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What about BOTOX® for Migraine Help?
BOTOX® has been found to give relief to Migrane sufferers. The treatment of severe headaches really belongs to neurologists, not plastic surgeons. But the BOTOX® for migraine help is gaining acceptance.
Dr. Richard Glogau, MD, UCSF professor of dermatology had produced a small study of 24 patients and reported that 75 percent of patients in his case study experienced 4 to 6 months of migraine relief following injections of BOTOX® (botulinum toxin A) to muscles of the face and head in a presentation at the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery meeting (held November 2-5). This adds weight to previous reports that botulinum toxin A can relieve headaches. Two previous studies were presented at the 1999 meeting of the American Association for the Study of Headache. One study was reported by researchers at the Michigan Head Pain and Neurological Institute in Ann Arbor and Michigan State University spoke of dosage. Another study, reported by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported 51 percent of 96 patients reported complete improvement of their migraine pain.
BOTOX® for Migrane
Following this discovery, Glogau and other researchers began to evaluate points and dosages that could alleviate migraine headaches. Glogau's results indicate that botulinum toxin A injected into the muscles of the brow, eyes, forehead, side of the head and back of the head near the neck (a point that earlier investigators have neglected) induce sometimes immediate headache relief and provide benefit for up to six months. Botox dosage in his case studies averaged 80 units per patient.
Dr. Glogau's case studies had long-standing diagnoses of migraines, had all seen neurologists, and were taking standard migraine medications, including sumatriptan (Imitrex). Some required narcotic medication to relieve the pain of their frequent headaches. Most suffered migraines on a minimum of once a week and several suffered on a daily basis.
In addition to use in prevention of wrinkles, BOTOX® has been used to treat uncontrolled eye twitching, crossed eyes, muscle spasms and, most recently, excessive underarm sweating (reported by Dr. Glogau in the September, 1998 issue of Dermatologic Surgery).
"I think it was accepted pretty quickly," said Emory University neurologist Dr. David Hewitt. "There are a number of people around the country who are using it off-label to treat headache."
In using BOTOX® to treat migraines and other severe headaches, there are still some questions -- such as what is the optimal dose, and where should BOTOX® be injected to get the best results? Two large studies are under way at headache clinics around the country that may provide those answers.
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