Hemifacial Spasm

Hi Sabreena.  There is only one 'cure' for this condition and it is surgery.  But, not every country in the world has experienced surgeons who are capable of doing this successfully unfortunately.  If you want to say where you live in the world then I am sure others will be able to advise you.  Here in the UK we are very lucky in having a free health service and also some good surgeons, but we still have to be careful to choose the best surgeons in order to increase the chances of the surgery being successful.  The surgery does carry some risks but the better the surgeon the less likely you are to have complications.  I would suggest you join the Facebook Hemifacial Spasm International Support Group where there are members from all over the world and also lots of great information.

If surgery is not possible for you then Botox is the best temporary helper.  But this also needs to be administered carefully.

HFS is a condition that does not kill you but it can take away your confidence and your self esteem.  I had it for 9 years before having successful surgery and totally understand what you say.

Microvascular decompression surgery is the only possible cure for hemifacial spasms. I had it July 26. If you want to know more. Just let me know. Need to go to sleep right now.

Hi Sabreena, my name is Bob from Hamilton,N.J.  I started with a right eye twitch which evolved into a full blown hemi facial spasm .This condition  lasted for 3 years,4 months and 1 week.( I remember that slice of time very well.) I worked with a visitng neurosurgeon from Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. who tried to pull out all of the stops so that I would would not have to undergo the MVD (microvascular decompression).But that was not the hand that I was dealt. Early on I was prescribed Neurontin which accomplished nothing.Next, Accupuncture which accomplished nothing,and finally 2 Botox injections in a one week span of time.,which accomplished nothing,although the right side of my face appeared to be 10 years younger than the left.The visiting surgeon from Hahnemann Hospital recommended Dr. Amin Kassam in Pittsburgh,PA (UPMC),but my health insurance wanted someone "in house" in Philadelphia to perform the procedure I appealed their decision. I lost the appeal Ihad the surgery done in Philadelphia which turned out to be a disaster. The condition worsened and 3 1/2 months later I had my 2nd MVD successfully performed  by Dr. Amin Kassam.(My health insurance saw it my way.) The surgeons guaranteed  that my symptoms would be relieved between 66 % to 99%.The possible side effects after 2 MVD's in a 3 1/2  month span of time were very much in evidence.Triple vision,head pain, temporarily paralyzed right vocal cord etc. My advice at this point in time would be to get a referral from your primary physician for either an MRI or a CTscan to determine the exact cause of your problem and follow Roseann's advice and seek out the best neurosurgen possible ( 1 who successfully performs this operation on a daily basis) and has an excellent reputation for obtaining positive results.Then run with it Good Luck.

The best surgeon for this procedure and who does it on a daily basis is Dr Raymond Sekula. You can google his name. He is at neurosurgery department at UPMC in Pittsburgh PA

Hello Sabreena,

I have left side hemifacial spasm for the last 7 years.  My treatments have been botox every 3 months and also some botox my right side to equalize the appearance,  baclofen and lyrica to keep the left face from pulling completely up, and gabapentin at  to lessen the nightly facial itch.  I am 45 year old with responsiblity and don't want to take a radical step such as surgery because I am afraid I won't be able to be around fully for my son if there is unintended sequence of surgery.  In addition to those steps, I also exercise rigorously 5 days a week including practicing yoga and swimming.  To lessen stress, I also meditate from time to time as well as having massage twice a week.  Sleeping well as well as staying away from alcohol and caffeine help lessen the spasms as well.  Recently, I am trying out BCD and THC combined sublingual tinctures and it helps relieve spasms as well.  Overall, my spasms are controlled through life adjustments as well as medications and botox.  But spasms act up from time to time.  My suggestions are to try some or all of the things I did to see if they help.  With botox, you want to get injections from an experienced opthalmologist because they know the structure around the eye best.  If you decide to explore surgery, please consult with a neurologist and a neurosurgeon to help weigh the risk and benefit of surgery for you.  I hope you get your answer to help you manage your condition.

Botox might be great if you can afford it every 3 months. My insurance wouldn't cover it. And I had it done by 3 different neurologists that made me look like a freak. They all said it was hit and miss until they found correct muscles. Some people love it and can afford it. I wasn't one of those