Blepharospasm, is twitching around the eyes and Meige syndrome is extension to the lower
face. The person's eyelids feel like they are closing shut and will not open without great effort.
Patients have normal eyes, but for periods of time are effectively blind due to their inability to
open their eyelids. The cause is unknown, but the treatment is quite effective with Botulinum
toxin injections, such as Botox and Xeomin, which are used to induce localized, partial paralysis.
Among most sufferers, botulinum toxin injection is the preferred treatment method as it has no
systemic side effects when compared to oral medications. Injections are generally administered
every three months, with variations based on patient response and usually give almost immediate
relief (though for some it may take more than a week) of symptoms from the muscle spasms.
Most patients can resume a relatively normal life with regular Botulinum toxin treatments. A
minority of sufferers develop minimal or no result from Botox injections and have to find other
treatments. For some, Botulinum toxin diminishes in its effectiveness after many years of use. In
rare cases that injections fail, there are some surgical techniques used to address the problem.