Newly diagnosed, need advice, wedding in less than 12 weeks!!

[Katie_barber94]

I have been suffering with the flu since Friday (it's now Monday). On Saturday evening I noticed that my bottom lip to the left had stopped moving, kinda shrugged it off and thought it was just due to the bug (naive of me I know)

Sunday it was still there and I told my partner who tried checking me for a stroke! - instead I googled the symptoms and come across BP. As its the days between xmas and new year I didnt want to go to a&e as I didnt feel it warranted it, the NHS page said it was best to start treatment within the first 72 hours so I made a docs apt for Monday morning, which was within the timescale. I am now on steroids.

However, when I woke up on Monday morning I noticed that I couldnt lift up my eyebrows equally and my eye felt swollen however I can still close it.

Is it likely that my eye will get to the point of not being able to close or is that only some cases? My doctor advised that I may get worse before I get better, but he didnt know much about it as i dont think its very well known? (He was a very good doc tho!)

I also get married in less than 12 weeks and I'm devastated that this is still likely to be affecting me on my wedding day. I only seem to be able to find stories of people suffering with it for several months/years. Is it possible for a speedy recovery? Are there any tips or advice that anyone could give me!

Thanks! X

[Karen-FPUK Partner]

Hi Katie, be reassured that you have the steroids within 72 hours. Many people will make a good recovery from Bell's palsy but it does normally take a few weeks even for those making a full recovery. Everyone is different though in the length of time it takes to recover. Your doctor is correct, it does tend to peak about 5 days in. The fact that you can still close your eye is a good sign and it might be you have a milder case. Try to rest your face as much as possible, there are some self-help videos on our website. The ones that are suitable are Understanding Facial Palsy and Management of Flaccid Paralysis. facialpalsy.org.uk/support/...

Try not to be alarmed about the lack of recovery stories, many people who recover tend to want to forget it ever happened, so often it is the people who don't recover who share their stories. People like George Clooney, Pierce Brosnan and Angelina Jolie have all had Bell's palsy and recovered. It is more common than you think. Gilly's story on our website is evidence of a fast recovery - facialpalsy.org.uk/personal...

[SGloria]

I think that it can be something other because Bell’s Palsy is a 100% paralysis of one whole side of the face, as I know. It takes some hours from you get first signs til you get 100 % paralysis. Maybe it is best to check it with a doctor. I hope it disappears as soon as possible. Good luck!

[MichaelTT]

Katie,

I had Bell Palsy in 2016 and started to recover after 3 weeks.

I initially had the steroid Prednisone and was also taking 1 x B12 tablet 1000ug daily for several weeks, although there is no real strong supporting evidence that there is a benefit, I did it anyway as other people said it helped.

I totally avoided alcohol and maintained a good health diet, this is really important.

Avoid any stressful situation and get plenty of rest, listen to your body, you’ll will know when to rest. Be kind to yourself and remember to remain positive.

It takes time for the nerve to regenerate for me it was only 3 weeks and things stared improving quickly, though there was still some pain and discomfort for a short while at the back of my head.

Remember, You are still the same person laugh and accept this short term challenge, you will get through this.

Take care, hope the BP clears shortly

Mike.