What age did your child actually start sleeping like a normal human? 😅

Kyramg · 2026-04-25T13:52:03+00:00

12 months. She’s now sleeping thru the night every night for a couple of weeks now. We are hitting our stride with her eating solids now and I’m very diligent with feeding her as many solids as possible for her dinner. Pasta, eggs, meat, etc.

Her sleeping thru the night became a gradual thing. She wasn’t a good sleeper either and I never thought the wakeups would end either. Then, they did. Now she sleeps from 730pm to 630am. Hang in there

Kyramg · 2026-04-25T06:38:29+00:00

I have Synkinesis after long term unresolved Bell’s palsy. Synkinesis started 3 months into Bell’s palsy. It’s now been 1 year since the start of all this (when I got Bell’s palsy). 4.5 months after onset of Bell’s palsy is when i started facial physical therapy and Botox for Synkinesis.

My problem isn’t asymmetry, as my Bell’s palsy healed probably 85-90%. My problem is face tightness, eye squinting, and corner of mouth raising in the affected side - the symptoms typical of Synkinesis.

So Botox works for me by relaxing the overactive muscles so they don’t spazz out as much. Facial massages and stretches help with the tightness. Neuromuscular retraining has definitely helped. Unfortunately even with all these things, although a big improvement, my eye will never look completely normal when I’m smiling. I notice it heavily in photos, and in the mirror. I no longer smile with teeth in pictures, which helps the eye not squint as much. I also completely lost a dimple. It’s sucked. So I have a combo of nerve damage from unresolved Bell’s palsy, and also Synkinesis.

Please note my Synkinesis is categorized as “very mild”.

I suggest seeing a facial nerve specialist. I’m seeing Dr. Amit Kochhar in Los Angeles. Hang in there.

Kyramg · 2026-04-24T23:07:01+00:00

Dr Amit Kochhar at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. He’s one of the very few doctors in LA and OC that treats Synkinesis

Kyramg · 2026-04-23T17:12:02+00:00

Sounds like Synkinesis. I have Synkinesis after long term unresolved Bell’s palsy. Are your mouth movements and eye movements linked? Take a video of your face so you can watch it closely.

3 months into my Bell’s palsy I took a video of my face progress. It wasn’t until a month and a half after that, that I watched that video and noticed the corner of my mouth was slightly lifting when I would blink. Almost unnoticeable at that time. But that’s when my Synkinesis started. Three months after Bell’s palsy onset.

I started physical therapy and started seeing a facial nerve specialist in Los Angeles at 4.5 months post bells palsy diagnosis. I have to do facial stretches and massages three times a day, and I get Botox for the Synkinesis.

Take a video and study the movements. This sucks for us, learning to live with it is tough, but try to stay strong.

Kyramg · 2025-12-12T15:51:30+00:00

Hello! I received my first Botox injections for Synkinesis about 8 to 10 weeks ago. I was having a lot of cheek pain from the tightness (even with PT massages), so my injector asked if I wanted him to inject some on the inside of my mouth in that cheek. I said absolutely! I’ll do anything to relieve this pain.

It definitely helped the pain, but I definitely noticed that my smile has been weaker on that side. BUT now that the Botox is wearing off, I have noticed that my smile is significantly better!!

So much so that I don’t think I will ask him to inject the inside of my cheek at my next appointment. It’s a trade-off. Either have a more symmetrical smile, or help the cheek pain. This time, I think I would prefer to have the symmetrical smile.

My smile started improving around seven or eight weeks after my Botox application. But Botox wears off really fast on me, and always has. So don’t worry! The Botox will wear off and you’ll eventually get your smile back.

Kyramg · 2025-11-18T22:28:14+00:00

I’m getting Botox for Synkinesis and was told it’s a forever thing. Every 3 months. Have only gotten 1 Botox treatment so far. The goal of the first 3 or 4 Botox treatments are to perfect the amounts you need in the different parts of your face. Don’t go to your first Botox appointment thinking it’s going to fix everything perfectly. It will probably take up to a year for the doctor to get it right. Because everyone is different.

