Migraines and botox?

[Claudeminh]

Hi all, I have chronic migraines after viral meningitis three years ago. I am taking propranolol, ampitryptaline daily and twice a week I take sumitriptan for the migraines. I am also on round 2 of botox from neurologist. The first three months after botox injections went ok, I had the middle month with 25 migraine free days! I thought my life had changed, was I back to migraine free life?? No.

Back to regular 10 days of straight migraines, two days off, seven days of migraines. Maybe 5 days off, then back again for the constant, gnawing migraine and neck pain. Its been a year and seven months of chronic migraine. Oh my god. I am sooo sick of my life. I would like to ask how other people have reacted to botox? Has it worked? I have heard it can take 6 months to work and I am in month 4. I keep hoping it will help me. I also had medication induced migraine from taking codeine for two years. That ended last year with a 15 day stay in hospital and on lignocaine. So no more painkillers for me.

This year the botox experiment. I am very tired of being so unwell all the time and trying to have a normal life. How does anyone else cope? I am studying postgraduate at university and working part time but finding the migraines really ruin the study routine. Anyway, if anyone has botox stories I would love to hear. I am in Australia and also have expensive private health cover, but there are few answers to be found for this painful life. I wish I could stop working forever and just hang out and deal with life but its a bit hard to stop working altogether as it makes you very poor. Anyway, let me know if anyone has had botox. It doesnt make you look any better either. If anything, you look weirder for a while. Life is a series of endless humiliations hey.

[1251]

Hi I have suffered with headaches since I was 27 years old and always managed my headaches.I have worked hard all my life and brought up 2 children one that's deaf from having menigitise when she was 7 months old.I had Botox but it never worked for me in fact after I had it I was very ill for about 4months with headaches I had never had before.I then was diagnosed with viral menigitise and my recovery has been a hell.I am still trying to over come this virus my headaches have been really bad I can't get out the house the only thing I can say is my husband has been with me every step of the way and had he not I don't know what I would have done as I could not looked after myself.I have always been on the go and being like this is hell.I find rest is the best thing to recover and if you can find a treatment that works for you.I can't believe that doctors don't recognise this problem with post menigitise and have never come up with some good help but they try and ignore it .Every doctor has a diffrent diagnoses you don't know where you are.I would watch with the Botox having them inject Botox into the head what happens with the Botox how does it leave the body .If I find a solution I will post .I hope you find some peace as I know what your goi g through.take care Jean viral menigitise.

[Claudeminh in reply to 1251]

Hi Jean sorry such late reply as I could not find my post to reply to you. I have had some good luck with the botox and it was working really well up until this March2016 when I went overseas and then started a full time job. Then six weeks of constant migraines until I had a steroid shot for occipital nerve block. Final relief after it up until now. Anyway, I am trying to work full time for about three to four years to pay off my house and then I am going to stop working full time. I can handle part time. Just dont know how I am going to survive full time work but I will give it a go and if not then I guess I will just have to stop and cut my losses. I am guessing this is my life forever and that I will just have to accept it instead of trying so hard to achieve things. Im guessing that you are having the same kind of struggles. Anyway, how are you getting on now?

[babs1234]

Haven't tried botox but my symptoms are very similar to yours. I am now drug free apart from an immigran when the early signs start which is no where near as they were since I have been having acupuncture. The migraine now are certainly less intense less frequent and don't last as many days. Might be worth you trying that. Good luck I feel for you x

[Sewnsew]

Hi, you say you are in month 4, but you should have had your second lot of injections at 3 months as per NICE guidelines, if you are in the UK. Botox can have a accumulative effect, the effect increases the more doses you have. I had severe migraines plus constant facial pain and had 3 lots of 31 injections, did you have the full 31 injections?

The effect was so good I was able to stop one of my preventative medications (Topiramate) though I still take propranolol and nortriptyline. My migraines have also improved since I was able to convince my Dr that I have an under active thyroid, maybe that was the problem all along!

The Botox injections were given by a Dystonia nurse after I had seen a neurologist.