I’ve had migraines since I was a little kid. Well, I did have one glorious spell of headache-free bliss that lasted a couple of years, but that coincided with a health/medication issue that I couldn’t replicate if I tried, owing to the eventual removal of some of the body parts involved.
Triptans (Imitrex, Relpax, etc. and their generics) will usually stop or lessen the pain of a migraine if I take it in time. I’ve also had some success with a beta blocker (Nadolol), in that it seems to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine. However, I still have 10-15 headache days per month. My doctor tried increasing the beta blocker, but that didn’t help (and the side effects increased). Triptans have their own side effects, and there’s a limit to the number that I can take without risking a rebound effect (not to mention my insurance will only pay for so many per month).
Based on the frequency and severity of my headaches, plus the fact that we seem to have reached a plateau with regard to medication effectiveness, my neurologist agreed that it would be worth trying Botox. My insurance approved it and I got the first set of shots yesterday.
We have plenty of migraine sufferers here on the 'Dope, but I don’t think we’ve had a tread dedicated to this particular treatment. Any questions? Ask me and I’ll answer as best I can. One question I *cannot *answer at this time is “Did it work?” I’ve been told that this will take a couple of weeks *minimum *to show results, and it could take another set (or two) of shots to be fully effective. I’m happy to report success or failure later.
Ask away.