Is Botox For Migraine Covered In Bc
Is Botox For Migraine Painful? Being able to get relief from migraine pain is something many sufferers will appreciate. Botox has been FDA approved to treat severe migraines. In an earlier post I talked about whether or not. Botox is safe for migraine attacks. This article will talk specifically about whether or not you should use it if you get headaches regularly.
Botox is most often known for its use in reversing aging by relaxing the muscles around the face and smoothing out the skin. Botox is also used for pain relief, however, as it can relax the muscles, particularly those in the shoulders and neck that can cause you to tense up. This can not only prevent migraine pain but reduce it if you already suffer from migraines. Read on to learn more How To Qualify For Botox For Migraines/ Botox For Migraines Reviews.
Is Botox For Migraine Painful
Botox’s effect on migraines was discovered coincidentally when people who were having Botox injections to lessen lines and wrinkles in their foreheads noticed that their headaches were improved. That’s when ‘off-label’ uses of Botox began, and its manufacturer began pursuing FDA approval and insurance reimbursement for medical uses.
Dubbed as the “little neurotoxin that could,” by USA Today, Botox now boasts sales of well over $1 billion for its manufacturer, Allergan. Many of us who start to see our Migraine-furrowed forehead lines show up in our 30s think: hey, maybe Botox for Migraine could help me too.
But before you say “heck yes!” at the next Botox party or med-spa, be sure you know what you’re getting into.
Now widely used for over a dozen different conditions, from teeth-grinding to sweaty palms to spasticity to vaginal spasms, Botox is a mega-drug. And to think that not so long ago botulinum toxin meant a bulging can of poison. It’s now deemed quite safe in the hands of a medical professional, and about half of all uses are cosmetic.
How To Qualify For Botox For Migraines
Botox appointments are very quick and can be done right in your doctor’s office in about 15-30 minutes. You don’t need to do anything to prepare, but your doctor may ask you to stop taking certain medications a few days prior to the injection. You should also inform your doctor if you’ve had a Botox injection in the past four months, even if it wasn’t an injection for migraines.
During your appointment, your doctor may numb your skin with a topical anesthetic. You may receive several shots during the procedure in the areas on your head and neck where you feel pain. The shots may feel like a slight pinch.
After the procedure, you’re welcome to go home immediately. It’s safe to drive yourself home, but you may want to bring someone along just in case.
The treatments are approved for select people age 18 and older who experience 15 or more migraine days per month. It may take four weeks or more after treatment before you see a reduction in the frequency of your migraines, and more than one set of injections may be needed.
Botox For Migraines Reviews
Botox has an average rating of 6.1 out of 10 from a total of 137 reviews for the treatment of Migraine Prevention. 53% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 36% reported a negative experience.
According to Allergan’s own Botox for Migraine website, the most common side effect seen in Chronic Migraine clinical trials was neck pain, experienced by approximately 9% of people. Yet because neck pain is also a symptom of Migraine, it’s not clear whether all the reports of neck pain side effects can be attributed to Botox.
Most people believe a migraine is a bad headache, but it can be more. That’s because a migraine causes unique symptoms and has specific treatment options.2
It’s also important to note that while some headaches (known as secondary headaches) can be a sign of an underlying condition, migraines are usually their own thing.
“Migraine is the most common primary headache disorder, which means that it’s not happening because of a tumor or an infection. It’s just how your brain is wired,” Umer Najib, MD, a board-certified neurologist and the director of the headache medicine fellowship program at West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va., told Health. “Pain is often the predominant symptom, though many patients have other symptoms that can actually be more bothersome than the pain itself.”
Ferhad Bashir, MD, a neurologist with the Mischer Neuroscience Center at The Woodlands in Shenandoah, Texas, goes further: “It’s a state of misery,” Dr. Bashir told Health. “During that time period, you’re not yourself. If you’re at work, you can’t produce at your optimum level. If you’re a parent, you can’t enjoy time with your kids.”
Additional symptoms of migraine, aside from often disabling pain, include:2
- Sensitivity to light, sound, or strong smells
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Excessive fatigue
- Language, speech, or balance problems
- Visual disturbances, like seeing zig zags, flashes of light, or blind spots.
It’s not entirely clear what causes migraine, though researchers believe there’s a genetic component to the neurological condition.3 But the condition—which affects over 37 million people in the United States4—is thought to have quite a few triggers, including stress, anxiety, caffeine (or caffeine withdrawal), and certain medications.
Migraine is also about three times more common in women,4 indicating a possible connection to fluctuating hormones.
“For a lot of women with migraine, menses can trigger an attack,” Megan Donnelly, DO, a board-certified headache specialist and neurologist, and the director of headache and women’s neurology at Novant Health in Charlotte, N.C., told Health. “We also have changes in migraine frequency in pregnancy and postpartum, as well as related to perimenopause.”
Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for migraine headaches.3 Instead, treatment mainly focuses on relieving symptoms and preventing or lessening future attacks through a combination of medications and lifestyle changes.
That, in some cases, is where Botox—also known as Onabotulinumtoxin A or Botox A—comes into play.
How Does Botox Help Migraine?
Botox is a preventative therapy for migraine, meaning it can reduce migraine frequency. Though Botox has been an FDA-approved treatment for chronic migraine since 2010,5 the science behind how it battles the disease is still a bit of a mystery.
Technically speaking, Botox is injected near the head, neck, and back pain fibers involved in headaches. Botox impedes the release of chemicals responsible for pain transmission, preventing the activation of pain networks in the brain.
However, why Botox works that way is still not well understood.
“We have animal data that shows that Botox causes a change in a certain type of calcium channel in the meninges, which is the covering of the brain as well as the critical part of the migraine process,” explained Dr. Najib. “We think that’s how it suppresses migraine.”
Despite Botox’s efficacy (patients reported that two rounds of shots reduced their headache days by roughly 50%),5
“As long as the disease is still active, you’ll have breakthrough headaches,” noted Dr. Najib, who added that the drug isn’t a cure-all
Because of that, some patients need another preventative treatment, like oral medication, in addition to their shots. It’s also common to need a rescue drug.
Choosing a treatment or preventative method for migraine is a highly personal choice that should be made in close contact with your healthcare provider.
It’s Only Approved for Chronic Migraine
Botox is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic migraine in adults, defined as a minimum of 15 migraine days per month.6 It’s not approved for other kinds of headaches, like tension or cluster, nor is it approved for children or adolescents (if it’s used for those groups, it’s considered “off-label use”).
You’ll Have To Get Dozens of Shots
Though migraine symptoms vary from person to person, Botox for migraine is standardized. It’s likely that every three months, you’ll receive 31 shots, totaling up to 155 units of Botox.7 That includes injections in specific spots in the forehead, temples, back of the head, neck, upper back, and shoulders.
If you’ve got a particular concern, like muscle spasticity or tightness in the shoulders, your provider may adjust the shot pattern to tackle that specific issue.1
If Botox works for you, it is generally possible to stay on it indefinitely. However, it’s not approved for pregnant or breastfeeding people because of minimal studies in those groups.
The Risk of Side Effects Is Low
“Botox injections can occasionally trigger a headache, muscle weakness, and neck pain, but this is rare,” Kerry Knievel, DO, director of the Jan & Tom Lewis Migraine Treatment Program at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, told Health. “Eyelid and eyebrow asymmetry and droop can happen, but to prevent this, we recommend that patients refrain from rubbing their foreheads or wearing a hat for 24 hours after their injections to prevent the Botox from spreading from the area we intend for it to be.”
Other potential side effects include flu-like symptoms, dry or watery eyes, drooling, pain, swelling, or bruising of the injection area. Additionally, people who are allergic to proteins in cow’s milk should avoid Botox.1
You’ll want to contact a healthcare provider immediately if you experience more concerning side effects, such as:1
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty speaking or swallowing
- Incontinence
- Muscle weakness
- Vision problems
But ultimately, Botox’s limited side effects are part of its appeal.
“It’s not addicting. . It doesn’t work for everyone, That’s why Botox is amazing,” noted Dr. Bashir.
Insurance May or May Not Cover It
However, that depends on your specific plan.
The drug manufacturer also offers a savings program to help offset some expenses. To get approval, your insurance company may want to see that you’ve “failed” on two or three oral preventatives first.5 You may also need to keep a headache diary that shows you’re having 15 or more headache days per month.
It Can Take Several Months To See Results
If you don’t experience relief from migraine immediately, don’t swear off the treatment immediately. Dr. Najib recommended trying two rounds of Botox before deciding whether it’s working for you.
Even if the treatment ends up helping after the first round, Dr. Najib said results typically take two to four weeks to kick in. There’s no taper required to discontinue the treatment.
Rarer side effects are:
- headache
- Migraine (how ironic!)
- slight or partial facial paralysis
- eyelid drooping, bronchitis
- musculoskeletal stiffness
- muscle weakness
- pain in one or more muscles, ligaments, tendons, or bones
- muscle spasms
- injection-site pain
- high blood pressure
That’s enough to generate buzz on the patient forums like RealSelf among those who have tried it. Botox for migraines reviews include:
“My neck is killing me.”
“Stiffness, pain in the neck, headache and can’t look down.“
Like anything, results vary widely.
One person said: “I’ve had 6 rounds of Botox for migraines. I had what I would consider neck stiffness after the first couple of rounds. No headaches except for very slight ones and only a handful [of them].”