Botox for Migraines Anyone?
anniesjacuzzi
6 years ago
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How Do You Treat Migraines?
Comments (17)Hi, I've been waiting to post for a few days so I could give a fair assessment of exactly 'how I am responding' to treatment. I can now say, with absolute clarity and conviction so that no one is confused here, that I do have episodic migraines 2~4 times a month. I can usually head those off at the pass with Imitrex shots or pills; I switch up depending on how soon I can get to the headache. A pill if I'm not nauseous or vomiting. A shot if I am over the edge. THAT being said, I want to tell you where I am with treatment right now. For migraines: 1) The neurologist told me that the 50 mg of Imitrex tablets that I was using was probably not strong enough and told me to use 100 mg tablets or double the 50 mgs. I couldn't believe it, but I've already had an opportunity to use this new dosage and I had less side effects from taking this amount -Vs- taking the lower amount! No kidding. (2) He also put me on Topamax as a prophylactic. It's too early for me to tell how this will work. So far, no side effects that I can tell. It's quite involved to start taking this medication as they increase the dosage, so it takes a series of increasing dosages over three weeks to get to a target amount to start. I'm still in those parameters. For this current chronic headache: Having been in a constant headache state such that I have been since March, I could not eve differentiate with clarity the pain levels. I felt so inadequate and sickened trying to explain the pain levels without sounding so ridiculous, exaggerating, or needy... to a doctor, when you can see that there are other people with more serious medical needs than mine in the waiting room. Anyway, when they ask, "What is your current pain level?" I answer something RIDICULOUSLY conservative like, "6 or 7," out of a 10 point scale, with 10 being the worse. NOW that I have had some success with this pain, I can tell you I was like a damn 30 and I am NOW a 6 or 7 on the pain scale as I type right now.~~ !!!! So, how have I improved this much? Well, I had the occipital nerve block last week. I believe you'd call mine the 'greater nerve block' -Vs- the alternative 'lesser' nerve block. If you Goggle it, you will see what I mean. Before I continue, I have to tell you, this is a treatment that I believe every single doctor and NP in America should know how to do. It is that amazing. But please, pay attention closely to my description of my experience. I say this because with some of my key words you **might** find some phrases or explanations in medical journals online, but it's not easily out there to tell you from a lay-person's perspective, how this feels and how it has affected me. Also, without going into boring details, I have to say that here in Jacksonville, FL, I could only find ONE neurologist to do this occipital nerve block and he was is associated with Shands Hospital. Even the neurologist that referred me to him did not do them. Now I know he's not the only game in town, but doctors just don't do these things like I think they should! SO MANY people could find relief, I am sure. OK, here's what happened. The doctor comes in after getting approved (by insurance) for the procedure (2 day, 2 hr. wait), and explains that he is going to put in 8~10 shots in my neck and upper shoulders. He WARNED ME that if he did "not hear certain sounds", that he would "stop the procedure" because "this is like a truth serum; I can tell if you are really in pain or not... nerves speak and they can tell me exactly what kind of pain that you are in." The needles were not inserted into my brain or spinal column. I sat in a chair, leaning my head on a pillow on a table in front of me. The doctor felt for the base of my skull and within 6 ~ 8 minutes had injected all shots. Two or three down the left side of my neck, then two or three down the right, and four places across the top of my back shoulders, with two being to the left of my spine and two on the right, rather evenly spaced. What was AMAZING was when he put in the first needle on my right side of the neck upper at the base of my skull. As he inserted the needle, it sounded like it was going into Styrofoam. The sounds that came out of that nerve as the needle and medicine went in would have made you think I was possessed and demons were crunching their way out of my body. It hurt like a blank-blank because he rubbed each shot sight's medication in with his thumb after shooting in the meds. All I could say the entire time is, "OMG. Lord Jesus, come," over and over. My nerves made audible sounds like chewing Cap'N Crunch cereal, and lesser sounds like Rice Crispy's in the beginning. Let me clarify this for you: the nerves made a **CRUNCHING SOUND** AND **SNAP, CRACKLE, POPPING SOUNDS**. The doctor said that these were "some of the worst/best sounds he has ever heard come out of a patient...up there in the top three." He also assured me I would feel 100% better when I left; clarifying that I would not feel 100%, just 100% better. Boy, do I know what he means. The occipital nerve block was quick easy and AMAZING. It was painful, but after what I've gone through the past few months, it was tolerable and worth it. I'm going to have another one in 11 weeks. He also said that some Migraneurs find relief from this, too, even though I'm doing this for my head injury swelling and trying to stop the pain cycle. Also, I left the office after about 10~15 minutes and of having the ONB and have had no real side effects that I can tell other than soreness and a slight bruising in one area. What