Botox For Migraine

What is Botox for migraines?

For anyone having been diagnosed with migraines and get migraine headaches often, Botox can help.

Botox was approved in 2010 for adults who get chronic migraines. That means you have both:

• A history of migraine headaches
• Headaches (including tension-type) on most days (15 or more) of the month of which 8 are migraine

It won’t work for you if you:

• Get headaches 14 or fewer days each month
• Have other types of headaches, like cluster

What to expect from a Botox Migraine Treatment?

• You’ll get several shots of Botox around your head and neck once every 12 weeks to dull or prevent migraine headaches.
• You may need 30 to 40 shots in all, and you’ll get an equal number on each side of your head. If you have migraine pain in one particular spot, you may need more shots there. You could see results 2 to 3 weeks after your first treatment.

Side Effects

• Neck pain and headache are the most common side effects for people who get chronic migraine headaches and use Botox.
• It’s rare, but you can have an allergic reaction to Botox. Signs of this can be hives, shortness of breath, or swelling in your lower legs. Although there’s no confirmed case where Botox spread to other parts of the body, it is possible and could be deadly. The medication label includes this warning.
• The mechanism of action involved in the alleviation of headaches is not entirely clear. One possibility is that Botox may decrease muscle contraction that may act as a trigger to migraine.
• Botox is approved by FDA and Health Canada for the treatment and prevention of chronic migraine. Health Canada approved Botox for the treatment of chronic migraines in 2011.
• The average dose is 100-200 units. The onset of action is usually within the first 2-3 weeks of injection. However, patients may require a set of 2-3 injections before a maximum benefit is seen. Injections are spaced at 12-week intervals.

As with any injection, injury can occur. An injection could result in localized infection, pain, inflammation, tenderness, swelling, bleeding, bruising, etc. BOTOX may cause asthenia (lack of strength), muscle weakness, somnolence (drowsiness), dizziness and visual disturbance, which could affect driving and the operation of machinery. If there is a reaction, further injections of BOTOX should be discontinued. Patients or caregivers should be advised to seek immediate medical care if swallowing, speech or respiratory disorders arise.

This copy has been taken from WebMD