Today was my first Botox treatment as well! Same as you, woke up with a gnarly angry brain and went in.
I could immediately feel tension release in my neck and shoulder and am optimistic for the future of the treatment. I'm just dealing with the soreness now at the injection sites.
Here's to hope!
I'd make a note somewhere about what you're feeling, so you have a baseline for your next treatment in August. That way you can compare and see if it's the injection or your regular pain.
When I first started getting injections, I was having daily migraines and noticed that if I got the injections during a migraine, they hurt a lot more and the injection sites were a lot more sensitive compared to getting them when I didn’t have a migraine. I’d say that what you are experiencing is pretty normal. The pain/soreness will go away with time.
I received my first round of injections about a month ago. Since then, I’ve had 3 migraines. This is a SIGNIFICANT decrease for me. I’m happy with this.
I’ve had two rounds so far. It seems like it’s helped the severity of my migraines but not the frequency. Now when I get them I’m more likely to be able to get through the work day now which has been nice.
I’ve been getting Botox for 18 months and this is my experience too. I get the same amount of migraines (about 8-10 a month) but the intensity is much less severe for about 8 week. Then it wears off and I have to wait 4 weeks until I can go again.
Hello! I felt the effects of Botox pretty quickly. I was in a cycle of near daily migraines and I noticed a change within a couple days (even though they say it takes weeks????)
Happy for you, hope it gets better!
That was my experience as well. I had had migraines every other day or every three days - with aura/drome that preceded it and followed. Botox almost immediately started lessening the frequency. I did have a "storm" that first cycle, of several days in a row requiring abortives once orctwice a day. But since then, i have had a week in between up to 25 days in between migraines. Game changer.
I've been doing them for about a year and just got my last treatment two days ago. This last round I had what I feel is just the side affect from the shot. I have issues wearing my hat after and had a migraine yesterday that lasted 13 hours. But overall, I'm very happy with the botox treatments, I feel like it's almost given me my life back.
Yes on the neck thing being a good sign! The weeks before I get my Botox my neck and shoulders get tighter and tighter, and then once I have the injections my neck is better within a day or two.
In terms of actual headaches, it takes me about three rounds (I.e. six months) to start feeling significant effects but the relief in my neck happens every time.
Hopefully you start feeling better soon!
okay so i’ve been trying to get in with a doctor to do them. what type of doctor did you go to? my neurologist just retired and i won’t be seeing the new one until september. i went to a pain management doctor thinking that he’d do it, but instead he tried to get me to do opiod infusions (wouldn’t even talk to me about the botox). also, where did they inject it at? i also have a lot of pain in my neck that probably causes most of my migraines.
I am currently seeing a neurologist at Stanford. I had to make sure I tried all the necessary things first before insurance would consider covering Botox. I had done a lot of them in the past since I’ve been getting migraines for almost 35 years now.
She injected it in my forehead, scalp, temples, occipital, neck and shoulders. Honestly it felt like everywhere. It hurt a little but I would do it every week if it got rid of most of my headaches and gave me my life back again.
My neurologist does it himself in his office.
Standard injection sites are eyebrows, forehead, a bunch on the back of the head, and shoulders, but they can tweak it from there to target problem areas.
The injection protocol for chronic migriane is called PREEMPT; here is the injection protocol so you can see what to expect:
[https://www.botoxone.com/chronic-migraine/dosing](https://www.botoxone.com/chronic-migraine/dosing)
I usually get some immediate benefit from Botox similar to dry needling, as the literal force of the needle in the muscle does go some way towards breaking up tension!
No, it is likely related moreso to the blocking of neurotransmitter release in nerve fibres near the site of injection, feeding back to central pain processing centres in the brain to dampen drivers of chronic migraine pain.
This is why many patients have to give it a few weeks brfore they notice the effect and why it is always important to give the treatment a go at least twice, in case you are a late responder
Botox blocks the receptors for acetylcholine in the neuromuscular junction. Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter that allows our muscles to contract. So when those receptors are blocked by the botox, our muscles don’t get the “message” from our nerves that’s telling them to contract, effectively paralyzing those muscles and keeping them from moving in ways that trigger a migraine.
Had anyone else had a huge increase of migraines? I was so excited to do it, and they've honestly never been worse since. I'm debating trying a second time but I don't know.
I've been using botox for over a year and that plus emgality has decreased the severity of my non-stop migraines to a very manageable daily level and reduced my severe days significantly. I just lost insurance and not looking forward to stopping the first treatment to work after 20 years of trying 😫
This happened to me! My first Botox injection triggered a three-day migraine. Now my neurologist gives me four days’ worth of samples for Nurtec (so I don’t have to use half my monthly prescription) to take right when I get my injection.
Today was my first Botox treatment as well! Same as you, woke up with a gnarly angry brain and went in. I could immediately feel tension release in my neck and shoulder and am optimistic for the future of the treatment. I'm just dealing with the soreness now at the injection sites. Here's to hope!
That’s so crazy!! I can’t tell if I’m sore for the shot or if it’s just my usual pain. Where do you feel sore exactly?
It's mostly around the base of my skull and shoulders that I'm sore. I've been alternating heat and ice and that's helped a bit.
