# Help! Why is my eye twitching? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2003, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987 "2003-11-24T11:08:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/21 "2003-11-24T22:52:49Z")
It is called Myokymia. [http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic235.htm](http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic235.htm) ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/22 "2003-11-25T01:41:11Z")
I get the eye-twitch when I’m super tired or for several days after a nasty hangover. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/23 "2003-11-25T04:05:59Z")
My left eye started twitching last year when I passed through a rather stressful situation; my eyelid twitched many times a day, but after a while it started to stay calm for longer periods. Now I only get it very rarely, and usually when stressed about something. So… have you been through difficult situations lately? ---
**Author:** ![terd\_ferguson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@terd\_ferguson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terd_ferguson)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/24 "2003-11-25T04:20:26Z")
This happens to me a lot, too. Usually for weeks on end. It is normally just the top left eyelid, but sometimes the right one likes to join in as well. I hate it. I don’t know why, but it is the worst in the spring. Possibly stress from finals or whatnot. I heard potassium was supposed to help, but after eating mass quantities of bananas and many trips to the bathroom, the eyelid still twitched. It’s a tough opponent. I take vitamins, but haven’t tried vitamin B alone. Next time it happens for an extended period of time, I will give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/25 "2003-11-25T05:06:41Z")
[Been there about 7 months ago.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=178550) Apparently, it may be caused by stress. You been stressed out lately? Tripler Just a thought. I think mine was stress related. ---
**Author:** ![mackeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@mackeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mackeff)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/26 "2003-11-25T05:12:39Z")
_Bob55: It is called Myokymia. [with this as reference] [Myokymia: Background, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology](http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic235.htm)_ Mmmm, don’t think that’s the sort of twitch I’ve had, and the twitch that it seems others are reporting, but one would need to be a doctor [or have a good medical dictionary] to understand the cite. 😉 eg: _Myokymia of the facial muscles is believed to originate from the facial nucleus or from some contribution by a supranucleus process; however, the presence of myokymia in polyradiculopathy indicates the possibility of a more distal generator._ ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/27 "2003-11-25T06:28:34Z")
This happens to me too, although not just in my eyelid. I get it sometimes in my thumb flexor and my upper arm(s). I’ve never noticed a correlation with stress; it just seems to happen randomly ever now and then. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/28 "2003-11-25T11:07:48Z")
Yeah, I get it in my upper arm and also sometimes in my thigh as well as my eye. It’s random for me as well **Trigonal** , lasts for a few minutes over a few hours or days, then disappears spontaneously. > [@](#): > > I get the eye-twitch… for several days after a nasty hangover. That sounds more like serious alcohol withdrawal/detox. You must have some wicked hangovers. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/29 "2003-11-25T14:13:44Z")
I also get the twitch, and as others have said, mine is related to lack of sleep, stress, or too much caffeine. Or more commonly, I can’t sleep because I am a little stressed (I have a hard time falling asleep at the best of times) then because I am tired I drink a lot of coffee and whammo all three triggers at once. ---
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/30 "2003-11-25T18:03:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mackeff \* > \*\*_Bob55: It is called Myokymia. [with this as reference] [Myokymia: Background, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology](http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic235.htm)_ > > Mmmm, don’t think that’s the sort of twitch I’ve had, and the twitch that it seems others are reporting, but one would need to be a doctor [or have a good medical dictionary] to understand the cite. 😉 eg: _Myokymia of the facial muscles is believed to originate from the facial nucleus or from some contribution by a supranucleus process; however, the presence of myokymia in polyradiculopathy indicates the possibility of a more distal generator._ \*\* My wife told me this is what you are experiencing, and she is an Optometrist so I just do what she says 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/31 "2003-11-25T18:14:49Z")
My doctor told me that my eye twitch was probably from stress. I think he was right. When my stress went away my eye got better. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/32 "2003-11-25T20:36:37Z")
I had the same thing some years back. If I recall correctly, the doc told me that it was due to an electrolytic imbalance. Proper food/drink intake fixed it in a matter of days. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/33 "2003-11-25T20:46:27Z")
Are you currently employing anyone nameed Inspector Clouseau? ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/34 "2003-11-26T22:39:52Z")
I’ve had this happen from time-to-time, strangely enough, caused by seasonal alergies. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/35 "2003-11-27T02:32:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Trigonal Planar \* > \*\*This happens to me too, although not just in my eyelid. I get it sometimes in my thumb flexor and my upper arm(s). I’ve never noticed a correlation with stress; it just seems to happen randomly ever now and then. \*\* odd i had the same thing almost. i got twitches in my eyelid, upper arm and my index finger. I dont know what caused mine. i think (emphasis on think) that once i started drinking alot of milk regularly because i was changing my diet a few months ago (milk is high in potassium & calcium) that it went away. but i could just be remembering wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Petrichor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@Petrichor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrichor)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987/36 "2003-11-27T03:24:19Z")
My right eye lid twitches when I get stressed, it usualy happens for about 15-20 minutes at a time for a week or so, them goes away. It also seems that fluorescent lights also trigger it, ever since they put in natural lights in at work, the twitching has stopped [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-why-is-my-eye-twitching/214987.md?page=1)