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Twitching right eyelids (bottom & top); & now left eyelids too

NoSugarBabe

Active Member
Messages
26
Location
UK
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
Does anybody else share this symptom: a twitching right eyelid; & now in the left eyelid too. It occurs on both bottom & top eyelids.

I am on several meds for Diabetes 2: insulin (Humulin M3), Victoza, Metformin; plus Statin meds for high cholesterol.

Has anybody else experienced this symptom?

This has been gong on now for about 6 weeks, getting worse recently. Now the 'flickering' is affecting the left eyelid as well as the right! :-(

The twitching is visible in the mirror, i.e. can be seen by observers; so I'm not imagining it! Ha-ha! ,-/

I had an OK result for my last retinopathy appointment in July; so don't think retinopathy can be the cause.

Note re insulin dosage: I am taking 2 doses per day of 58 units each dosage/titration (which is only just below the maximum possible titration i.e. the 60 units that the pen can be set to as a maximum). So that's a pretty high dosage!!

Maybe that dosage is too high?

My BMs are not yet at a satisfactory level, although they are getting closer to the NICE target; so I'm wondering if I'm on the correct meds / the correct titration of meds / the correct combination of meds.

On the next appointment with the diabetes specialist I will mention it; but that's not for a while.

Any help?!
 
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Could be nystagamus due to tiredness, dull lighting, caffeine and needing glasses.
 
Hi Robinredbreast - thanks - yes, I have already made an appointment with my GP. This is due in the next fortnight.

However, as per the term (in "GP") of "general"! practitioner, these surgery doctors have only a general knowledge of lots of medical conditions, & little knowledge of specialist subjects!! This includes only a modicum of knowledge/training in the treatment of diabetes; the poor souls can't be expected to know everything about medicine! ,-)

So I posted my query at this forum as I wonder if any other Diabetes 2 (or Diabetes 1) patients might direct me in a better direction, if this symptom is caused by diabetes.
 
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eddie1968 said:
Could be nystagamus due to tiredness, dull lighting, caffeine and needing glasses.
Click to expand...

Hi eddie1968

Thanks for the info re nystagmus.

However, as per a rather good! graphic illustration on Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nystagmus), this is a condition that affects the eye rather than the eyelid. The eye is OK in my case, it's the eyelid/s that is/are affected!
 
Hi, I'm not sure how helpful my story will be but, maybe a year ago my eye, then eyes twitched, it made me really self conscious, I at times would keep rubbing my eyes (which didn't stop it) and would make my eyes sore, I would constantly apologise for it, this made little sense as with mine, it was hard but not impossible to see, although from my side it felt like it was a huge twitch

This came and went, I would have it for a couple of weeks then nothing, even more weird it went into my hands, especially my thumbs, this was very pronounced, my kids never believed I wasn't doing it on purpose until one day I fell asleep on the sofa and I was doing it asleep, it looked liked I was playing the piano

I never went to the doctor because I was afraid I had something terrible like Parkinson's or that thing Stephen Hawkins has

The good news is it went away completely, no treatment it just went

I don't take the meds you do so sorry if this was a waste of time reading this
 
catherinecherub said:
There are some possible causes here.
http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/eye-twitching.htm
Click to expand...

Hi catherinecherub - thanks for your info re 8 Causes of Eye Twitching - Eyelid Twitch (www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/eye-twitching.htm) - that's great!

Some of these causes had already occurred to me, so are going to be discussed with my GP at the forthcoming appointment

It is interesting that "nutritional imbalances" is cited as 1 of these 8 causes; I wonder if - included in that causation - could be an imbalance/overload of blood glucose due to diabetes?!

Dust allergy & related sinus problems was my first thought, but it is so easy to misdiagnose - by both the doctors & by us the patients in self-diagnoses. Hence the need to look further afield to other causes. Diabetes being the most likely as it is the only "serious" condition that I have.

I also find that some Net or forum research can help me feel more in charge & less stressed; I hate relying upon GPs who then seem to know little &/or take ages to do anything about it, let alone diagnose!! ,-(
 
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Hi Andy12345 - no, no probs, all informative advice is welcome as IMHO there is no problem with any posting with related data/experience - it all helps!

It's interesting that you never found a cause - though I am very pleased for your sake that it went away!

That is a case of an IDIOPATHIC symptom ( = "of unknown cause)"; IMHO, this "idiopathic" is one of the medical professions' over-used/favourite words. :-( Hey ho! ,-/
In this case, though, I hope the doctors find the same cause for my symptom, as long as it goes away! ,-)
 
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I suffer from this, It can last several days then disappears but then to return weeks or months later. I was told it was due to lack of calcium. May be of some help.
 
janeliz said:
I suffer from this, It can last several days then disappears but then to return weeks or months later. I was told it was due to lack of calcium. May be of some help.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that re calcium. I shall research that too.
 
Hi @NoSugarBabes, I had twitching for two months on my eyelid, fingers toes and muscle spasm in general but that was after I had two very busy months of non-stop work and projects. Took a bit of a rest, ate well and the symptoms were gone after that, but of course better check with your GP as the others have suggested as we cannot diagnose over the internet good luck xx
 
Hi! I face similar problems of twitching of eyes! Do let me know if u find some cause, my eye lashes grow, when I cut them I get relief! The long eyelashes hit the glasses of my specs! I thought this was a unique problem to me.... But joining forum helped me find someone else with it! Let me know if any probable cure is found!
 
So, I started metformin for T2D, 6 months ago. 4 months ago I developed what I’d call intermittent but severe eye twitching, initially in one eye, top lid area, then bottom of eye then it’s moved to my left eye too and bottom but my right seems affected worse. I’ve read metformin can cause b12 deficiency and therefore twitching but having taken supplements for months now I can confirm the B12 complex has not helped at all. The eye twitching is pretty much constant, when awake. Obviously disappears whilst asleep. The twitching is visible and very distracting, it impairs every day activities and I’m constantly trying to ease it through touch and manipulation of the eye area. I’m going to speak to my D nurse when I have my next apt but I’ve found evidence online that others are suffering the same side effect with Metformin use so we are far from the only ones! For the NHS to acknowledge a link it must be real!
 
Welcome to the forum @Country girl123

Sorry you're having this problem. My eye twitches if I'm tired sometimes, and it's really annoying. I'd suggest you see an optician, as the twitching may (or may not) be caused by the Metformin, (I don't know), but they'd be able to give you advice.
 
Hi, yes it’s beyond tired twitching, it kicks in about 3 hours after I take my metformin….im getting the diabetic eye dilation check in 2 months so I’ll mention it but it’s quite obvious. Others are sure theirs is linked to their meds so I am tempted to stop mine and see if it improves then restart meds and keep a diary of the effects and timing etc. I really want to try and avoid injectables to control the type 2 and stick to 1000 cals and keep active so am really trying to help myself post menopausaly, it’s very hard but got to keep trying to help myself….but if it is related to the metformin I’ll have to maybe try taking it at night only so I can’t feel the worst of the twitching and see it that helps or I’ll have to consider stopping it fully.
 
To be honest I wouldn't wait that long, anything that unusual with eyes really needs checking straight away. If it's not the metformin, it could be something that needs treatment.
 
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