Q: Have you heard of Botox injections for fibromyalgia? If so, what are they and how do they work?
A: Botulinum toxin type A (Botox) is produced by a bacterium called clostridium botulinum. The U.S. military originally purified the toxin about 30 years ago as a potential nerve agent. More recently, the toxin, which blocks neuromuscular transmission, has been used for medicinal purposes.
When injected in small quantities, Botox causes selective weakening and paralysis of muscles, thereby alleviating spasms and pain. Although the drug is approved only for certain problems involving the muscles of the eyes, doctors have used it to treat the muscular rigidity seen in various medical conditions including cerebral palsy, strokes, multiple sclerosis and some esophageal disorders, and for the pain of a muscular condition called myofascial pain syndrome. In fact, it was the successful use of Botox in some people with severe myofascial pain syndrome that led doctors to try it for fibromyalgia.
Although its use in fibromyalgia is not well studied, Botox injections have been touted as the new “miracle cure” for fibromyalgia. There are reports of patients with fibromyalgia getting some relief of their tender points that lasts up to three to four months. Even though muscle pain is one of the major features of fibromyalgia, there are many other symptoms of the condition not helped by Botox.
If you decide to try Botox, expect to wait about eight days before you see results. The most relief occurs at about three weeks, and the injections can be repeated every three to four months. But be careful not to get them more often. Too frequent injections may cause you to develop immunity to the injections. Some patients who have received too much Botox, depending on the location of the injections, have developed facial and eyelid drooping, bruising, jaw weakness, headache, neck or back pain, and back weakness. Such symptoms last until the injections wear off.
When administered correctly, Botox appears to be safe. But the drug is expensive, costing $400 per injection.
James McKoy, MD, Rheumatologist
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Botox stops the neuromuscular transmission.. neuro = nerve (brain) muscular = muscles
I have had fibro for sometime now and even though I did Botox every now and then I am afraid to use it since the diagnosis.
I would like to hear from those who had stiff back and arm as well as a migraine and whether Botox actually helped.
By the way the needles do not hurt a bit.
Anna
if you read any good chronic pain books the idea is to disrupt the signal of pain that is travelling from brain to nerve. this cycle makes the body super sensitive to any and all stimulation. ask anyone in chronic pain how a simple needle feels.
it even effects your sympathetic system. that's why i bet if you asked a lot of people with chronic pain they would tell you they can't take a hot enough shower and their body heat or better yet their perception of temperture is way off.
all people in chronic pain are looking for is a way to break that pain cycle. i think that botox should be used. what is there to lose but the pain? botox will help calm the body's pain so that it will be receptive to other treatments.
if the insurance company is in your way. can you find someone to back you? another doctor, lawyer, another insurance company?
people that tell you botox is experimental, or you shouldn't try this or that are people that have not lived with chronic pain.
My insurance company refused to cover my claim on the basis that the treatment was Experimental and/or Unproven Treatment.
Even though I have had other treatment before which did not lead to anything and the Botox injections where the only thing that were giving me some relief... I have been rejected!!
I contested it... but no luck. Apparently my policy has an exclusion for experimental/unproven treatment.
the letter came from the doctor at a pain clinic, after i had gone through their program without success. i kept pushing him to write the letter because i really believed that botox was my last and only hope, and i was right.
i had gone through 4 different pain programs doing the same excercises and stretching, you'd think after a while they would say let's try something new.
i was put on all the the hard drugs even 50mg fentanyl patches every three days. i fought to get on botox. after the first month the pain level all over my body started going down.
i won't lie, the needles really hurt at first but over the months it get's better. the injections stopped my headaches cold among other things.
i've been on it for 13 months and it's like i said saved my life.
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