Disclosure: In any review for a product or service, products or compensation may have been provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” and "Terms of Use" tabs for more information.
Many of you know I get migraines. Migraines are NOT “just headaches”, as anyone who as ever gotten one (or lives with someone who gets them) that they are no joke. They are really debilitating, and can come with auras, blind spots, flashing lights, spots, lines, fuzziness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, pain on one or both sides, the whole head, neck and shoulders- it really varies. Some people get one kind, some get more then one. The more kinds you get, the more difficult they are to deal with or medicate properly.
A very basic definition- “A migraine is a common type of headache that may occur with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light. In many people, a throbbing pain is felt only on one side of the head. Some people who get migraines have warning symptoms, called an aura, before the actual headache begins.”
Doctors don’t really know all that much about them and what causes them, so people who live with regular migraines often don’t have much of a choice but to deal with the pain- there are not a lot of great options if nothing is working. Most migraine medications given are really for something else, like seizures, depression, epilepsy, or etc.
Recently the FD approved Botox for the treatment of migraines and other disorders, like lazy eyes, bladder dysfunctions, spasticity, multiple sclerosis, and more. I have tried everything, so I called my doctor to talk about it.
It ends up that it works for many people who use it. It can take up to 4 treatments (3 months in between each treatment) to work and stop the migraines. Some people are lucky and it works right away. I am hoping it will work for me, and my doctor got approval from my insurance to do the procedure on me. I tried it for the first time 3 months ago.
It consists of 30 shots, all around my forehead, temples, scalp, neck, and shoulders. These were not pain free- the ones in my head/scalp area near my ears were particularly painful for me, as well as the back of my neck near my hairline. I can’t see exactly where they are going, so I am going by feel.
I am NOT a fan of Botox for cosmetic use, so I was a little freaked out. I don’t “do my paws and claws”, use a hair dryer, use make up on a regular basis, get my hair “did”, or really much else- I have certainly never considered pumping toxins into my face to look “youthful”. To each their own- it’s just not my thing. This was not something I would have done for cosmetic reasons, and I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t make me look all plastic-y and creepy, either. Apparently since it’s not used on most of my face, it’s all good. It’s just the hairline and one right between the eyes, facially.
So, did it work? Not the first treatment. That was three months ago, and apart from the fact that my left eyebrow stopped working (Dr assured me this was OK, and it worked fine about 2 months later), my migraines continued as usual. The first week I had less migraines then usual, but that was that- back to normal. I am told it can take up to 4 times to work. We’ll see, I’m hoping. It would be life changing, not to have these evil, pulsing, devil headaches and dizziness and nausea all day. When you are not in constant pain, life is a lot nicer.
I just had my second treatment today. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Has anyone else used Botox for migraines? If you did, how did it work for you, and how long did it take?
I get migraines and they are unpredictable. My Mom had migraines too but not before we were both maybe 35. Weird eh? I know I am out with them when I have one. When they strike I lay down and take Zomig and then it gets better. I forgot my zomig recently and was at a conference and lost easily two days of the conference. Sucked. I have never heard of botox for migraines. I would be very interested to know how this works and if it works. My daughter’s 13 year old BFF gets them badly so does her entire family on her Mom’s side. She has to lay down, gets really sick to her stomach and is out sometimes for a couple days. They are really awful for someone so young.