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tan253's avatar

Has anyone had an eye that twitches only when you touch it?

Asked by tan253 (2958points) October 27th, 2017

Yes, I’m repeating myself but I’m beside myself also with anxiety.
4 months now – I’ve had this eye twitch, it has gotten better but it’s getting better so slowly. I have tried ignoring it, distraction, doing something else, not worrying about it, eating better, sleeping better, less time on the computer etc, I can’t really get rid of the stress as I run my own business and I’m struggling with how busy it’s getting. My anxiety is at an all-time high, but it’s perpetuated by the twitch. I have seen a neurologist who said ’ it’s nothing sinister,’ I have been to an Optometrist about 3 times, he’s done all the tests and said he can’t see anything, and I’ve been to the Dr 4 times, went yesterday asking about MS but she said, NO and then she started googling on-oing eye twitch, she told me to take some antihistamines and wait for the nerve to calm down, but she wasn’t much help. Thing is, is that my eye twitches mainly when I touch it, if I touch it, then it twitches and the other eye will twitch as well, surely that means something – but no-one can pin point what? If it were a tumour I woudn’t be able to make it twitch – or so the Dr said. I asked for an MRI and she said I wont get one through the system as I don’t have any other symptoms so I may need to pay for one myself. What would YOU do…. I have asked this before, but that was a month ago – now imagine it’s been happening another month, would you keep ignoring it or try to get to the bottom of it? Is there another specialist I can see? A cranial nerve specialist? Nerve Specialist – don’t say, psychiatrist… I’m goinig to see one ;)

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16 Answers

rebbel's avatar

Psychiatrist.
“I’m going to see one.”
When?
You made an appointment?

Mariah's avatar

Have you tried the glasses you need yet to reduce strain on your eyes.

There’s nothing new to say now versus last time, honestly.

LornaLove's avatar

The priority visit is the psychiatrist, you need help to deal with the anxiety you are suffering. Another real physical tip. Don’t wear mascara for about a week or any makeup, this will prevent you from ‘rubbing’ at your eye. I suspect the rubbing action is setting off all the twitches. You are in deep anguish and I hope you do go and see a psychiatrist because if your eye stops twitching, trust me, something else will happen to spark you off again. (From experience myself).

Kardamom's avatar

You have severe anxiety. You also have an eye twitch. These two things are related in that they are circular. One causes the other, then the other causes the first thing, and round and round you go.

My eye twitch mostly happened when hair touched my eye, or the wind blew into it, or when I sneezed, or when I picked up something heavy.

You need to make an appointment with a psychiatrist ASAP. You need to get a handle on your anxiety.

You will most likely need to make some lifestyle changes to lessen your stress.

Stress adds to anxiety. Anxiety adds to stress levels. You need a doctor. A psychiatrist doctor.

tan253's avatar

I know but I’m not sure that anxiety can manifest an eye twitch for 4 months! Plus my mouth is twitching as well.

Muad_Dib's avatar

My eye twitch was resolved when I quit the job that was stressing me the fuck out. Seriously.

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Kardamom's avatar

@tan253 Yes, stress can indeed cause months and years of physical symptoms such as eye and mouth twitching (and a whole other host of symptoms).

My eye twitching went on for about 6 months. I had a lot of stress at work, and needed to drink more water. Stress, believe it or not, can cause all sorts of things that you might not necessarily think of. Eye twitching is a very common thing that happens when you have a lot of stress, don’t get enough sleep, don’t drink enough water, or don’t get enough proper nutrients. Please believe this. You need help. You probably don’t have anything serious wrong with you, but if you let stress eat you alive, then what’s the point?

Make your appointment to see a psychiatrist. Do that first thing on Monday morning. You may have to see your Primary Care Physician first, and have him/her make a referral to a psychiatrist for you. Whichever health care professional you talk to first, please let them know everything or else they really can’t help you. Let them know that you have health anxiety. Let them know for how long you have had the eye twitch. Let them know what other kinds of doctors you have seen and tell them exactly what you were told (that you most likely have no serious medical problems, and stress is the most likely culprit).

Don’t play into any hypochondriac fantasies. Don’t lie. Don’t make up stories or scenarios. Either believe the professionals, or don’t. You need help. We all get that, but don’t try to second guess us, or the doctors, or the professionals. Please don’t get all in a huff at @Tropical_Willie either. He is frustrated, because this question is almost identical to your other Q. We have all given you very well thought out answers, but it seems like you don’t really care what we have to say. Eventually, people get sick of repeating themselves. I’m guessing that we folks here on Fluther are not the only ones. Just, please book an appointment with a psychiatrist (or get a referral for that from your Primary Care Doctor) on Monday.

