What a Headache
I have suffered with headaches since I was a child. I have had sinus headaches that pounded at my face and teeth, cluster headaches that latched onto my head like a pit bull and that wouldn’t let go for days, tension headaches that made me feel like a tourniquet was going to twist so tightly I’d snap, migraines that made me want to jump off bridges. There were days when I would work in my dusty, Board of Education windowless and airless office and have to take six Extra Strength Bufferin in a day to survive. In later years the headaches appeared to subside to more “normal” levels, but I regret all the hours and days lost from my life due to this torture.
And then came the ocular migraine auras.
Migraines with visual disturbance are very strange if not scary. For about a year and a half I have been dealing with these visually intrusive auras which typically last thirty minutes, come out of no where, affect vision in both eyes, on one occasion totally blinded me. I would typically react to changes in light, polarized lenses don’t help, computer and phone screens could be a stimuli–or not. The situations are inconsistent. I’ve even woken in the middle of the night with auras; I’ve dreamed about them.
I tried an anti-seizure medication that made me nuts after two days. I was exhausted and couldn’t converge my eyes.
I have been on various doses of Calan, a calcium channel blocker that is supposed to stop blood vessels from going into spasm. I would still get at least fifteen episodes a month even after four months on the medication.
I saw the doctor yesterday and I admitted to the neurologist that as much as I wanted the drug to work, it was not effective. He had me come back today for a brain scan which appeared to be normal, (as were four MRI’s done last February and prior.) Hence, I met the criteria and was approved for treatment with BOTOX. I had heard that this protocol which is relatively new is fairly successful. It must be done every three months and from what the neurologist told me, many patients find it effective.
So, today my forehead, temples, entire head and neck were injected with three large vials of Botox. I don’t know how many shots I got. Twenty? Thirty? (It is not the same kind of Botox that is injected cosmetically from what I was told.)
I am a little black and blue, look kind of battered, but not nearly as battered as I get from a headache of any type.
good luck Sue. I’ve got good vibes about this treatment.
PS It does nothing for the face. I believe it is a different kind or dose.
i hope this treatment will be the cure, sue!!! i find the optical migraines scary and very disconcerting even tho i know what they are when i experience one.my internist told me when i consulted him about them that he gets them too. when i spoke with a friend about mine last week she shared that she too has been plagued with them for years.so sue you are far from alone although you have a great frequency of the evets. as for the comments some made about the botox hopefully playing double duty and giving you a smooth face lift, it reminds me when i go to the periodontist. they clean my teeth with a firm forceful burst of spray of baking soda. it is like when they use a jet spray on buildings to clean the facade.i say why not use that on my face and smooth out all the imperfections!(i dont like to say wrinkles) but no hygienist has taken me up on it yet.have a peaceful weekend sue. carpe diem, helaine
Headaches are terrible companions. I’ve heard they can lead to the wors form of self-harm. Not your case, I’m sure. I’ve only had two or three episodes in my entire life, they were as horrible as can be. I sympathise and send you all my love and wishes for a successful treatment.
I hope the Botox works. You’ve suffered so much.
I do hope this treatment works, sounds like it should.
Sorry you’re still struggling with this. I hope this works for you. How come they didn’t mention this before?
Apparently you have to prove to the insurance company that the regular course of medication isn’t working. Sure hasn’t! The request had to be approved by insurance.