Is Botox for migraine prevention available within all NHS trusts? If so, is there an upper age limit for its use?

[Charlotte_NMC Partner National Migraine Centre]

It has had NICE approval for chronic migraine which means by law all NHS trusts/CCGs should have a service in place...sadly from our experience that doesn't seem to be the case everywhere, but it is slowly improving. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Headache are meeting to discuss gaps in service provision around the country and once they have this information mapped (by January), they will be putting pressure on government and the NHS to get things moving.

[Charlotte_NMC Partner National Migraine Centre in reply to Charlotte_NMC]

And in answer to your question about age, the NICE guidance suggests a list of criteria and an age bracket of 18-65. See more info here: guidance.nice.org.uk/TA260

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Rebecca_NMC: Thanks for your replies. I had searched for the age restriction myself but couldn't find it.

It seems that at my age, I have to do without Botox or be rich enough to pay for it privately. Do you know if there are medical reasons why the treatment is not available to over 65s or is it simply a case of ageism? Dr Elrington told me that he would be prepared to give me the injections. Sadly, they cost too much.

[Susann]

I was interested inVera S's detailed account of taking botox for migraine and the fact that she continued to have a prolonged attack when she had the botox during an attack. Sorry, Vera, I can't seem to find you on the site now.

I, too, have had botox for migraine and found if I have injections during an attack it only seems to make it worse. It took two lots of injections about four and a half months apart to make any difference. My third round of injections seem to have helped pain in my face and the intensity of regular migraines. Unfortunately, It is now five months since my last injections and I am finding it too costly. I saw my doctor about a year ago asking for botox injections but it wasn't a positive visit. Over the last thirty years I have tried more than three treatments but I don't think the treatment seems to get a serious review in the U.K.

[teadrinker in reply to Susann]

I've been having botox on the NHS for chronic pain for 2 years (or is it 3,can't remember!) As the pain is in my shoulder, arm and face, I get the botox in slightly different places to the advised places for migraine. However, it has a positive knock-on effect on my migraine headaches but doesn't stop them completely.

I also get pain or migraines immediately after the injections sometimes but it's possibly a coincidence that I was going to have one anyway. I've found that lots of medications and medical procedures such as injections or nerve blocks can tip me over the edge. Other times I have been fine.

It's a shame that for many migraine sufferers they can't get more than one or two attempts with botox -I've found it's been trial and error with exactly where I have the injections to get the best outcomes, but that's taken several goes to get right.

I have to say that without botox I would still be in a fog of medication with severe chronic pain and much worse migraines, more often. It has given me my life back, and now that I am feeling better it has given me more freedom to try out alternative ways to manage the pain. It seems that with these problems they require more than one line of attack.

There's always the little nagging fear at the back of my mind that my local NHS trust will stop providing it.