Hi everyone!.

Just trying to find out some positive and negatives about botox. I saw a pain cons yesterday who is considering this as an option for me (may send me back into PT first, but botox is looking like a real possibility).

He is talking about injecting it into areas of my scalenes which are tender to pressure and reproduce my symptoms when pressed.

Wishing everyone a happy (and relatively painfree!) christmas

I had good results with Botox. I have a few threads related to my Botox experience.

I didn't notice any difference between botox and trigger point injections. That may mean it hurt less or it did nothing. Not sure.

Good luck.

thanks for your replies, im just worried as dont know very much about it and struggling to find much info from google searches - what i do find doesnt really describe the after effects very well.

Im concerned that it may make my symptoms worse - has that happened to anyone on here i wonder?. Also, turns out the pain cons im seeing isnt all that experienced in tos as what i first thought. He said there arent many dr's in the uk who are hugely experienced as given its a fairly uncommon condition and the UK being so small there are no experts as such!. He is very helpful and listens, he understands the symptoms of tos and wants to help me - however, im just not sure if i should be letting someone not experienced in tos inject me with botox......

couple of more questions....

Did any of you struggle to get back to normal activities afterwards?

Did your dr use any imaging equipment when admisitering the botox - or did they do it blind, as such?

Tracey- my doc and I have been doing botox injections for about a year and a half or so now. He doesn't use imaging (like a picture) but the needle is hooked up to a radio-looking thing. I think that this turns the electrical impulses your muscles create into sound, so when it gets real static-y, that is a very tight muscle. i for one have been please with the results.
- one tip... I have found that a massage a day or 2 after botox injections helps.

Do you know if it is Botox A or Botox B? not that i'm sure of the differences

oh i see what i read has mentioned imaging equipment. A week or so on and im not sure what to think about botox - i have read some scary stuff about scalene injections, where the botox has spread to the esophagus and killed them! I know this sort of thing is extremely unlikely to happen but im a big worrier and this is sticking in my mind!

Hi T,

I am happy to say that botox has for sure helped me and it has made travel easier and I am a happier person headache wise and my pain has been less in my scapular area where my stabbing pain was. The doc did trigger point injections for me. He poked till he found the spots that made me squirm then injected.

As for scalene injections...I wish I'd had them done, as they are the main source of my pain now. I do believe tht you do need some sort of imaging done when injecting into the scalene area. There are so many complex issues with scalene injections and that is why most people who get them done will tell you it was by ultrasound guidance. With the U/S machine the doc can see where he/she is injecting and knows it is muscle and which one it is. This is important!!! Don't let someone go poking around your neck where your jugular is and your carotid to name just a few as well as many nerves....which I belive many people have trouble swallowing....may be injection into the muscle that controls the esophagus or nerves!!

go carefully into scalene injections....but it is most certainly a viable but needs repeated every 3-4mths option!!!!

best of luck and do your research!
love and hugs,
Victoria

Thanks vic,

nothing has been booked yet regarding the injections....im very cautious about things like this so want to be fully informed before i make any decisions...may discuss other injection options that could cause less harm than botox!

x

Hey T,

botox is a very safe procedure if done CORRECTLY. I hope you are not afraid to have it done. It only last 3-4 months so you will know pretty quickly within 2 weeks if you have some relief from the injections or side effects.
I know there are other options....however in saying that an injection in the scalenes is AN INJECTION IN THE SCALENES no matter the drug or treatment.
take care m/f
love and hugs,
Victoria

I am booked to meet with a doctor regarding Botox injections for migraines in March and can hardly wait, esp after hearing Victoria's positive feedback! After struggling with migraines 4 or so days a week I am about fed up! So I am remainin very hopefully, optomistic and open minded. I had a very bad experience with nerve block injections this past summer so that has ruled that out as an option of any form of pain relief for me (or so it seems) so any kind of long term relief is like Christmas all over again!

I know the doctor I am going to see has a waiting list of over 6 months just for a consultation - so I am taking this as a very good sign!