Has anyone used botox for their migraines? I have between 5-10 migraines a week. I can controll the major pain with medication but the problem is my insurance only allowes 8 pills a month ~ I have read about botox but do not know if insurances are allowing this as a bonifided treatment ~ Any experience with botox/insurance companies? I'm ready for universal health care
Hello, and welcome to MyMigraineConnection.com!
Many Migraineurs find Botox helpful. The problem is insurance companies. I haven't tried Botox.
If you are having 5-10 Migraine attacks a week, it really may be time to find a preventive plan to reduce the number of attakcs. Did you know there are over one hundred medications used to treat Migraine disease? With that many available, your options are amazing. Migraine Preventive Medications - Too Many Options To Give Up!
It is also important to see an expert in Migraine disease and headache disorders, a Migraine specialist. This doctor can help diagnose and treat your Migraines. Click HERE for our list of patient recommended specialists.
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 to the forum, just look for the orange box marked "Manage" and click on the Migraine Forums link. 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, MyMigraineConnection.com
If you have any questions, please feel free to post them to the forum or send me a message through my profile.
Welcome again,
Nancy Bonk
MyMigraineConnection.com Expert
PS: If you receive this message from more than one of us, please excuse the overlap. Thanks!
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for the reply concerning my question of: Botox Use for Migraines~ I started developing severe migraines about 8 years ago and in the last two years they seem to have accelerated in length and severity. I've changed medication numerous times and now take Relpax, along with feverfew and a boatload of accompanying vitamins that are recommended for migraine reduction. I was taking topamax but it didn't seem to actually help much~In the last two years I moved from California to Northern Oregon and the weather changes are more severe here in Oregon and many of my headaches seem to be connected to the weather change and temperature fluctuations~ I have a list of triggers such as alcohol, lunch meats, cigarette smoke, perfumes, not eating on time and now cold or extreme hot weather~ Needless to say I am looking for anything that will make my life more livable~ I wake up with or get as many as ten migraines a week ~ So, if botox works I am willing to try to find a doctor that will give me the shots ~ scalp, neck and face (all stiff and sore from headaches) ~ I have never gone to a specialist in headaches but perhaps that would be the next step ~ although, I must ask what more can they do than my regular general practitioner has already done or suggested? Maybe give me botox!!! Anyway, thanks for your sharing and suggestions~ I would appreciate any advice or thoughts you have~ it makes me feel a great deal better to know I am not the only one that has the type of headaches that seem to interfere with daily life ~
Thanks
Isabella
Hi,
Thanks for your reply~ What type of doctor do you use to inject the botox? I would think it should be a doctor that understands where the constrictions (?)takes place from a migraine~Do you use a doctor that specializes in headaches or do you go to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon?
Thanks
Bella
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
I've been doing Botox for about 3 years, every 3 months. My insurance covers a piddling amount because I've been diagnosed with spasmodic torticollis and dystonia. Both involve painful spasms in the neck and shoulders. My doctor doesn't take my insurance. My Blue Cross doesn't even cover the doctor's cost of the drug. I have much more Botox than the standard treatment for migraines, and the injections are in my scalp, neck and shoulders. The spasms trigger migraines.
The last I heard, insurance companies were denying coverage for Botox for migraines because migraines are not an FDA-approved "indication" for Botox.
Come over to the Forum. We've had several discussions about Botox, and I'm not the only one having Botox. Click on "Migraine Forums" in the orange box on the left of each page.
You talk about pain medication. Are you on preventives? There are more than 100, and literally thousands of combinations. With as many migraine attacks as you're having, you should consider seeing a specialist who treats only headaches.
Gretchen in Mississippi
Hi, I have been having Botox shots for about 4 years now, I see a nurologist and he administers the shots. It took a lot of fighting by my doctor, but my insurance have been covering most of the cost (which is amazing as they dont even cover prescription drugs) The shots take about a week to 10 days to kick in then are great for the next 6 weeks, then start to wear off. By the end of my 3 months I am back to spending days at a time in a dark room away from my kids, just praying I make it to the next shots without a trip to the ER :(.
You really do need to see someone other than your GP I would start with a referal from him to a Nurologist.
Good luck