New to Botox for migraines

By Motherof2 Tuesday, August 14, 2012

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Hi, I have been getting migraines for about 20+ years. I have tried alot of different drugs and seem to always have them. I tried to watch why I ate and saw people to adjust my neck. I finally found a doctor that has been working with me and after a few years of discussing and trying other treatments, I have started the Botox treatments. I am just looking to see other peoples thoughts on all this. I just started this a week ago, but I am Starting down the migraine path again and not sure if I need to give it more time or I need more injections.

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Nancy Harris Bonk

8/14/12 1:39pm

Hello, and welcome to HealthCentral's Migraine Community!

I'm so glad you've found our site. Migraine disease can make us feel so isolated and alone, now you have people who understand exactly how you feel.

Botox is approved by the FDA for chronic Migraine and is given every 12 weeks to start off. During that time, patients typically see a reduction in severity and frequency of their Migraine attacks, but do need to be patient. Seeing as it has only been a week and really isn't much time, I would give it a bit more time. Did the doctor give you anything in your Migraine management plan to try abort your Migraines or use for rescue medication? Here is a great resource about the difference between preventive, abortive and resuce medications; Preventive, Abortive, and Rescue Medications - What's the Difference?

Unfortunately as much as we want the pain to go away, it may take a while and there is no magic pill for Migraine at the moment.

Thank you for creating a SharePost. SharePosts are a form of blogging, and there are many things you can do with them. You can share an experience, suggest something that's helped you, use SharePosts as a Migraine and headache journal, and many other things.

We also have a discussion forum that you may want to check out. Especially if you have questions or are looking for information, you may find the interaction on the forum to be quite helpful. To get there, go to the Migraine home page and look on the left hand side where you'll see a row of boxes. The Forum box is at the very bottom. Click on it and scroll down to the bottom of that page, and you will see the log-in spot. Because our forums are maintained by a third party, you'll need to register for the forum. You can use the same information you used to create your community log-in if you like. If you want to go directly to the forum, you can click HERE.

Along with your personal "My Home" page and the discussion forum, you'll find links to a great deal of helpful information on the main page of our site, http://www.MyMigraineConnection.com. Under the Find, Manage, and Connect tabs on the left side each page, you’ll find a wealth of information – educational articles, tips, quizzes, workbooks, support and advocacy information, and more.

Do you have questions about Migraine? There are three ways to get answers – through our Ask the Clinician column, in our community Question and Answer Section, or through our forum. Just go to our Migraine Answers page HERE.

Our email newsletter will help you stay up-to-date on Migraine and headache news and new information published on HealthCentral's MigraineCommunity. To receive our newsletter, click the “Sign up now!” link in the navigation bar across the top of our site pages or simply click HERE.

Welcome again,

Nancy Bonk

Health Guide
HealthCentral's Migraine Community

PS: If you receive this message from more than one of us, please excuse the overlap. Thanks!

8/15/12 1:02am

I had a very bad experience with Botox for my migraines. I guess there can be a minority of people who react by having neck pain. My reaction was severe neck pain that was worse than my migraines. It lasted over a month and needed to be controlled on Vicodin. It interferred with every moment of my life. I found it nightmarish. It is finally behind me and I can actually say that I was "relieved" when it passed and I was back to having 3 to 5 migraines a week instead of 7 days a week/24 hours a day of neck pain. So, it is not for everyone. I have to say that I am glad I tried it so I can check it off my list of things that don't work for me. I will not stop trying.

Nancy Harris Bonk

8/15/12 9:22pm

Hi JQ,

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with Botox -it isn't for everyone and neck pain can be a potential side effect.

Have you been able to indentify and manage any of your Migraine triggers? We all have them, it's just getting to the bottom of them! When working to identify triggers one of the best tools is a good Migraine diary. You can read more about this and download a free diary workbook in our article Your Migraine and Headache Diary. Some triggers we can avoid, like not getting dehydrated and getting enough sleep, but other like the weather and hormones are unavoidable.

