get tooth ache in an attack some times I dont. I do find myself starring at a mirror or asking the mrs if my eye is drooping before i have an attack.

Mind you I am a certifiable LOONatic as well
so that migh explain alot
::)

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by BarbaraD on Jan 25^th, 2006, 4:27pm

My left eye "stays" drooped" and it's been that way for so many years (I'm chronic) that makeup don't cover it no more, so I just live with it. Another CHer can spot which "side" my CH is on without asking - that's how prominent it is.

Oh well.... I'm OLD - what can I say... Life's just full of lemons..

Hugs BD

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by tessa_c on Feb 25^th, 2006, 10:44pm

im a left sider and my eye gets droppy and puffy with the shadows. during an attack it could look like i was sucker punched in it. ive tried the makeup trick to. with a sheer highlighter from the lid to a little above the crease. it look good alone or could be a great sealer from eyeshadow. its called eye tints by clinque. comes in a lot of different shades. and the great part about is that they have samples of it and you can try it before you buy it.

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by CHTom on Feb 26^th, 2006, 11:51am

I'm chronic and my left eyelid always droops, sometimes more and sometimes less. Years ago a colleague came to me and said that some women (and men!) patients thought that I was "coming on" to them because they thought that I was "winking" my eyelid at them-ever since I tell patients about my drooping left eyelid and haven't had a problem with that since. ;)

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by Charlotte on Aug 19^th, 2006, 11:19pm

on 01/24/06 at 19:15:30, E-Double wrote:

This is one of the reasons the neurologist thought my ha was not ch. It feels as though it looks like this but it does not look like this. I have tearing up and pain here but my eye area change is under the eye, like a black eye or puffiness, and no droop. Also, the tearing is with most but not all ha.

One of the reasons he thought the ha was not cph or hc was that I have a level 0 pain free time between each hit which is apprxly 2 hours apart, and has been for at least 6 months. Before that, they were 3 hours apart for about 10 weeks, and prior to that 4 or more hours for the previous year, with short erratic cycles in between things.

He said it is definitely not migraine.

Years ago, when I did have ch diagnosis, it was included in "combination vascular headache", and the hit was once daily at 2:50 pm daily. Midrin worked then, and I only had 3 really bad days a week.

The neurontin, indomethacin, kudzu, maxalt melt, and red bull are helping. I am still having every 2 hour or so ha but I am getting a life.

Charlotte

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by Neekwa on Aug 20^th, 2006, 4:48am

Weird, I was just going through the eye thing for a day straight before coming across this.

I have the normal symptoms as pointed out with the tearing etc. This last week I had a head cold along with regular daily attacks.

My right eye actually puffed up underneath, and was noticably smaller than the left. It made that eye look asian in my case. Guess that depends on the type of eyes you have.

Anyway, this was also accompanied by pain. Not extensive pain like the headache pain, but like a pressure pain. For example if I just shut my right eye it would be uncomfortable. If I put pressure on it (as in slightly pushing on it) -- it would be uncomfortable as well.

Back to normal after a day though.

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by Katherinecm on Aug 21^st, 2006, 1:04am

My right eye is slightly droopy and permanently somewhat bloodshot during a cycle. This is obvious enough to other people that once when I was in a restaurant booth with my right side towards the waiter he asked how much it would take to score some of the stuff I was on. He was sure I had just smoked up prior to coming in. During a hit it gets worse, and visine doesn't help.

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by Sandy_C on Aug 21^st, 2006, 2:09pm

I'm episodic, and one of the lucky ones. I will have anywhere from 18 to 24 months of PF time between cycles. Although, as I write this, it's been only 12 months and I'm showing signs of a new cycle.

Anyway, in cycle, my eyelid will always remain a little droopy, and during a hit, I'll look like I just lost the bout!. Since my last cycle ended, July 2005, my right eyelid (CH side) has always been just slightly lower than usual. I, too, can cover that with makeup. Prior to this, my eyelid always retracted to "normal" while between cycles. This time - not.

Sandy

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by seasonalboomer on Aug 21^st, 2006, 2:44pm

on 08/21/06 at 14:09:42, Sandy_C wrote:

Sandy, that might just be you getting old..... :-X........ Your post also reminded me of the recent "Pirates of the Caribbean" film, where the Jonny Depp character has eyeballs painted on his eyelids. You mentioning that you can cover your droopy eyelid with make-up triggered that silly thought.

Sorry, just a little silly this afternoon.

I'm hoping for you that you get your full remission time and the cycle passes you by.

Scott

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by Margi on Aug 21^st, 2006, 2:48pm

on 08/21/06 at 14:44:45, seasonalboomer wrote:

"Pirates of the Caribbean"

or.... "Carrots of the Pirabbean" as my daughter calls it. [smiley=laugh.gif]

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by Bond007 on Aug 21^st, 2006, 4:02pm

I'm guessing I'm kind of on the lucky side of this thing as I don't get the droopy eyelid or the tearing eye. In fact, my nose doesn't even run. Then, again, my nose has NEVER gotten runny even as a child.

I do get a TERRIBLE post-nasal drip, though and one helluva congested left nostril. My left pupil will dilate until it's almost unrecognizeable without a magnifying glass and my eyeball gets incredibly bloodshot. Anyone who knows me can tell in an instant that I'm about to get hit a headache long before I even know just by the incredible difference in size of my 2 pupils.

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by Sandy_C on Aug 21^st, 2006, 5:21pm

on 08/21/06 at 14:44:45, seasonalboomer wrote:

Gee, Thanks a whole bunch Scott! ;) Old! I refuse to get old, says my mind. My body, on the other hand ??????

And I haven't seen the new Pirates yet - so don't tell me anything about it! Johnny Depp - Sigh! ;;D

Sandy

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by walkertexasranger on Aug 24^th, 2006, 11:00pm

Search for Horners Syndrome...

Title: Re: droopy eye
Post by smfaison on Aug 26^th, 2006, 1:41pm

I don't get the droopy eye every spell, or even every headache, but I definitely get it. Once my episodic spell is over, it goes away completely. That has been my experience with it.