Migraine Relief

Botox works by reducing muscle contractions and stopping  neurotransmitters from sending pain signals to your brain. This can help reduce the pain caused by migraines and lets many patients enjoy daily life without interruption.

The effect is only temporary, so patients will need to receive ongoing treatment. The most common treatment timeline involves an injection every 12 weeks, or four times per year. It may take several weeks to experience migraine relief after an injection. Mandie Dransfield will adjust this timeline according to your individual needs.

Botox is created from botulinum toxin. While the idea of being injected with a toxin may sound scary, Botox actually contains such a miniscule amount of toxin that there is little chance of dangerous side effects. Since 2010, the FDA has recognized Botox as a safe treatment for migraines when administered by a licensed medical professional.

Botox is an approved treatment for those who struggle with headaches for more than 15 days per month and experience migraines for at least 8 of those days.

But what’s the difference between a headache and a migraine?

Headaches can cause pain in different parts of the head according to their cause.

• Some headaches may be caused by physical or psychological stress (tension headaches)
• Others are caused by sinus pressure (sinus headaches)
• Cluster headaches refer to particularly intense headaches that tend to happen around the same time each day

On the other hand, migraines often involve other symptoms aside from head pain. They may include dizziness, nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, as well as severe fatigue (tiredness). Migraines may occur in different phases, which may involve symptoms and signs like blurred vision, mood disturbances, and trouble with speech.

Side effects are generally mild and will typically go away within a day or two. They may include:

• Headaches or sore neck
• Pain, swelling, or redness at the injection site
• Drooping eyelids or eyebrows
• Temporarily blurred vision
• Dry eyes or excessive tearing

Mandie Dransfield will discuss these side effects with you during your appointment, including what over-the-counter medications you can take to ease the discomfort.

Botox helps improve quality of life for migraine sufferers and can help to convert a migraine from chronic to episodic. Studies show that 47% of patients had a 50% or greater reduction in the number of days with headache.
Response is usually seen after the first or second set of injections. One in four people respond well to the first or second set of injections, and half need more than two sets of injections to get a good response.
The biological effect of Botox on nerves takes several days or a few weeks to work. You should not expect chronic migraine to improve properly in less than 4 weeks. Some patients do not start to improve until after their second set of injections which is given 12 weeks after the first set of injections.
Around 1 in 4 patients do not respond to the injections at all and only 1 in 10 people respond to a third set of injections if the first two sets of injections fail.