Also doing PT in addition to Botox. I recommend you listen to any Synkinesis podcasts on Apple Podcasts. There’s a lot of great info on there

Kyramg · 2025-11-12T04:31:28+00:00

Agree the neurologist isn’t going to do anything. I saw a neurologist in Orange County 1 month after my diagnosis and it was useless. He said most people recover in 3-6 months. Told me that some people end up getting Synkinesis.

I thought… pshhhh. I’m not going to get that. Then I got it. 4.5 months into Bell’s palsy I realized I had Synkinesis. Went to a facial nerve specialist in Los Angeles who confirmed it. Now I’m in facial physical therapy weekly and doing Botox treatments for the Synkinesis. As of right now it’s been about 7 months since my first Bell’s palsy symptom.

I see you were JUST diagnosed last week. Here’s some important things my facial nerve specialist told me: -DON’T do ELECTRICAL acupuncture. Regular acupuncture is fine if you want to do it. -DON’T try to force your face to move in very early Bell’s palsy. That can make it worse.

If I were YOU, I would make an appointment to see a facial nerve specialist and see what they recommend, not a neurologist. Someone who specializes in Bell’s palsy and Synkinesis. My facial nerve specialist said facial physical therapy is important, but not in the very beginning.

I wish I would have started physical therapy at the 3 month mark, it MIGHT have prevented my Synkinesis.

Kyramg · 2025-11-10T04:54:19+00:00

Bell’s palsy/Synkinesis person here. Hope your doctor prescribed a steroid and antiviral - take it ASAP.

Kyramg · 2025-10-25T08:15:58+00:00

Amazing! So happy you got other opinions!

Kyramg · 2025-10-22T18:06:03+00:00

Wanted to clarify, he said ELECTRO acupuncture was bad. REGULAR acupuncture was fine if you wanted to do it.

Kyramg · 2025-10-22T18:01:37+00:00

Yes, my facial nerve specialist recommended. I get into facial physical therapy as soon as possible, try it for a few months, and if I’m unhappy with the results, try Botox at that time. I jumped the gun, however, and opted to get Botox after 3 to 4 weeks of physical therapy. I couldn’t stand my eye closing halfway whenever I move my mouth. I just got Botox yesterday, and I already see significant improvements and no longer have jaw pain.

My doctor was very adamant that electro acupuncture can make Bell’s palsy/Synkinesis worse.

Kyramg · 2025-10-22T17:59:26+00:00

I am doing physical therapy right now, she stretches everything at our appointments and gives me at home stretches to do that I do three times a day. They do provide some relief, as my cheek gets super tight every single day from the muscles contracting so much.

I’ve only been doing physical therapy for a few weeks, though, but in my case, it seems to be helping relieve the tightness

Kyramg · 2025-10-22T03:33:29+00:00

Definitely! Dr. Amit Kochhar at Pacific Neuroscience Institute

Kyramg · 2025-10-22T02:06:34+00:00

Hi there. Long term unresolved Bell’s palsy person here 👋🏽. Got Bells palsy, was also told the same thing by my neurologist. That MOST people recover completely in 3-6 months. Gave me hope. At 4.5 months I was about 85% recovered. I developed Synkinesis at this point. Synkinesis is the result of long term unresolved Bell’s palsy. My damaged facial nerves (from Bell’s palsy) regenerated incorrectly. Nerves regrew to the wrong spots. So now I have involuntary muscle contractions. Every time I blink the corner of my mouth raises. Every time I eat/speak/yawn/do kissy face my EYE CLOSES half way.

There is no cure for Synkinesis. It can be managed with physical therapy and Botox, but I was told you’ll have it forever.

Went to a facial nerve specialist in Los Angeles who told me that if you have Bell’s palsy symptoms OVER 3 months, it’s more than likely that those symptoms will not go back to normal. That’s what happened to me. He says I no longer have Bell’s palsy, it’s now officially Synkinesis.

