You might have read in the past about people who suffer from migraines using Botox as a treatment. There are plenty of arguments both for and against this practice, and below I will discuss this in detail.

Botox is actually the botulin toxin, and it has been used for years now for various reasons, from removing lines and wrinkles on the face for vanity reasons, to treating excessive sweating for people with certain conditions. Basically, Botox is injected into the muscle and it paralyzes it by preventing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from being released. This is responsible for muscle contractions. When used, it causes wrinkles to disappear, and sweat to stop being excreted, resulting in either a fresher, younger look or less body odor due to sweat. Botox is quick to apply and fast acting, so one session is often enough to achieve the desired results.


Studies have been done that discovered that suggest that one side effect associated with the use of Botox can be the release of both migraine and tension headaches. Patients who underwent sessions reported that their headaches disappeared and lessened. Many physicians have been reluctant to accept these findings but the idea of Botox for headaches has been steadily growing among doctors in recent years. The reason Botox works seems to be due to the fact that it relaxes the neck and jaw muscles as well as the surrounding areas, which relieves tension.

This notion of using Botox has spread quickly, and for the past few years hundreds of people have been given Botox in order to treat their headaches. The initial intention might have been purely for cosmetic reasons, but it seems to have developed important medical uses as well.

There are of course both disadvantages and advantages to such treatment. Botox used in this manner can have some nasty side effects, especially when administered by doctor with little experience using this potent toxin. One of these effects is droopy eyelids; another is a frozen expression that may look unnatural. These effects can last for months before they wear off. Many people prefer the use of natural therapy to treat their head aches, as they have fewer adverse side effects.

On the other hand, unlike many other medicinal treatments that can cause drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and other unwanted effects, Botox doesn’t enter one’s blood stream, it is injected directly into muscle tissue.

Some helpful tips to keep in mind when considering the path of treatment;

• Botox is FDA approved, but only a license physician can apply it. Also, if you are using it to treat headaches you must visit your general doctor before seeing a plastic surgeon for this drug.
• If the cause of your headaches is something besides tension or migraine, then this method most likely won’t work.
• Botox is very expensive, and not covered under most insurance. You must consider if this headache problem is bad enough to warrant the huge cost.
• Botox has few side effects, and the ones previously mentioned are rare.

Botox Versus Natural Treatments for Headaches

If you suffer from severe migraine headaches and are currently enrolled to receive Medicare benefits, then you may be eligible to receive coverage that will pay for many of the most powerful prescription drugs on the market. The drugs most widely prescribed for the treatment or of chronic headaches are known as Triptans.

Triptans are medications used to reduce the symptoms or abort the onset of a migraine headache. Since their introduction in the 1990′s, triptans have been an effective treatment for millions of migraine sufferers. Unfortunately, many are still only available as name brands and are thus very expensive. Luckily, Medicare does provide limited coverage for those that qualify.

Under the current Medicare drug plan, the following Triptans are covered. Note that you may have to meet certain pre certification criteria and there will most likely be some quantity limits.

• Amerge® (naratriptan)
• Imitrex® (sumatriptan inj, nasal spray and tablets)
• Maxalt®, Maxalt MLT® (rizatriptan)
• Relpax® (eletriptan)
• Axert® (almotriptan)
• Frova® (Frova)
• Zomig®, Zomig ZMT® (zolmitriptan)

All of these drugs are available only with a prescription and require close medical supervision.

Headache Treatments Covered by Medicare