Botox For Migraines

A new treatment for migraine headaches has just been approved, but it's really an old drug with a new twist.

As strange as this might sound, the FDA just approved Botox---that's right---Botox, to treat chronic migraines.

Ask anyone suffering from migraines and they'll tell you just how bad they can be. Oftentimes the person spends hours or even days in a dark room and they try different medicines to get them under control. But for some, no medicine really helps all that well and those are the ones the FDA says this new treatment is really for.

Most of us know Botox as the injection used to help get rid of wrinkles. It works by paralyzing the muscles near the injection site and relaxing the skin nearby. But years ago, doctors found that patients getting Botox injections of the forehead also reported an improvement in their migraines.

So, after looking into more, Allergan, the manufacturer sought FDA approval and got it. Botox has now been approved and can be given to adult sufferers of chronic migraines by way of injections around the head and neck every 12 weeks. It's meant for those having migraines most days of the month and has not been shown to work for people having migraine headaches less than half of the days of the month.