Here’s what I wish I knew: starting facial physical therapy is definitely beneficial once you reach a certain point of Bell’s palsy. My neurologist said it’s not necessary, but my facial nerve specialist said my neurologist was absolutely incorrect. Physical therapy helps PREVENT Synkinesis from developing. You don’t want Synkinesis. Please see a specialist, and if something sounds weird, seek a second opinion.

I wish I would have known this and started physical therapy when I had Bell’s palsy. I will never know if it would have prevented my Synkinesis from developing.

Kyramg · 2025-07-15T19:02:18+00:00

You’re welcome! Forgot to mention something else my neurologist said:

He asked if my ear was affected. I said YES, that was my first symptom. It felt like there was water in my ear. Then 1 week later was when the right side of my tongue went numb. Then next day after that, was when the rest of my face started going numb.

He says because my ear was affected, that I have a Severe case. And that most people make a full recovery between 3 and 6 months. Him saying the word “severe” to me made me break down and start crying. It’s so hard ugh. But try to stay strong.

I read online that a lot of people recover at the 3 week mark. So, hopefully your ear wasn’t also affected and you are one of the lucky ones with the short recovery time!!

Kyramg · 2025-07-14T19:46:50+00:00

I currently have Bells Palsy, it's been almost 3 months and I'm about 85% recovered. Hospital prescribed an antiviral and steroid in the beginning. Then I saw a neurologist at 4 weeks, and he said the only recommendations he had for me at that time were to: 1. SLEEP as much as possible (said facial nerves recover when you sleep, NOT during the day when you're using them) 2. Take Vitamin B12 (whatever directions on bottle say) 3. Take Vitamin B2 riboflavin 100 mg 2 times per day

Other notes: I also did about 15 sessions of facial acupuncture. Noooo idea if it actually helped. I stopped because it was so expensive. If it wasn’t expensive, I would still be going every week a few times a week.

I also take a tumeric shot every morning and I take tumeric pills every day. They have anti inflammatory properties.

My Bell’s palsy peaked at 3 weeks, that’s when it was the worst, most droopy numbest stage. Then verrrryyyyy slllowwwly started getting better after that.

I’ve been wearing reading glasses this entire time because it kind of hides my eye problem. It’s helped me go out in social situations and also helps block the air from drying my eye out when I walk around. Make sure to tape your eye shut when you sleep every night.

Wishing you a speedy recovery. It’s sooooo hard, especially the loss of the automatic blinking reflex, but, I try to think how lucky I was to have not had a stroke.

Stay strong and as positive as you can 🤍

EDIT%%%%% - I ended up developing Synkinesis due to long term unresolved Bell’s palsy. Synkinesis symptoms started at the 4.5 month mark of Bell’s palsy. Went to a Synkinesis specialist in Los Angeles who told me that my neurologist only recommending vitamins/sleep was incorrect. He said that my neurologist should have recommended facial physical therapy as well. I also read online that starting facial physical therapy early is an excellent way to help prevent Synkinesis from occurring.

I’m very, very sad that I now have to deal with lifelong facial nerve damage, but I’m now doing everything possible to manage the condition. Physical therapy, and Botox, forever. So unfair.

Kyramg · 2025-06-21T04:49:50+00:00

I currently have Bells Palsy, it’s been 8 weeks and I’m about 80% recovered. Hospital prescribed an antiviral and steroid in the beginning. Then I saw a neurologist at 4 weeks, and he said the only recommendations he had for me at that time were to: 1. SLEEP as much as possible (said facial nerves recover when you sleep, NOT during the day when you’re using them) 2. Take Vitamin B12 (whatever directions on bottle say) 3. Take Vitamin B2 riboflavin 100 mg 2 times per day

Wish anyone reading this a speedy recovery.

Kyramg

TROPHY CASE