Botox, or onabotulinumtoxinA, is an emerging and at times controversial treatment for migraine. Many patients have found relief through Botox treatment, although others have found that it wasn’t very helpful for them. Par for the course when it comes to migraine treatment.
But just why does Botox help – at least some patients?
The most obvious answer seems to be the way it relaxes muscles. Certainly if tense muscles were triggering migraine attacks, or if they were a part of the chain-reaction or vicious-cycle of migraine, we would expect to see some relief if those muscles were relaxed.
And that still could be part of the answer.
But the pain of migraine (in fact, even the pain of tension-type headaches), does not come from muscle tension. Sure, it could be a part of the cycle, but is that really enough to explain the relief that many get from Botox?
Dr. Alexander Mauskop from the New York Headache Clinic writes about his observations:
I have seen some patients who would report that injecting muscles around the head eliminated pain in the injected areas, but that they still had pain on the top of the head. There are no muscles on the top of the head and we usually do not inject Botox there, but in those patients who do have residual pain on the top, injecting Botox stops the pain. Recent research has shown that Botox in fact also exerts a direct analgesic (pain-relieving) effect. This is supported by my and other doctors’ observation that Botox also helps other types of pain, such as that of shingles or trigeminal neuralgia.
He goes on to point out that we need some solid studies to confirm what many doctors and patients are seeing.
He finishes by saying that Botox seems to help by reducing the pain messages that are being sent to the brain. Without the flurry of pain messages to the brain, the migraine chain reaction can’t begin. In fact, some patients report that, after Botox treatment, they sometimes feel like a migraine is about to start, but it never does.
If you’ve had Botox treatment, how does this compare with your experience? Leave a comment!
Popularity: 1% [?]
Loading ...
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I get Botox injections every 3 months. I usually do not have any kind of headache when i have the treatments so for me it is more of a preventative treatment than an acute treatment. I think it is effective. I have had fewer headaches since I have been getting Botox treatments and they are less severe. I think Dr. Mauskopf’s theory is plausible.
My neurologist told me with each treatment results should improve. I sure do hope so. So far I’m still having more that 15 migraines a month. It has decreased the severity of the pain, especially in the occipital area, and neck. The other symptoms: numbness, tingling, nausea, aura, phantom smells, tiredness, sensitivity to light & sound continue to bother me. The pain level varies from a 3 to 6, occasionally it has been more, but rarely so. So for pain it has been a definite improvement.
I’ve suffered from migraines since childhood. I’ve had chronic migraines for several years. I’ve tried every preventive medication and they either did not work or I could not tolerate the side effects at an effective dose. My new neurologist suggested botox. I have had one treatment. Initially I was discouraged because I did not have relief, but within a couple of weeks I felt the same as others have reported. I would feel like a migraine was starting, but like it was blocked. After about 5-6 weeks I noticed that I was no longer in constant pain and have only had an occassional migraine since that was easily resolved with acute medication. Previously I almost always had some level of pain. This is a huge improvement for me.
I am in the middle of my first set of injections and am really pleased with the results. I have seen a dramatic drop in the amount of intervention medicines I need to take (Maxalt or Frova). Mine aren’t gone. However, I can honestly say for the first time in years I have many more better days than headache days. Thrilled and looking forward to more improvement.
The relation between migraine and the use of botox injection is not yet proven true yet nor being endorse by recognized groups.
Ironically, the adverse reaction that was noted by the FDA with the use of Botox as a migraine treatment includes headache and neck pain. They even assigned a box warning in the packaging which states that the toxin could spread out of the treated site, and could create a reaction similar to food poisoning. Therefore it is very important that you get the injection from a certified physician.
I started having migraines when I was 8 and I’m now 40. The chronic migraines started a little over a year ago
I’ve had 2 rounds of Botox. One in November one in January. It has been slightly helpful with neck pain but I’m still getting migraines almost daily. I will say I’m getting better relief when I take a Triptan and naproxen now since the Botox treatments but it has not been a cure all.
I too have had headaches all of my life. I remember taking aspirin and rolling around in bed as a young child praying for the pain to go away. They just became more numerous as I got older, now in my fifties I barely had a good day at all, I just felt I had no choice but to deal with it the best I can. Three days ago I tried the Botox in my temples, and the back of my head, is this the miracle I’ve been seeking, because so far, not any pain at all! I’m optimistic now for an insanely long time that I might get to feel like a normal person gets to feel, what an incredible thing that would be! My best wishes go out to everone who suffers, I hope we all find an answer to our misery..
I have suffered from migraines for 27 years now. I get 15 migraines a month. I’m on the Sumatriptan Injections (needle free) & Topamax On February 9, 2012 I received the Botox injection in-between my eye brows, hairline, shoulder, neck and back of my skull. Two days after Botox I got a migraine. Next Migraine not until February 25, 2012 I had that migraine till February 28, 2012. Next Migraine March 7, 2012. Next Migraine March 12, 2012 till March 13, 2012. Next Migraine March 18, 2012. Per my neurologist I couldn’t report in till mid March, that would give the Botox time to work. I have noticed blurred vision and a loss for words in the last two weeks. I know what I want to say but my tongue get’s frozen or has trouble sayings it. I’m happy the number of migraines has decreased but the blurred vision has frighten me and the loss of words has me scared. I have an appt. with my doctor to discuss this. I hope if you have gotten Botox you are not having blurred vision or a loss for words, you are having great results!!
Barbara, I have problems finding words, being at a loss of words, knowing what I want to say, but it just doesn’t come. I’ve been told that’s from the Topamax, sometimes referred to as “Dopamax”. I can’t speak to the blurred vision. I would definitely get that checked out. I do have symptoms that pop up now and then that are new to me, but I don’t think they relate to the Botox. I think it’s just Migraine. I go next month for my third round of injections. Last week I had five days straight with no migraine. That’s amazing for me. I hope it keeps getting better. I hope so for you too!
Hello All I am 24 years old man and last 4 years are awfull to me I have daily headattache my neurologist’s say it maybe is cluster or migraine or tensions headattache they are not sure for my diagnoses because the sipmptoms are different.I try it couple medications like antidepresant and beta blockers but nothing help me I feel very strong pressure around my head after that muscle spasms and after that pain, now I want to try with botox but I am not so sure it will be helpfull for me for my headattache i dont know what to do???????