Botox For Headache

BOTOX® Treatment of Headaches

By Monica Galvan

Published on October 06, 2007

Headaches cause a lot of headaches – for the business community. Employees with headaches may have to take time off work, or their performance at work may be compromised by their head pain or the effects of whatever medication they may be taking to control the headaches. In some cases, the costs associated with headaches can be substantial.

Beginning in the early nineties, some patients being treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic for frown lines began mentioning to their doctors that a fringe benefit of BOTOX® treatment was the reduction or elimination of headaches. Medical studies were done as a result of these observations, and the three most common forms of headache – muscle tension headache, migraine headache, and cluster headache – have all been reported to respond well to treatment of the painful areas with BOTOX® injections. In clinical practice, it is common to encounter patients whose headaches overlap somewhat between these three classic types of headache.

Patients who should be considered for BOTOX® therapy of headaches include those who do not respond adequately to pills or who experience or fear side effects from systemic medications. BOTOX® Cosmetic is a highly purified, naturally occurring protein which does not have any systemic effects and, unlike many headache pills, will not interfere with an employee’s safety or performance at work.

While a few patients will experience very dramatic relief of their headaches within hours or days of their initial BOTOX® treatment, it is more typical for patients to improve in a progressive manner, with about 80 percent of patients achieving a high level of relief (with little or no need for systemic medications) after four to five treatments, usually performed every two to three months.

Patients are encouraged to continue their current program of medications for migraine headaches and to gradually reduce those medications as the benefits of BOTOX® treatment develop. Patients are also encouraged to identify and as much as possible avoid factors which trigger their headaches (for example, smoking, noise, or certain foods).

It is helpful to keep a record of headaches and medication consumption. As the benefits of BOTOX® treatment unfold, patients usually note a reduction in the severity and frequency of headaches, time off work, and the need for expensive headache medications.

Kevin C. Smith is a licensed dermatologist at Niagara Falls Dermatology and Skin Care Centre.

Keyword Tags: botox, injectables

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Comments

1

this was very interesting I have a constant headache,I have MRI and the said migraines, but I wake up with it have have it 75 % of the day. I do have the severe frown line between my eyes, I have gotten glasses they thought I might be sguinting but my vision is going close up I do wheare the glasses. Still headaches. I am 48 an would love to find a cure,Do you thinkd insurance would pay for this? any infor would be great thanks linda

linda Dommek, 7 months ago

2

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know I just had botox treatments performed today for both cosmetic and headache related reasons. It was not covered by my insurance, but it was suprisingly affordable for the treatment, costing $350 for 2 areas. I know that botox is covered by many insurance companies for non-cosmetologic purposes so this is something you should look into. I hope this was helpful. Good luck!

Rebecca , 7 months ago

3

This is a message to Linda Dommek. I had botox on the frown lines between my eyes yesterday morning, purely because I couldn't stand them any more. I squint in the sun a lot and always have trouble with my eyes. I had no idea botox could help with headaches, but as I said to a friend last night, it was like a miracle - a side effect of the botox was the first headache free day in a good 10 years.

Caroline, 6 months ago

4

My daughter, age 24, has had cluster headaches for years. We've tried everything, including acupuncture. Nothing works. Would like to try Botox but need Ontario doc because it's not approved in U.S.

Betty, 6 months ago

5

Glad to report that in the last year, I have had the Botox injections every two to three months and have only had two migrianes. I have suffered with migraine headache for most of my adult life. I do truly believe the Botox has helped me in more ways than one! I am not sure which area caused the vascular headaches, but I always have forehead, between the eyes, and around the crows feet areas injected. In my opinion, Botox is a nothing short of a miracle.

angela keel, 6 months ago

6

have had migraines since 13,now 48, seeing another neuro, he wants to do botox cause everything else tried, husband not to happy, it being poison, but i'm at the point of anything. but i'm afraid,of another thing not working and waiting 2weeks to find out if it does and still being in pain, pain pills don't even work, coz i have also cervical dystonia,pain up the neck with the headache, i sleep with icepacks. any suggestions?

iris , 3 months ago

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