In October of 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) joined England and approved the use of Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) injection as a therapy to prevent chronic migraines in adults. Those diagnosed with the condition of ???chronic migraine??? have a history of migraines and experience a headache on most days in a given month.
As stated by Dr. Russell Katz, the director of the Division of Neurology Products (a department within the FDA???s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research), patients that suffer with chronic migraine unfortunately have the most disabling forms of headaches. These types of headaches not only affect work and social life, but also impair a person???s family life.
The Mayo Clinic defines migraines as chronic headaches that can result in significant pain lasting from hours to days. The presenting symptoms may affect a person so severely that all the patient wants to do is find a quiet, dark place and lie down.
Botox has been approved as a therapy for this condition that may be administered every 12 weeks. This form of therapy involves multiple injections around the patient???s head and neck, with the hope that these injections will help dull the symptoms of future headaches. Of note, this form of therapy has not been shown to be effective in patients that experience fewer than 14 headaches a month or for other types of headaches.
If you’re considering this treatment, it’s important to be aware of the possible side effects and risks involved. Patients treated with Botox for chronic migraine reported adverse effects ranging from neck pain to headache. Additionally, it is possible that the Botox injection may spread from the injection site to other parts of the body. If this occurs, the patient may present with symptoms that resemble botulism.