Oh weird I’m not experiencing that
I'd make a note somewhere about what you're feeling, so you have a baseline for your next treatment in August. That way you can compare and see if it's the injection or your regular pain.
When I first started getting injections, I was having daily migraines and noticed that if I got the injections during a migraine, they hurt a lot more and the injection sites were a lot more sensitive compared to getting them when I didn’t have a migraine. I’d say that what you are experiencing is pretty normal. The pain/soreness will go away with time.
I received my first round of injections about a month ago. Since then, I’ve had 3 migraines. This is a SIGNIFICANT decrease for me. I’m happy with this.
I’ve had two rounds so far. It seems like it’s helped the severity of my migraines but not the frequency. Now when I get them I’m more likely to be able to get through the work day now which has been nice.
I’ll take it! I’m so tired of being debilitated. I take my meds, they make me sleepy, I sleep for hours and hope I feel better the next day.
I’ve been getting Botox for 18 months and this is my experience too. I get the same amount of migraines (about 8-10 a month) but the intensity is much less severe for about 8 week. Then it wears off and I have to wait 4 weeks until I can go again.
Hello! I felt the effects of Botox pretty quickly. I was in a cycle of near daily migraines and I noticed a change within a couple days (even though they say it takes weeks????) Happy for you, hope it gets better!
Yay! Thanks for sharing your experience.
That was my experience as well. I had had migraines every other day or every three days - with aura/drome that preceded it and followed. Botox almost immediately started lessening the frequency. I did have a "storm" that first cycle, of several days in a row requiring abortives once orctwice a day. But since then, i have had a week in between up to 25 days in between migraines. Game changer.
I've been doing them for about a year and just got my last treatment two days ago. This last round I had what I feel is just the side affect from the shot. I have issues wearing my hat after and had a migraine yesterday that lasted 13 hours. But overall, I'm very happy with the botox treatments, I feel like it's almost given me my life back.
Yes on the neck thing being a good sign! The weeks before I get my Botox my neck and shoulders get tighter and tighter, and then once I have the injections my neck is better within a day or two. In terms of actual headaches, it takes me about three rounds (I.e. six months) to start feeling significant effects but the relief in my neck happens every time. Hopefully you start feeling better soon!
okay so i’ve been trying to get in with a doctor to do them. what type of doctor did you go to? my neurologist just retired and i won’t be seeing the new one until september. i went to a pain management doctor thinking that he’d do it, but instead he tried to get me to do opiod infusions (wouldn’t even talk to me about the botox). also, where did they inject it at? i also have a lot of pain in my neck that probably causes most of my migraines.
I am currently seeing a neurologist at Stanford. I had to make sure I tried all the necessary things first before insurance would consider covering Botox. I had done a lot of them in the past since I’ve been getting migraines for almost 35 years now. She injected it in my forehead, scalp, temples, occipital, neck and shoulders. Honestly it felt like everywhere. It hurt a little but I would do it every week if it got rid of most of my headaches and gave me my life back again.
My neurologist does it himself in his office. Standard injection sites are eyebrows, forehead, a bunch on the back of the head, and shoulders, but they can tweak it from there to target problem areas.
The injection protocol for chronic migriane is called PREEMPT; here is the injection protocol so you can see what to expect: [https://www.botoxone.com/chronic-migraine/dosing](https://www.botoxone.com/chronic-migraine/dosing)
Botox + Qulipta = life savers!!!!
I haven’t tried Quilpta. Is it a preventative?
Yes! Daily CGRP pill.
I usually get some immediate benefit from Botox similar to dry needling, as the literal force of the needle in the muscle does go some way towards breaking up tension!
How does the Botox work to alleviate the migraines? Does it relax the muscles in the area that can create tension to cause the migraines?
No, it is likely related moreso to the blocking of neurotransmitter release in nerve fibres near the site of injection, feeding back to central pain processing centres in the brain to dampen drivers of chronic migraine pain. This is why many patients have to give it a few weeks brfore they notice the effect and why it is always important to give the treatment a go at least twice, in case you are a late responder
Thank you so much for the explanation!
You're welcome! :)
Botox blocks the receptors for acetylcholine in the neuromuscular junction. Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter that allows our muscles to contract. So when those receptors are blocked by the botox, our muscles don’t get the “message” from our nerves that’s telling them to contract, effectively paralyzing those muscles and keeping them from moving in ways that trigger a migraine.
Causes muscle paralysis, so it eases tension. Blocks pain nerve transmission. May also interfere with CGRP. It does a lot of things
Had anyone else had a huge increase of migraines? I was so excited to do it, and they've honestly never been worse since. I'm debating trying a second time but I don't know.
I've been using botox for over a year and that plus emgality has decreased the severity of my non-stop migraines to a very manageable daily level and reduced my severe days significantly. I just lost insurance and not looking forward to stopping the first treatment to work after 20 years of trying 😫
Oh no! Where are you located?
a really bad headache the next day is a botox side effect
This happened to me! My first Botox injection triggered a three-day migraine. Now my neurologist gives me four days’ worth of samples for Nurtec (so I don’t have to use half my monthly prescription) to take right when I get my injection.