did it do for me? My chronic headache throbbing stopped within five minutes of the ONB (Occipital Nerve Block). Now, my head still feels like I've been battered and hit hard, very, very tender, but at least the headache is gone. I had a slight thumbprint size bruising in one area on my neck from the shots. Other than that, all has been good. Two days after I had this done, I awoke with a migraine, not sure what kind of a headache it was, I took the Imitrex 100 mg dose and in 30~40 mins. it was gone. So, I talked to my FP doctor who followed up after the block. I explained the still extreme tenderness when I showered and walked and wind in my hair, but the throbbing WAS GONE. But now, I just felt 'damaged'. I also explained I was still had the issue of not being able to sleep and was still nauseated. He understood. He gave me a 'cocktail prescription' of Benadryl, Reglan, and 20 mg. of Prednizone to take three times a day for swelling and nausea. I have never, ever been able to take Benadryl because it will knock me for a loop. But, honestly, I've taken all five days and I actually slept every night except for last night, which I was up about five times. The meds have not made me sleep during the day at all either. So, I'm waiting right now for another Prednizone prescription for maybe another 10 days. We'll see. Thank you all so much for your suggestions and sharing your sites. I am going to keep all info and I have read some of the sites already. I pretty much follow the low tyramine diet as is and miss chicken livers. Here is a link that might be useful: Occipital Nerve Block...See MoreWeird way to get Botox...
Comments (22)Well...I just told my neuro I want out of the study. He is all but begging me to stay with it, but I dislike the side effects and I have not had any relief from my migraines. a)the first two weeks were completely pain-free and I was in heaven. But then the migraines returned with a vengeance AND my Imitrex no longer worked very well on them!!! Net result= more medicine than ever needed and headaches never seemed to go away completely. b)the frozen forehead is now only partially frozen and my Imitrex has begun to work again. This is 9 weeks post Botox. c)my eyelids look a lot better. I guess the melting polar ice caps in my forehead are responsible. I have to think that if you are one who derives headache relief from the Botox, that might also be waning. d)my neck, which was soooooo sore for nearly 2 months, is now almost back to normal. It was very hard to read and ride my bike because my neck felt like it needed a brace and it hurt a lot. Neuro said next time he would spread around the injections instead of concentrating them in one area (the ones in my neck). e)I told the neuro I wanted to move on and try to find something that worked without compromising the one medication I've got in my arsenal that is effective (Imitrex). What I'd really like to do is not GET migraines. To that end, I have begun a new therapy that is designed to bring my body back into balance and will hopefully give me the bonus of reducing my migraines, which have increased dramatically in the last year. I mean, it doesn't take a brain surgeon (ha ha) to figure out this is likely hormonal, right? I'm 50 and am getting a big increase in migraines? And yet I couldn't get a doctor to do more than prescribe bc pills for me (big no-no with my migraines) or recommend estrogen patches, which I was fairly sure would not be a good treatment for me. I saw two gynos who told me, without any testing, that I needed estrogen, even though I did not fit the symptom profile. The second when said, when I questioned him as to how he knew this, "You're 50!" I finally found a doctor who specializes in women's health (it's all she does) and takes a more naturopathic approach. She ran a bunch of hormone tests for me, including a comprehensive saliva test, and determined that I am very high in estrogen (thank goodness I didn't use the patches!) but extremely low in progesterone. I'm very high in testosterone (ah, THAT'S where the rages are coming from!) and DHEAs (don't know what that is). Low thyroid, too, though it initially appears normal in testing. I have practically no cortisol and my adrenals are wiped out. So, I'm on adrenal rebuilder, a Rx natural progesterone cream that is compounded with pregnenelone (a cortisol precursor or something like that), thyroid stuff and some other supplements that are supposed to help me build back up and feel better. I've only been doing this routine for a week and a half so it's too soon to know how well it will work, but I can tell you that I normally get really bad lower pelvic pain for a week midcycle and I had only a slight twinge this week (doc told me it was the low progesterone at fault). I guess the (sex) hormone balance is easier to address quickly than the adrenal part. I'm told that will take 1-2 years since mine are really shell-shocked. I'm feeling more energy and drive but am still dealing with bursts of anger and periods of foggy thinking. Don't you just love perimenopause?! Apparently, I'm still a ways from menopause, but I have the adrenal/thyroid/hormone imbalance problems that are often part of the whole perimenopause picture. Here's hoping that my migraines back off with this new treatment, but no indication of that so far. However, the hormone problems I have are known to cause migraines so I have high hopes that achieving a balance will bring them under control. Here is a good article that explains much of what I've tried to relay. Here is a link that might be useful: don't assume you are low in estrogen because the dr said so...See MoreMIGRAINES- what works for you?
