Can botox wearing off cause migraines?

I have found that about half of my botox patients who have migraines improve when they have their botox injections.  I don't think botox could have caused the migraines you are suffering from but it is possible that using botox may decrease the frequency and severity of the migraines.

I don't feel that the Botox wearing off is causing your migraines. botox helps with the migraines. you may want to consult your doctor.

Thank you for your question. Botox can actually be used to treat tension headaches. Consider a Botox treatment and evaluate if it helps to resolve your migraines. Best, 

Botox is actually used as a treatment for migraines. The Botox wearing off wouldn't cause them but theoretically if you used it regularly in the past it may have been keeping them at bay for you. I encourage you to speak your injector about this treatment.

Many of my Botox Cosmetic patients report that they experience relief from their migraine headaches when their Botox is in effect and that their migraines return when their Botox wears off.  Botox Therapeutic, the same active neuromodulator found in Botox Cosmetic, is FDA approved for the treatment of Migraine headaches and is successful in some, but not all, migraine headache sufferers.  I agree that your Botox did not cause your migraines, but that your headaches developed as a result of allowing the Botox to wear off.There is a great deal of debate among physicians and even among neurologists regarding the differences, and potential common link or overlap, between true migraine headaches and the much more common "tension" headaches:  Tension headaches are typically a consequence of prolonged contraction or spasm of the muscles of the head, neck and face, and they are often relieved by everthing from massage, stress reduction, physical therapy, improved ergonomics at work (for example, improving the position of the shoulders, head and arms while using a keyboard for many hours a day), muscle relaxants, and even meditation, but also Botox.  One unifying theory of the relationship between migraine and tension headaches is that, although the originating causes of true migraine headaches are typically different, often the final common pathway toward the experience of pain with migraine headaches is the spasm of the muscles of the head, neck and face.  This is the likely reason why Botox alleviates the symptoms of many who suffer from true migraine headaches.  You may have migraine headaches relieved by Botox, or you may have tension headaches relieved by Botox.  Either is possible, and if Botox works well for you, then it may be the treatment of choice.  But I would also recommend that you have your eyesight evaluated by an ophthalmologist:  You may be squinting, or fretting your brows, in order to see things up close more clearly, in which case having corrective lenses may help solve your problem as well!I wish you good luck, and be an imformed patient above all.Peter Karlsberg, MD

If you received botox as a treatment for your migraine headaches, then yes it can cause the pain to return once your body has metabolized the botox. Thank you for your question!

It sounds like the Botox you were getting had the added advantage of keeping you head ache free.  Now that you skipped a few you are experiencing migraines.  I do find a lot of my patients come  back for their Botox not only for the wrinkles but for the head aches.  You can rest assured that the Botox did not trigger the migraines. It's best to be wrinkled and headache free. Good luck.

It is not likely that the Botox itself would be causing your migraines. For those patients who have migraines and have received benefit from Botox, it works very effectively and usually lasts for 4-6 months. 

Botox is the first and only FDA-approved, preventive treatment proven to reduce headache days every month. Botox prevents up to 9 headache days a month.Without the top up, you are probably not having this benefit.

Botox is FDA approved for migraine headaches to help prevent them. It's not usually the first medicine we use to help prevent them, but it can be quite helpful if other things haven't worked. A few years ago, I was getting terrible tension headaches (stress related) which were relieved by Botox.Anyway, I don't think that the Botox wearing off is causing your migraines. More likely, you were going to be getting migraines anyway at this point of your life, and the Botox was helping prevent them without you even knowing it. When the Botox wore off, you simply started experiencing what you were destined to have. The experiment would be to go and get a treatment and see if your migraines improve! Good luck!