FDA Approved Botox Drug as Chronic Migraine Treatment

Botox drug for chronic migraine, seriously? It’s not serious, not unless FDA says it is. On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration approved botulinum toxin, manufactured by  Allergan Inc., for prevention of chronic migraine headaches on adults. The drug was also approved by the FDA, last March, for flexor spasm of the elbow, wrists, and fingers also on adults.

Chronic migraine, previously called as transformed migraine, is characterized by headaches lasting for about 15 days a month in a span of 3 months. Due to the debilitate pain experienced by the sufferer, he or she literally becomes incapable of carrying on with different house chores, profession tasks, as well as social responsibilities and even personal needs. Significantly, there should be varying effective treatments available, and that is exactly the purpose of approving botulinum toxin, a purified for of the said poison.

The botox drug is a prescription drug that should be administered every 12 weeks as multiple injections around the head and neck for the specific use of chronic migraine treatment. Only the recommended amount should be administered to avoid any unwanted adverse side effects. And of course, only those in lab coats licensed to do the treatment is allowed to do so. Verify the administering physician first, even if he or she seems to look like a real professional in his Red Kap lab coats and Dickies scrubs. Patients must make sure of this for safety’s sake.

Studies regarding botulinum toxin took place following observations that patients who were treated for hyperfunctional facial lines showed reduction of migraine symptoms. In a small study conducted on 18 patients suffering from imploding and ocular headaches, and were also under botulinum cosmetic treatment of the upper face, migraine frequency decreased from more than 7 to less than one a month.

What are the adverse effects of botulinum toxin? Difficulty in breathing and swallowing are the negative effects that a chronic migraine patient under botox treatment could possibly experience, which can also be life-threatening.