Botox for Chronic Migraines

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.

I added some before and after pictures. The text that I added to the pictures got cut off in the upload. The first picture of my forehead was taken two days ago, three and a half weeks after the Botox, and the other, more wrinkled photo, was taken in 2007 when I was 47. I was even more wrinkled-up a few weeks ago, as I'm 52 now.. I just happen to be putting these pictures into a photo album, they're both untouched. What a difference! Not only are my headaches better, but so in my tinnitus, and I look younger...I feel like I've won the Win, Place, and Show!

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!!!