Comments (20)I take Relpax and 2 nuproxin at the onset of a migraine on the recomendtion of my neurologst a headache specialist. Yes I went through much testing and it was well worth it. I had migraines that would last up to 6 weeks. I also take a daily preventative..Topamax, and 1000 mgs of magnesium (OTC, and an antidepressant Vivactil. E-mail me if you'd like I can send you the info he gave me. Some things that helped....Like Sandy said, I now never take anything for more than 3 days. Found I was rebounding rather than the original Migraine. I take the meds faster, many migrainers "Hord" meds, but the sooner you take them, the faster they work. If the meds you're taking don't seem to be working, then they're not, and you need something else. I've tried all the above mentioned plus more to find what would work for me. When the relpax stops working my next step is toradol injections, and not by the nice pen, but actual shots, and I don't know if I can do that. But if I have to I will. Also realize not all neurologist are good with migraines. I was seeing a nerologist and things just didn't "seem right" with what he was doing. He had me taking fiorinal daily. (remember the 3 day rule..yup, rebound headaches from the fiorinal were happening)..so I researched on my own, found this doctor that specialized in migraines, and what a difference. He right out said that the neurologist I was seeing was completely wrong in much of what he was doing, he removed me from all his meds, and we started a new regime. I had to see a occupational therapist, learn how to relax, I should see a speicalist in bio=feedback, but none are close to me. I had to see a psychologist just to make sure I didn't need more help there. Initially they were so bad he wanted to do botox, but after 3 months on the new regime, the botox was found not to be needed. The change in my life was amazing. I am getting them more freequently again (2-3 times a week and I don't know why) but they only last a few hours instead of days. I wish I was a person who a couple of advil and coke worked, but I'm not. I haven't had to go to the ER for over a year, so that is nice.\ Vickey-MN...See MoreBotox question
Comments (81)Linelle, that sounds like TNS. It does have an odd smell, but I don't find it terribly unpleasant and it doesn't linger. Sorry you didn't like it, and you're right -- it's expensive. I won't keep using it if I don't see results, but I'm going to give it a go. Allison, thank you for your kind words! Thanks too for the link. I read Begoun's review the evening I got home from the procedure. I have mixed emotions about her opinions, to be honest. I don't think she's entirely unbiased, so I kind of take what she and/or her research team has to say with a grain of salt. Wow, mitch - what a way to get you hooked, starting you out as a model getting the product for half price! LOL! I can see how it could become addictive and I must admit that I'm already starting to sort of "worry" about when I begin to notice the effects diminishing. I've got an appointment for the first week in June to have the Botox retouched. I'll likely go back in November (when the doctor has "customer appreciation month" and runs some awesome specials) to have a top off done on the Voluma. As it was, he was having a special on Voluma syringes - buy two at regular price and receive the third for $100, so I was able to save a pretty good chunk of change for my first procedure. I had wondered how the lip plumping worked. I've seen it done well, but I've also seen so many duck lips that I think I'd rather just stick with what nature gave me in that area. My lower lip is also a lot fuller than my upper, but it doesn't really bother me....See More
anniesjacuzzi
6 years agoanniesjacuzzi
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