Hi Lissaengles!  

I'm sure you will get some responses soon on your question about Botox. I myself and considering it as well.  

Please feel free to come over to our forum, which you can get to HERE. We have members that have tried Botox and discussed how it was for them. You can also reach the forum from the main page of the site by clicking "migraine forum" under the orange "manage" tab.   We do have some information on Botox here on the site, if you would like to look it over:  

Intradermal Botox for Migraine, Headache, Pain Disorders  

Good luck with the Botox! And come see us over in the forum!!  

Eileen Gray

I have had a continuous migraine for 3 years...Lortab 5mg is somewhat helpful to knock it down to a level 3 or so but itching prevents me from taking more. I also cannot tolerate most meds due to rebound headache or they just do not work. Despite fear of getting worse, again I decided to try pain mgmt so I did get my 1st Botox injections, yesterday 12/01/2008. The doctor is a Harvard Graduate with a good reputation here in Hammond, Louisiana. The shots were quite painful, worse than the Occipital Nerve blocks that I had 3 yrs ago that did not help. I do have cervical spasms that cause my head to tilt a bit, so my Humana Gold does cover the Botox procedure...Medicare will only pay for that, not for it's use as migraine TX. Today, I am significantly worse & on the verge of a full blown, migraine...which to me means nausea & vomiting. Hopefully, getting worse is normal for a day or two. I'll let you know how I progress.

Well, not sure if anyone is still reading this thread but...

I really hoped the Botox would help mjy head. Instead, it worsened my pain for weeks. It was something I am glad I tried but will never, ever do so again for my H/A. Botox did however finally help my right-sided neck pain, though...I have torticollis or wry neck from cervical spasms. I wish he had injected both sides of my neck so may have to get Botox in my left side, too.

I started Physical Therapy (PT)  & acupuncture with a real Oriental Medicine Doctor  (OMD). Too much to handle going to both due to my fatigue so I am sticking with PT & started some yoga at home. I only did acupuncture twice so cannot judge it on that basis. 

Even PT with therapist trained in Myofascial Release has made my neck pain worse at times & she has had to back off until I can tolerate more. I am just so stiff & sore everywhere that it is just going to take time & pain to get better. They cannot even work on much since I have problems in every joint...I joked that I need an admission to inpatient PT. But, I really do!

The new pain doc was willing to try Fioricet which by taking 2/day has, with Ibuprofen & Lortab decreased the pain at times to level 3. Unfortunately, another problem is I am getting more than just itching from the Lortab...think it is becoming full blown allergy. Lortab is why I am still able to function the little I can so am in serious trouble. At least my H/A is now no worse than pre-Botox.

Also, just learned about Hemicrania Continua (HC) & I believe this is what I have & am trying to get RX for indomethacin. It is supposed to completely relieve the pain, if it is. I have symptoms of a cluster H/A but nowhere near as bad. That is part of HC...HC is considered rare but probably just because it is so hard to diagnose. I always have right side head pain that never goes away, it waxes & wanes with occasional watery right eye, stuffy nose, stabbing jolts in my head lasting seconds, eye pain that feels like sand in my eyes with rarely a stabbing sensation like a little needle in my eye & I have never had a good response to migraine meds. Since I have additional pain I must have a mixed-type H/A which the Neuro said 3 yrs ago, but she didn't mention HC, at all.  

I have a headache everyday, they are non-stop. They cause nausea, pressure, pain, quite debilitating. It affect my daily life, walking my dog or even cooking dinner is difficult. I have a migraine about every week. They cause extreme pain, extremely photophobic, bothered by noises, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, painful just to get out of bed.Eight months ago in VAI had several botox injections at one sitting (across forehead, temples into hairline, many around head, down into my neck & shoulders. Within a few hours my headache was gone. I did not have a headache or a migraine for about 6 months. EXTREMELY WORTH every stick!!! After about 5-6 months I began to get mild headaches on/off. Now 9 months later ALL symptoms are back. Unfortunately I am no longer in VA and having trouble finding a neurologist that will perform the injections. I am in New Orleans, Louisiana. I had all records sent to my neurologist here in LA which states the only solution is botox for my migraines/headaches. But instead he started over with trying me on the medications (including pain meds) and an occipital nerve block (again and extremely painful) which in my records shows DOES NOT work. So now, several hundreds of dollars later of expensive med's, ECG's, EKG's, MRI's, OC Nerve Block he is considering performing botox. Why not sooner? I should have already changed to another doctor, but I have all the money and time invested at this office. I am also trying to locate a neurologist that performs these injections regularly. A cosmetic surgeon &/or botox certified doctor CANNOT perform these injects in the needed/correct places. So, my answer is YES, BOTOX has worked for me.