botox for migraines

[MyBeloved]

Anyone tried this and to what effect?

currently taking Rizatriptan but doing do 3 or 4 times per week seems less than ideal.

fed up of popping pills!

I have had great success with Botox for migraine after many years of them absolutely destroying my life.
I had tried amitryptaline, betablockers, topamax, gabepentin, pitzotifen, all the triptans and many alternative therapies I didn't even believe in but was desperate enough to try.
Botox for my migraines has genuinely given me my life back.
I'm sorry if I sound like I'm evangelically over-selling it and I guess it may not work for you, as it doesn't for everyone but it has ended a terrible period of my life and made me normal again.
Please feel free to ask me anything you like about it.
Ease of availability varies according to your location as I understand it.

Thanks for your reply smarties. You sound like you are a migraine guru! I've has mine since I hit my 40s and they are quite debilitating. sometimes the Rizatriptan does not work despite taking a second tablet. This usually means I'm in agony for up to 4 days. These episodes are becoming more frequent :(

would you mind explaining how often you need injections, and whether you still get migraines? have you suffered any side effects?

thanks

Not me but v good friend starting having Botox injections for migraine about 5 years ago. She used to have at least 2/3 migraines a month and be toally debilitated by them. (Lots of throwing up:( ) She has Botox injections every six months all over her forehead. Since she started having the injections she has only ever had one and that's when she decided not to have the injections after six months had elapsed to see what happened. She got two migraines in a couple of weeks. She now goes religiously every six months. No side effects other than the obvious one of the smooth expressionless slightly
odd forehead that everyone who has Botox gets. And the weird little wrinkles that appear at the temples by eyes that lots of people get with Botox because that's the only bit that can move! She hates that part but obviously most people don't as that's why they have it done in the first place.

No problem: I get the injections every twelve weeks. They are not very painful at all and the treatment is quick. I have not experienced any side effects other than being unable to frown. I have a very smooth forehead but not bad celebrity style plastic looking! Occasionally I get a headache straight afterwards which lasts a couple of hours and which painkillers chase away.
I still have one menstrual migraine per month and consuming any of my food triggers would still set me off. Very occasionally if I get extremely stressed or horribly tired I will have one but not to the multi-day misery extravaganza extent I did before.
Hope this helps, feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

I had 'two' sessions of botox for migraines, but i'm afraid they didn't work for me, in fact they made my migraines worse. Ruined Christmas and New Year.

I had 31 injections all over my head neck, forehead and temples. A little bit uncomfortable and sore but not necessarily painful. 12 weeks apart I went for the 2nd round to see if it would work the 2nd time round, which it didn't. I also didn't like the sensation of not being able to move my forehead.

It also drooped my eyebrows, so my eyelids drooped, giving me hooded eyes, which meant I couldn't apply eyeliner on my top lid and mascara was a waste of time!

I truly believe it works for some people which is fantastic if they can get relief from this, as they is nothing worse than daily/chronic migraines - as a sufferer myself its such a debilitating and frustrating thing to live with. I'm currently on Amitriptyline (for the last 8 years) and Topiramate (5 years) and just started on candestarten (sp). Tried loads of others but didn't agree with me!

We don't have experience of Botox, but have you tried an appointment at the national migraine centre in London? They were fantastic with my dd. her migraines have reduced from twice a week to hardly ever with their help and support.

Good luck