Hello I'm Jack's twitching buccinator muscle.
Started noticing upper/mid cheeck twitches about 2-3 weeks ago. I'm not sure if they were randomy happening or if I was triggering them but this week I realized that It's certain facial movements that trigger my spasms in my left cheek. If I frown, yawn, grin or when I'm lifting weights I scrunch my face, I get these twitches that last about 1-3 minutes then they stop until I trigger them again. So far no twithcing in my eye or mouth. I'm able to sleep without having any spasms.
The reason I'm in this forum is because I looked up the reason for left cheek spasms and long they would last for and the only thing that kept popping up on google was HFS.
I really do not understand what the eraly symptoms of HFS are and how rapid the onset it. I'm keeping track of this to see how long I have it and if the spasms move elsewhere.
Also, I noticed I cannot edit my own posts to correct spelling errors?
Hi Jacks I get the spasms and the twitch they are horrid and painful you can get botox for them but I havn't been offered any
It's worth getting an opinion from your doctor Jack. HFS normally starts with lower eyelid twitching but it can happen in other ways. There are other conditions which cause facial movements and so an MRI scan would probably be the way to go once you've established some sort of pattern to things. If you get an appointment with a neurologist then it's worth taking a video of your spasms at their worst - mine always went away when I saw a white coat!
Hope that your twitches will go away as fast as they came, but, if it does turn out to be HFS there is a lot support in this group as well as in the Facebook Hemifacial International Support Group.
Yea the medical I get out here in the deserts of SoCal is not the greatest I'm just going to have to monitor the twitching and keep notes, if I go in too early they will tell me I'm fine and give me pills. Not sure if stress is causing this, which I am currently very stressed over work.
If this should be HFS then skip the pills Jack. They are generally thought to be of no value and usually cause side effects which can be worse than the spasms. I think your stress theory is a good one. I think a lot of people have minor twitches due to stress from time to time, and those of us who have or have had HFS tend to report that it started after or during a period of great stress. Is SoCal (Southern California?) or am I misinterpreting?
Yes Southern California. I'm in LA County. The onlyway something would ever get done out here is if I actually have HFS and I have severe side effects. Other than that, getting an MRI cause I'm experiencing twitching in my "cheek" is not going to fly with the High Desert healthcare. I have to be exhibiting severe symptoms.
Sorry to hear this Jack; sounds like you don't have the same kind of health care that we take for granted in the UK (where we have a 'free' healthcare service). Just in case you ever want to see someone experienced in HFS in California, here is a list of the surgeons that members of another HFS group have used - I have no idea of the geography but imagine that you are somewhere near Los Angeles?: Dr. Brian Andrews
Sutter Health
San Francisco
Dr. James E Boggan
UC Davis
Davis
Dr. Edward Chang
UCSF
San Francisco
Dr. Indro Chakrabarti
Kaiser
Sacramento
Dr. Allen Efron
Kaiser
Redwood City
Dr. Steven L Giannotta
USC
Los Angeles
Dr. Paul Jackson
Stanford University
Stanford
Dr. Mark Linskey
UC Irvine
Orange
Dr. Bill Mastrodimos
Kaiser Hospital
San Diego
Dr. Neil Martin
UCLA
Los Angeles
Dr, Stephen Nutik
Kaiser Hospital
Redwood City
Dr. Lawrence Shuer
Stanford University
Stanford
Dr. Hrar Shahinian
Skull Base Institute
Los Angeles
Mine started with an eye twitch for no reason. I think it took about 5-6 months until spasms took over the entire right side of face. Are they only on one side? HFS typically is only on one side of face. I hope you do not have it. Good Luck! Carla
Yea I have family in Scotland and you all over seas have a very nice national healthcare system, (for now anyways). It's rough out here if you do not have a job that gives you healthcare. I one time tore my rotator cuff and it took them 2 years to schedual a post op date lol. By that time I just deal with it.
Hi..I have just recently developed the exact same symptoms and the trigger are also the same. Were you able to figure out the cause?