Botox Injection Moves Beyond Looks

Migraine sufferers may soon receive pain relief from a botox injection.

OnabotulinumtoxinA has been approved by the FDA to treat those suffering from chronic migraine headaches — those occurring on most days of the month. The FDA defines a migraine headache as a strong, pulsating pain in a specific area of the head, often accompanied by nausea, photophobia (sensitivity to light), sonophobia (sensitivity to sound), and sometimes vomiting.

Women are three times more likely to suffer from migraines than men. Although most patients recieve migraines intermittently, some develop disabling chronic migraine which is present for more than 50% of the days of each month. The migraines may last four hours a day or longer.

The therapy has been approved as prophylactic (preventive) treatment.

Chronic migraine is one of the most disabling forms of headache. Patients with chronic migraine experience a headache more than 14 days of the month. This condition can greatly affect family, work, and social life, so it is important to have a variety of effective treatment options available.

The therapy has been approved as prophylactic (preventive) treatment.

Chronic migraine is one of the most disabling forms of headache. Patients with chronic migraine experience a headache more than 14 days of the month.

Multiple Botox injections, administered around the head and neck, have been found to be effective in dulling chronic migraine symptoms. However, it is not effective for patients with episodic migraine (occurring less than 14 days per month). It is also not effective for other non-migraine types of headaches. The FDA stresses that patients should talk to their doctors about what is the best treatment for them, and whether Botox is the right therapy.

Botox and Botox Cosmetic - the brand names for OnabotulinumtoxinA - are manufactured by Allergan Inc., Irvine California. There is a boxed warning explaining that Botox's effects can spread to other parts of the body and cause botulism-type symptoms, which may include breathing and swallowing difficulties; these can sometimes be serious and life-threatening.

The FDA adds that there are no reports of serious cases of the toxic effect of Botox spreading to other parts of the body when it has been administered with the right dosage for chronic migraine, excessive sweating under the arms, strabismus, or the improvement of frown lines.

According to Allergan, when injected at the indicated dosages in the specific areas in the head and neck, Botox should produce results that last up to three months, depending on the individual patients.

About 3.2 million individuals in the US are thought to suffer from chronic migraine. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic migraine is the 19th most disabling disease there is; severe migraine has been described by experts as more disabling than angina, rheumatoid arthritis, blindness and paraplegia.

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Would you consider using Botox injections to treat migraines?