Rationale: Chronic refractory cough (CRC) is a common clinical problem which is more likely associated with some physical problems. Although many patients have received satisfactory treatment, there were still many patients suffered from long-term cough symptoms after standardized treatment.
Patient concerns: A patient suffered from postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and also he complained CRC for more than 20 years.
Diagnosis: The patient was diagnosed with PHN and CRC.
Interventions: Pregabalin was originally administered to treat PHN.
Outcomes: pregabalin not only alleviated her pain of PHN but also relieved chronic cough.
Lessons: This report demonstrated the surprising effect of pregabalin on the treatment of CRC.