# Annoying eye twitch - how to stop it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-eye-twitch-how-to-stop-it/591944 "2011-08-08T13:57:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-eye-twitch-how-to-stop-it/591944/1 "2011-08-08T13:57:35Z")
For the last week, I’ve an extremely annoying twitch in my lower eyelid. I imagine it’s due to stress - lots going on at work lately - but it’s driving me nuts. Any suggestions on how to get rid of it? Last time it went away on its own after about a month but it’s driving me nuts! ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-eye-twitch-how-to-stop-it/591944/2 "2011-08-08T22:48:10Z")
> [@Surly\_Chick](#): > > For the last week, I’ve an extremely annoying twitch in my lower eyelid. I imagine it’s due to stress - lots going on at work lately - but it’s driving me nuts. Any suggestions on how to get rid of it? Last time it went away on its own after about a month but it’s driving me nuts! It is usually from a lack of calcium and/or potassium. Besides getting supplements, you can also try drinking tonic water every evening. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-eye-twitch-how-to-stop-it/591944/3 "2011-08-08T22:57:27Z")
Alternately: cut the stress, get more sleep, cut out the caffeine. I work in ophthalmology and that’s what I was told when I had a twitching eyelid. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-eye-twitch-how-to-stop-it/591944/4 "2011-08-09T00:14:46Z")
Do you wear glasses? Try for the next couple of days to be aware if you’re squinting. My eye twitched for a long time and I realized it was because the muscles were tired from squinting, which I hadn’t realized I was doing… ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-eye-twitch-how-to-stop-it/591944/5 "2011-08-09T00:44:23Z")
Don’t wear glasses, I’m already taking calcium but not potassium. I have not been getting enough sleep so I’ll try that. The only way to cut the stress out would be to quit my job which is not an option. Although my PITA boss is leaving in two weeks so maybe that will help. There’s no way on God’s green earth I can give up my beloved Diet Coke but I suppose I could cut back a bit and see if that helps. ::twitches off to bed:: ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-eye-twitch-how-to-stop-it/591944/6 "2011-08-09T01:22:37Z")
That’s kind of my point, though. Maybe you _need_ glasses. You might want to get your eyes checked just to make sure, and like I said, try to be aware of whether or not you find yourself squinting a lot. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-eye-twitch-how-to-stop-it/591944/7 "2011-08-09T03:33:47Z")
Sleep. Good sleep, and lots of it. I get the eyelid twitches only when I’m very fatigued (which is more often than I’d prefer) ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-eye-twitch-how-to-stop-it/591944/8 "2011-08-09T06:15:37Z")
How much caffeine are you consuming? A local coffee shop was just opening up and was doing $2 coffee drinks for the first full month they were open. I was indulging to say the least when my own eyelid started twitching. It was at that point I realized that at that point I had drank about 12 shots worth of coffee in a little over two days. Put an end to that, believe me. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-eye-twitch-how-to-stop-it/591944/9 "2011-08-09T12:40:37Z")
Last night I went to bed early and the twitch seems a bit better today. I drink about 4 cans of Diet Coke a day, which I don’t think is a super excessive amount but I suppose I could cut back a bit. I don’t _think_ I’m squinting but will pay attention. I’m hoping once my crazy boss departs next week, it will go away. But who knows if the new boss will be crazy or not…