Just wanted to chime in on my Botox experience so far. It is definitely worth giving it a shot, especially if meds are not doing the trick for you or are giving you difficult side effects. I am not talking about Botox once or twice, but at least three to 4 times of at least a dozen to 16 injections. I had my third round, three months apart-- about a month ago and I have not been this headache-free since I woke up from surgery 7 1/2 years ago. I seem to even have less headaches than I did BEFORE surgery. Not to say that I am entirely headache-free. I still get an occasional occipital headache which I can stop in a few hours with 2 Fioricet, an ice pack, and rest. I cannot take NSAIDS like ibuprophen or aleve at all any more due to tummy issues, hence the Fioricet, which is Tylenol with a mild dose of valium-like stuff in it. Nothing like the rolling-around-crying-holding-my-head-and-
wanting-to-DIE ones I was getting before, and I had about a hundred or so of those in the past 7 1/2 years. I spent thousands of $ on expensive meds--injectable Imitrex, Topamax, Depakote, even with insurance.
The funny thing is that Botox is what my neurologist mentioned to me on my second visit to him, but my insurance co refused to pay for it. It was off label use at the time, but nowdays Allergan markets two different Botoxes--Botox Cosmetic and Botox for theraputic uses. It was $1200 a visit. But that was almost 8 years ago and with new information and studies some insurance cos. may have changed their tune. When I got approved for disability, I got Medicare with it and as soon as I found out that Medicare would pay for it, I scheduled the injections. Since my last round of injections I have not once woke up in the middle of the night or in the morning with a headache, which were the absolute worst of the worst.
Happy
International Talk Like a Pirate Day to you wicked Wenches and swashbucklin' scallywags!
Capt Deb
