Botox

In my never-ending search for some relief from the Migraines that have plagued me since childhood, I recently decided to try Botox. My doctor was quite hopeful as she has seen a lot of her other patients respond quite favorably to it.

First, however, we had to convince my insurance company that I actually did need it. Thankfully my doctor went to bat for me, taking several months of phone calls and lots of paperwork. Eventually they agreed to pay, so my first session was scheduled for a Saturday morning, giving me the rest of the day in case I reacted to it.

Botulinum toxin, or botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), is a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and is used for both medical and cosmetic purposes. For migraine prevention it is injected directly into the muscles around the face and on the head. The location of those injections is different for each patient based on their particular migraine experience. The procedure is repeated about every 6-9 months.

For me, my doctor injected about 5 doses around each eye and another 10 or 15 (I lost count) in an arc from one temple up over my head to the other. The needle she used was very tiny, so it didn’t hurt much at all. But it is poison and my body did not exactly enjoy the process. The whole procedure took maybe 15 minutes, so I headed on back home with a brief stop at the donut shop for an apple fritter, because Hey – I earned it!

I was hopeful, but sadly I did not respond well to it. I had no change at all: my head still hurt just as bad and as often as before. Unfortunately Botox is now added to the ever-growing list of treatments that don’t work.

Once I got my bill I was actually quite happy it did not work for me. The treatment cost well over $4,000.00 of which my insurance company paid roughly $200.00.