[Karrie]

I was diagnosed with TOS on right back in 1994 after years of the TOS shuffle. Had Surgery in 1995 with fair success, I was able to return to work full time. However still expereinced flare ups and modified many activities to perform them left handed. Unfortunately this modification and not listening to my body (e.g. overdoing it at work, and toughing it out though pain on left rather than listening to my symptoms) resulted in bilateral TOS. I've now been diagnosed with TOS on my left side. This was devasting news since the first go around prior to my surgery and the modifications I've ended up making post surgery where a scarey thought to have now on both sides. Now for the good news... I went to the Dr. for TOS consultation I'd had a TOS doppler and then had a Marcaine injection in my scalene muscle. This injection works to numb your muscle and force it too relax... Once I had the injections my symptoms almost completely subsided... for the first time in 8 months I could left my arm to shoulder level and work overhead without causing the excuriating pain... This is a new test they are trying that they feel helps to predict your outcome to TOS surgery. Unfortunately the Marcaine wears off in about 4 hours. I followed up the Marcaine with a shot of Botox in the Scalene muscle. My insurance doesn't pay for the injection they say it is experimental so I had to shell out $500 but at this point I'd try anything. So I had the injection. Within about 2-3 weeks the pain in my arm had subsided, however I did have significant injection site pain and pain in my neck (which I wasn't having on that side). This pain lasted for about 4.5 weeks after the injection. I'm 6 weeks out now and my pain in my arm is gone and neck pain is gone. Still have occasional flare ups but they are mild. The unfortunate thing with the Botox is that it wears off after 3-4 months. Repeat injections are possible, but apparently have diminishing return.

I meet with the surgeon and based on results from Marcaine and Botox he feels my prognosis is good to excellent if I have TOS surgery on Left side. Surgery is much different than when I had it done in 1995 no more rib resection. So... good news that Botox has bought me some time and pain relief, good news that prognosis is good based on injection reactions, bad news that I'll need surgery... but looking forward to future. PS I'm going to follow up with some test of my right side to see if they can help resolve my residual symptoms post 1995 surgery. Surgeon thinks it is a possibility.

Any of you out their thinking of Botox I'd give it a try. I'd also consider the Marcaine injection as a diagnositc tool