Botox for Chronic Migraines

I got the Botox injections done yesterday, and it only hurt a little bit. The pain is nothing compared to a migraine headache. The doctor told me not to lower my head for four hours, so no reading books, but using a computer was OK.

The doctor gave me an Rx for some pain cream, but I didn't have to fill it since the pain was only in a few spots and went away in about an hour.

The whole procedure only took about 1/2 hour once she started with the shots. It took the doctor more time to mix the medication before we started. She used five syringes, two giant ones with large needles, and three small ones with tiny needles. The large syringes were used for the back of my head and sides of my neck. The smaller ones were used for my forehead and temples. She started with the face injections firsts, then the temples, and did the back of my head and neck last.

I only have one small bruise on my face by my hair line, which can easily be covered with makeup. No pain anymore at all, and I don't see or notice any difference in the way my skin looks or moves.

The doctor said that it takes about one week for the shots to kick in, and that most people don't see any reductions in the amount of migraines they get until the second secession of shots, which are given in three months. I have a followup appointment in two months, and then a month after that I'll get the second set of shots.

I'll let you know in a week if any of my wrinkles smooth out since I know this Web site is really for beauty tips. I'm 52, so if they do, that it would be an extra plus, but I really, really want to get some relieve from my migraines.

The reason I decided to post here is because there are really no other sites that have honest user reviews about Botox, like the Real Self does. There are also no posts from people that have actually had Botox for migraines on this site, and all you can find on the Internet are articles about the procedure and some small, trial sample results.

I read all of the Botox posts here before my procedure, and I was thinking....I'm not going to do that, but once I got another terrible migraine, it didn't matter anymore.

It's been one week since I got my Botox injections, and, so far, no change in the frequency or durations of my migraines.

I'm very happy with my appearance, though. I look about seven years younger, and I don't have any droopy eyelids, mannequin face, or a giant forehead like the Martians in the movie "Mars Attacks."

The best outcome so far is something that I never expected...

I'm also partially deaf, due to a virus I got five years ago, and to make a long story short, I now have only 20% hearing in my left ear and 80% in my right ear. I wear hearing aids in both ears, and that helps a lot with the hearing loss. However, I also have terrible tinnitus in my left ear, and about three days ago, I noticed that the ringing and high-pitched whining, electric buzzing noises in my left ear have been greatly diminishing. If it stays like this now, a light seashore noise, than that alone will make the injections worth it.

For the past few days, it has been the first time in the past five years that I'm actually able to concentrate on projects, instead of trying to concentrate over constant ringing noises in my left ear. I'm going to mention it to my neurologist when I go to my follow-up appointment in two months. This is one side-effect that I don't mind at all!

It's been about three weeks since I had my first round of Botox shots, and I've changed the rating to "Worth It" because it really is helping me.

I'm still getting headaches, but they are just regular ones and not excruciating migraines. The tinnitus in my left ear is still softer. My forehead wrinkles are less apparent, but on the outer sides where the doctor didn't use any Botox they appear worse because the middle of my forehead is much smoother. I can now see how when one fixes something on their face that they start to focus on something else and want to fix that, too.

I do have a constant stiffness in my upper back at the base of my neck that I'll have to discuss with my doctor, but a couple of Ibuprofen in the morning are all I need. I also have to splash water on my face the first thing when I wake up and use anti-itch eye drops, or my eyebrows seem, to me, to look too high. My husband doesn't notice any difference, so maybe it's just me, but I think it helps. Everyone says that I don't look any different at all.

I'm just so happy that this has helped my migraines so soon, and all the other minor neck and back stiffness is nothing compared to the migraines and tinnitus. The neurologist told me that I probably wouldn't get any relief until the second round of shots, and I'm just ecstatic that it didn't take that long!!!

I just had my second round of Botox injections on 12/21/2012, this time the neurologist did the 31 shot recommended protocol, and a couple of extra shots further back of the shots that I get in my temples. She said that this might help because my muscles are so large from grinding and clenching my teeth. I've been wearing a nightguard for the past 10 years, but sometimes I forget and only wear it a few times a week.

This second round was done 4 months after the first round, and about three weeks before the second round, I started to get terrible migraines again. The day after she did the second round, I got an excruciating migraine that lasted the whole day, but it could have been due to the stress of getting the shots. Who really wants to get 31+ shots in their face, temples, and neck.

The only side-effect that I had from the first round was that my upper back felt tight for about two months, it didn't hurt, but it was just uncomfortable, a couple of Advil helped. I told the neurologist about this and she used a lesser strength at the base of my neck, so hopefully, it won't happen again.

She does a lot of Botox for migraine patients, so I asked her if it helps them, too, and she said that she has found that it help her patients the most that are teeth grinders and who clench their teeth.

I wanted to have the second round at 3 months, but I was unable to get an appointment sooner. Luckily, I had been hording my Sumatriptan meds that I didn't need for the past three months. I only get 9 pills a month because of my insurance, and I used up my whole supply during the last month before my second round of shots.

I'll post another update next week when it kicks in.