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Botox for Migraines at 26 Yrs Old?

I've had migraines for 15+ years and I have been on every med with either no luck. My neuro wants to try botox. I will do anything to get rid of these headaches so I am going to get it done. I am nervous though. 1st b/c I HATE needles. 2nd I am 26 and don't really have any wrinkles. I don't want to look "fake" or have anything droop with the lack of noticeable wrinkles. So if any of you have advice or words to calm me down I would appreciate it.

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age 25-34 migraine

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10 Doctor Answers | Asked by lyssa0124

Doctor Answers (10)
Community Comments (1)

Botox for migraines - don't worry!

Botox can be a helpful treatment for migraines, although results are inconsistent. I do have many patients that have see reduced frequency, intensity or duration of their migraines, and they are quite happy with the treatments, and the added cosmetic benefit. Botox is a very safe treatment in the hands of a highly trained and experienced physician, and the discomfort is 0-1 out of 10, very very mild.

Benjamin Barankin, MD

10 reviews

Toronto Dermatologic Surgeon

Botox for migraine treatment

I agree with Dr. Barankin that Botox can be very effective for treatment of migraines. I would make sure you are informed of all the benefits versus risks and side-effects, and then determine if you think trying Botox is for you.

Sam Naficy, MD

80 reviews

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattleface.com

Botox for Migraines at 26 Yrs Old?

Botox is perfectly safe in someone who is 26 years old. It is also an effective option for people who have not benefited from first line migraine treatments. If your neurologist has alot of experience they should be able to treat you without eliminating your facial expression or making you look "done." If they can't do that seek a Facial Plastic Surgeon with experience in this area. As a side benefit, Botox treatment for migraines will likely delay any development of facial lines and... more

Botox for migraines

I'm sorry nothing has worked. It seems that Botox would be a good next option then. I inject many patients with Botox for migraines, and obviously cosmetic benefits. A neurologist will do the injections a bit differently, but they will still be effective and very, very minimal pain. The needle used for Botox is so small, and often times you can have a topical numbing cream applied beforehand. It's really nothing to worry about, so don't stress about it - or you'll cause yourself a migraine... more

Botox for migraines

It sounds as if this is a reasonable next step for controlling your migraines. I would certainly recommend having a board certified neurologist do this for you as this is a treatment they are trained to do. Your insurance will probably cover it if they can document this is a reasonable next step after traditional therapies have failed. Don't be afraid of the needles. They are very fine so pain is minimal. Pretreating with a topical anesthetic and placement... more

Steven Swengel, MD

3 reviews

Los Gatos Dermatologic Surgeon

www.RefinedMD.com

Good respose to Botox for migraines

I have treated patients with migraines using Botox and have had very good results. In my patients, they report decrease in frequency of migraines and the intensity of the migraine attack is significantly diminished after Botox treatments. To decrease injection pain, I pretreat the areas with local anesthetic cream that will diminish the injection pain. Furthermore, the needles used for botox injections are very small. In terms of looking fake, I do not think you will have to worry about that... more

Botox for migraines

Botox can be an effective treatment for certain types of headaches. Since nothing else has worked so far to treat your migraines, I think it's worth a try to see if the Botox helps. The needle used for the injection is very tiny, so there should be minimal pain involved. The Botox can be placed in a manner not to give you any droop. The results are also temporary, so if for some reason you should not like the effect, it will go away in several months. more

Botox for migraine headaches

Botox is effective for migraine headaches if it originates from muscle spasms in the forehead, temples, occiput, neck and a Board Certified neurologist who has experience with Botox injections can evaluate and treat you AND can seek to get it covered by your medical insurance as it should be covered - this is not a cosmetic proceudre, but rather, therapuetic Botox therapy.

Botox and migraines

Botox has been pretty successful in treating migraines, but not all migraines respond to the Botox. Best to go to a neurologist for this.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Botox For Migraines

I have used Botox for those suffering from migraines. You can avoid brow droop or ptosis by injecting higher above the brow so that the lower frontalis is not paralyzed. Most of the patients I have treated for migraines are younger and without wrinkles for some reason. They experience improvement in migraine intensity, duration of symptoms, and number of migraines. The duration of effect seems variable per patient report. If the injector is quick with the needle... more

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Comments (1)

lyssa0124 10 Jan 2013

Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! I don’t know if it is so much the pain I am scared of or if it is more of the thought of injecting the Botox into my face, neck, temples, etc. Just seems so invasive! My neuro will be injecting me, so I realize cosmetic issues aren't his first priority. He told me he has only had one patient with adverse effects so far. Drooping eyebrow if I remember correctly. I will just hope this doesn't happen to me! Also does anyone know if it is okay if I take an anxiety pill before the session? I used to have a history of passing out with needles because I would get so stressed. Thanks so much! Keep the responses coming!

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