I just tried to reply to the "Twitching" post in this area, but I somehow ended up dumping my post.
I started having facial spasms this past May. I am 2 years post-radiation treatment.
My neurologist also mentioned botox, anti-seizure meds or surgery (to put a buffer between the nerve and any blood vessels that might be putting pressure on it.)
The botox treatment would usually be for someone whose face is in a constant spasm, but mine, like you all have mentioned, occurs only occasionally.
The anti-seizure meds would seem to be a lot of drugs for something that isn't as life-threatening as a real seizure in the brain, though I mentioned the spasm and drugs to my hematologist, in a general, "how are you doing?" conversation and he seemed to think that a low level in the bloodstream would work.
My sister, whose son had a seizure disorder (that ultimately required brain surgery) didn't like the idea of me taking seizure meds for something like this because, as my neurologist said, all these drugs have side-effects that can be difficult.
He said that typically with radiation, the facial nerve could get kind of tightened--he likened it to a garden hose that gets kinked up--and that any blood vessels nearby could then sometimes put pressure on the nerve.
For me, they happen when I do something that causes a little exertion, or pressue, like bending over to do something, especially if it's something frustrating or difficult. I was once working with this cardboard box, trying to fold the flaps inside. It was a very thick cardboard, so it wouldn't move the way I wanted it to, so I was wrestling with it a little, causing my face to go into spasm. Also, if I get up from my chair and move too quickly, then once I stop moving, I might get a spams.
I often see twitching around my eye, or around my mouth. I've even had random twitches in my cheek while I'm sitting at my desk at work.
When my cramp happens, it's the whole AN side of my face--my mouth draws up in a hard grimae, my nostril is pulled up, my eye clamps shut, and I also have a tightness or pulling in my neck, which can be painful in the back, at the base of my skull.
I was given a prescription for neurontin, but I have chosen not to fill it for now. Though the spasms can be inconvenient or a pain, they're not life threatening and now that I have some answers as to what is occuring, I think I can just deal with it, like I've learned to deal with everything else, like losing much of my hearing (due to the radiation, my ENT believes) and all that lovely stuff.
I did have an EEG and some blood work to rule out any other issues, and my tumor is dead, according to my radiation doc at my last MRI (I go back next February, as I have gradutated from 6-month check-ups to annual), so there doesn't seem to be anything else at work here.