Believe me, I know how easy it is to feel as if you've tried everything out there, but there are so many medications that can be used for Migraine and headache prevention that it's literally impossible. You can find a list of potential Migraine and headache preventives in Migraine preventive medications - too many options to give up!

Nancy

Tom Piasecki

8/15/12 8:45am

My daughter has been receiving botox for migraines. She recently received her third treatment (every 3 months). As Nancy shared, it can take more than a week, so patience is necessary. Improvement was slow for my daughter, spanning into her 2nd treatment. I know that your body may react initially with muscle spasms. It sounded like for JQ this was a major problem. My daughter had some medicine (sorry I don't remember the name) on hand to help control muscle spasms. She had experienced some muscle tightness in the neck, but she has suffered in the past from tension headaches as well as migraines, the former which causes muscle tightness in her neck. Also, as Nancy stated, being equipped with rescue and abortive medicine is important too. My daughter still may get up to two or three migraines/month so she has intramuscular injections of DHE 45 (abortive), Dilaudid (rescue/pain), and Promethazine (nausea). Her frequency and severity has lessened because of botox. She used to have migraines and tension headaches 25 days out of the month. I hope that you have success! Like JQ said, 'never stop trying'!

Nancy Harris Bonk

8/15/12 9:23pm

Hi Tom,

It sounds like your daughter has a good Migraine management plan on hand. I'll keep my fingers crossed it continues.

Nancy

marcol

8/15/12 8:52am

Hi, I'm glad that you are trying botox, it did work for me in a marvelous way for almost 9 months, I took the injections twice, then in the third set of injections I got them but there wasn't any effect at all and I started again in my fight with this problem that had been with me all my life, now I'm again with magnesium of valproato, and hyperbaric chamber, I hope it works better for you

Nancy Harris Bonk

8/15/12 9:24pm

Can you tell us more about the hyperbaric chamber?

Nancy

marcol

8/17/12 2:47pm

What is a hyperbaric chamber?

A Hyperbaric chamber is a hard shelled or soft portable enclosed area allowing every individual to breathe in 100 percent safe and pure oxygen effectively at an increased pressure level, usually greater than the normal atmospheric pressure level.
The hard portable chamber comprises of a steel or aluminum pressure vessel, acrylic windows and round-shaped or wheel-in type hatches for the patients.
It includes an airlock, closed-circuit televisions for the nurses and other medical staffs outside to constantly monitor the patients inside the hyperbaric chamber, an intercom for easy communication between the patient and the medical staff or technician.
It even has a carbon dioxide scrubber for the passage of gas via a soda-lime canister, a control panel outside the chamber for proper regulation of oxygen through masks and closing and opening of the valves that controls the air flow to and from the chamber.
The soft portable chamber on the other hand, consists of a flexible pressure of acrylic and coated with urethane and bonded with nylon, a long dual zipper-sealed opening and an over-pressure valve in case of expulsion of the exhaled gas out of the chamber through the pressure regulators.
A multiplace hyperbaric chamber works 24 hours a day and accommodates and treats numerous patients at a time.
Here in mexico a lot of people are trying it because seems to help with migraine.
And because really I have been through almost every thing for my migraine why don't do it ?
This site at been of really help for me because I don't feel alone anymore, and I am always learning new things.
Thanks again

Nancy Harris Bonk

8/17/12 5:08pm

Thanks for that great explanation. I just wanted to give you some additional information if you don't mind. Even thought it is easy to feel as if you've tried everything out there, but there are so many medications that can be used for Migraine and headache prevention that it's literally impossible. You can find a list of potential Migraine and headache preventives in Migraine preventive medications - too many options to give up!

Keep me posted,

Nancy

marcol

8/19/12 7:35am

Tanks again, for sure I'll be checking all those new innovations , I know the hyperbaric chamber won't really take away my migraines, but it helps me to stop taking that many pain killers , the ones that cause that you get the pain the next day.

Have a nice day¡

New to Botox for migraines

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