Botox Now Approved for Migraines & Headaches



Posted: Friday, October 15, 2010

by Sam Osborne

Botox has been approved as a preventive treatment for chronic migraine by UK drug regulators after having been approved by the FDA in the US earlier this year.

After a trial of more than 1,300 patients Botox treatment proved a success in reducing the frequency of headaches, but only patients who suffer headaches for at least 15 days a month, half of which come with migraine symptoms, are eligible, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said.

It is thought around 700,000 people in the UK get chronic migraines and this will come as a welcome relief to know there is another treatment to add to the list as most sufferers really struggle to find a treatment that is totally effective.

Injections of Botox, or Botulinum toxin, are more commonly associated with smoothing out wrinkles.

Cosmedics Skin Clinics director Dr Ross Perry has noticed over the 8 years that he has been providing anti ageing Botox injections that patients that have suffered with headaches or migraines often comment on the fact that their symptoms have resolved or diminished after having Botox.

Dr Perry was aware of the association with stopping headaches but was cautious in offering this as a treatment due to the lack of firm scientific evidence. Dr Perry now says "the fact that Botox can now be used safely with the knowledge it will help with headaches is a great step forward for both patients and doctors. Having the FDA approval will help an awful lot of migraine sufferers who really do find this a bit of a headache" (no pun intended).

In response to be asking if Dr Perry will be offering Botox for headaches now as part of his list of treatments at his Harley Street London clinic he quoted "I feel that we have to look at this holistically and say if a patient who has been through all the right channels and tried simpler and cheaper methods that don't work as well as having the diagnosis confirmed by a neurologist then I don't see why patients can't use qualified doctors to use Botox as a treatment for headaches. The only issue is they will have to pay as I am sure the nhs is unlikely to roll this out to everyone with a headache."

It is not exactly clear why it may work in chronic migraines but it is thought that, as well as being a muscle relaxant, it may work to block pain signals.

In clinical trials, patients were given up to five courses of injections of Botox into specific head and neck muscles every 12 weeks. After 24 weeks, those treated with Botox had fewer days with a migraine than those who received a placebo injection.

By one year, nearly 70% of those treated with Botox had a 50% reduction in the number of migraines compared with before the trial.

Migraine symptoms NOTE: It is advisable to speak to your GP to find out if the treatment might be suitable and whether you should be referred to a neurologist or qualified Botox doctor who could carry out the injections.

Dr Ross Perry is the Director of Cosmedics Skin Clinic based on Harley Street London. With Botox injection treatment centres in London and Bristol; Cosmedics provide the most popular non surgical anti-ageing treatment for smoothing lines and wrinkles.
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