Pregabalin as add-on treatment to botulinum toxin in idiopathic hemifacial spasm

Introduction: Botulinum toxin is the medical therapy of choice in HSF. However, in some patients, especially those with a long history of HFS and extensive spasms, the therapeutic effect of botulinum toxin is insufficient, due to a small therapeutic window associated with side-effects or recurring spasms. I report the cases of two patients with HSF who responded favourably to the therapeutic combination of pregabalin and botulinum toxin. Patients: Both patients had a longstanding history of HFS and were treated with botulinum toxin over a period of several years. In the last two years of therapy the facial spasm…