Else, we’re all going to be wheeling our walkers and wheelchairs down the aisle whilst giving you the exact same advice. No one really wants to do that. Everyone here just wants to help you out. But you have to actually take the steps to help yourself. We can’t force you to do that. It is your choice.

Now, get out your phone book, or contacts list. Find the number of the psychiatrist, or your Primary Care Doctor. Write that down on a post it note. Now. Set an alarm on your phone, write it on your white board, or on your puppy dog calendar (mine has shelter animals) that you need to call one or both of these doctors on October 30th, 2017. Then do it. Make an appointment. We will be here with you, every step of the way, but since we aren’t with you physically, we can only suggest what you need to do.

Your best bet is to take along a friend/relative who can hold your hand, and also ask pertinent questions and record those answers, when you find that you are too nervous to ask, or can’t recall what you were supposed to ask. The buddy system works really well with doctor appointments. So tomorrow (which is Saturday) figure out who that person will be. Call them, or go over to their house and ask them if they can go with you to your appointment. Make sure that you and they bring along some paper and pencils so that you can take notes.

I know this is scary and hard and super inconvenient, but you need to do it, for your own sake, and for the sake of people that love and like you. I’m guessing there’s more than a few ; )

Now, have a glass of water and go to bed. You have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow. : )

tan253's avatar

Thanks @Kardamom I appreciate that this took a while to write and yes you’re right, I’m at a loss – I have no-one I can talk too so I come here to get it all out and I know I“m repeating myself but for me it’s a new question – obviously not so my mistake. I don’t want to upset anyone, I’m genuinely lost. Anyway will phone the therapist and pay the expense to hopefully start some kind of healing.

Kardamom's avatar

@tan253 Do you have no friends, family, colleagues, neighbors or anyone else that you could ask or talk to? I’m guessing that you do, but you are too afraid to ask them. Stop being afraid to ask them. Just ask them. Go down your list of people and find one that will go with you. You’d be surprised at how many people that you know are willing to help. It might not be the person that you expected, but there is probably some person that is already aware of your situation, even though you haven’t mentioned it.

Don’t worry about upsetting anyone. Just try to stop repeating the same thing. Just try to follow some of the excellent advice that you’ve been given. Just stop trying to turn your situation into something that it isn’t. You got an eye twitch. Let’s just deal with that. I think all of us, including you, really know that it is about your stress levels. That is what you need to deal with the most. The eye twitch is really secondary. You got major stress levels and that is making you act irrationally.

When you act irrationally towards something that is commonplace, it make a lot of people just shrug and walk away. Why would they want to get involved in someone’s drama, when all it is is drama? Would you want to put up with someone else’s drama? And I do mean drama. I don’t mean to suggest that you wouldn’t want to help a friend who needed real help, but if that same friend had some sort of situation that you thought was easily nipped in the bud, how would you feel about that? Would you just roll your eyes, or would you call the fire department and the CIA and The National Guard, just because that person had a canker sore? I doubt it.

You have to take control of your own life. But you don’t have to do it alone. Find that friend, or relative who is willing to walk along with you, and hold your hand, and take notes, and ask questions. Find them. They exist. It might not be who you think it would be, but they exist. Tomorrow, figure out who that person(s) is.

tan253's avatar

yeah good advice @Kardamom, I can’t talk to my family as they are tired of it, but my uncles have all suffered from anxiety and understand it so I guess I can talk to them. No friends sadly, I’m too busy and I’m a single Mum desperately trying to not let my daughter fall into my same health worries, so far so good but she’s a pretty autonomous child so that helps. Deal with stress, yes…. thank you x

Soubresaut's avatar

I would, like @Mariah suggested above, try glasses to reduce eye strain. At least wear them for reading. It’s an easy enough addition to the routine, and is worth the time to test. You mentioned last time that your optometrist recommended glasses. Did they give you a prescription/magnification strength to try? Otherwise, you can go to a drugstore or bookstore and try on the different numbers at the reading glasses display to find a magnification that isn’t too strong for your eyes, and just go for it.

If you want to get fancy, since I think you mentioned on the previous Q that you do much of your reading on the computer, you can also find subtly tinted “computer” reading glasses that are designed to filter out some of the blue light (along with the desired prescription strength). This is supposed to give your eyes yet more relief. I don’t know how much the tinting actually does (I haven’t looked into it), but I know it’s a newer option that’s available.

tan253's avatar

I get my glasses on Tuesday, will let you know if they work… x

Soubresaut's avatar

Oh yay! :)

chyna's avatar

@tan253 I was thinking about this question today because I had an eye twitch. I really, really hope yours has resolved after all these months. I work in a doctor’s office and mentioned to one of the doctors that my eye wouldn’t stop twitching. She said that sometimes that is caused by low potassium levels. Just thought I’d let you know in case you have the twitch again.

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