Wednesday, October 17, 2007
I have personal experience with Botox injections. After 15 years of being migraine-free, mine made an unwelcome appearance in September 2006 at the age of 59. Shortly thereafter, I fractured my L1 in an ice skating accident. This didn't help any and I began experiencing numerous migraines, as often as every other day.
My first treatment was a miracle - truly. I was migraine-free for nearly 3 months. My second treatment was not so successful; I went back to having migraines regularly. I am due for my third treatment at the end of October. My neurologist says to give this time and that it sometimes takes 3-4 treatments before a patient will see a difference.
The treatments are not covered by my insurance and are costly, $900.00 per session. However, for anyone interested, there is a Botox Reimbursement Hotline sponsored by Allergan, the manufacturers of Botox, who will help physician offices and patients get their insurance companies to reimburse for the treatment if medically necessary. I have not yet pursued this avenue.
Generally, I would say "the jury is still out" for me on Botox as a migraine treatment. I was so excited after my first treatment, but then disappointed when the second one didn't work. I will likely have the two other treatments recommended to see what the end game will be.
Hope this is helpful for those who are considering this course of treatment. And, it doesn't hurt as much as some people may have heard. You do, however, get a number of injections in one session; I believe I needed 5 1/2 vials, or 30 injections. Very tolerable in terms of discomfort.
Karen O'
