Tell us about your symptoms and treatment experience. Take our survey here.

caret icon Back to all discussions

Botox- losing efficiency?

For the past 12 months I have been getting Botox injections of about 175 units in the head and neck area. For the past three injections I have had a wonderful reaction to the Botox; my migraines were practically gone. However, this time they are not. While they are limited in days and pain, I have been getting them regularly and I feel the nausea/tiredness I get when I used to regularly have them. I have looked online, but have found very little about the potency of long-term botox injections. In other words, has this happened to anyone else or have you possibly heard of it happening to others? How did you fix it; get more units injected, not take it anymore, etc.
Thank you all so much!! It's, of course, very concerning when your treatment plan begins to not work. And (before anyone asks), I am visiting my neurologist in a few weeks to talk about this.

  1. Hi Emily,

    Thanks for you post. I am sorry to hear that Botox has lost it's effectiveness. How frustrating especially since it sounds like it was working well for you for a period of time. However, people do respond differently to Botox treatments - some find that it helps immediately, some find reprieve after a few treatments, and some do not find it effective at all. It sounds like you are taking the right steps by chatting with your doctor, as she or he will be able to work best with you to find answers and a solution. Still, I thought you would possibly find the following articles helpful -

    https://migraine.com/blog/botox-basics/, https://migraine.com/blog/botox-approval-for-chronic-migraine-what-does-this-mean/, https://migraine.com/blog/botox-approval-for-chronic-migraine-what-does-this-mean/, https://migraine.com/blog/10-tips-for-getting-the-most-from-botox/, https://migraine.com/blog/botox-chronic-migraine-experience/

    They discuss all things related to Botox along with providing peoples' experiences with Botox treatment. The community member comments are helpful as well. If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to reach out. We are happy you are here and love hearing from you. Wishing you all the best today.

    Warmly,

    Meaghan (Migraine.com Team)

    Please read our rules before posting.