Right eyelid spasms

[Guest guest]

Hi! I am looking for some help. I have a patient, a 55yo woman,

postmenopausal, with a twitching or spasming right eyelid. The symptom

started about 10 years ago, but recently (last fall) became much

worse, i.e. more frequent. The twitching definitely increases with

stress and she had 2 deaths in her family-brother, suddenly, in fall

05 and her mother, who was declining and then passed away in Feb 06.

Add work related stress and the stress of the twitching (she works

with the public).

She is single, now working part-time, but that has not relieved the

twitching.

Her pulse is slippery. Her tongue is pale-purple, no coating, swollen

in the center, with some teethmarks.

I have treated her with acupuncture 4 times. The frequency lessened

with the first tx but has not improved with the next 3 tx. I am

treating with distal points as well as local. The spasming, according

to the patient, travels along the ST channel in the face, so I am

using ST2,3, 4 and thread from 5-6, again, as well as distal points

for LV wind, ST, and KD yin def.

I think the diagnosis is BL, Yin and Qi deficiency with LV wind or LV

yang rising.

I started with Ba Zhen Wan, but saw no change after 2 weeks. Switched

to Gan Mai Da Zao Wan because of her anxiety over an upcoming vacation

(which should be relaxing and stress free!).

Any suggestions, both herbal and acupuncture?

I appreciate hearing from any and all!

Thanks,

Meredith Young, CAc, MSOM, ND

Shorewood, WI