Medicinsk godkendt artikel
Botulinum toxin is used as a preventive treatment in chronic migraine
Botulinum toxin is a nerve agent that causes muscle paralysis (sausage poisoning). In nature, botulinum toxin is formed by a bacterium - Clostridium Botulinum.
Scientific studies of botulinum toxin have demonstrated effect on chronic migraine.
It is believed that the treatment blocks pain signals and thereby indirectly blocks the development of migraine, but the mechanism is not fully understood. Treatment aims to reduce the number of days you get headaches. In some cases, it can also reduce the strength of the remaining headache attacks.
The most frequent side effects are injection site pain, fever and flu-like symptoms, drooping eyelids, local muscle weakness, muscle pain, neck pain and rash.
Important: In very rare cases, pronounced muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing and pneumonia may occur due to the spread of toxin. Seek medical attention.
You should not receive treatment if you have previously reacted negatively to treatment with botulinum toxin type A, if you have an inflammation in one or more of the areas where you need injections, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you suffer from chronic diseases that cause muscle weakness.
Botulinum toxin treatment involves injecting small amounts of botulinum toxin into 31 different places in the muscles around your head, neck and shoulders. If the pain is worse in a particular area of your head, you may be given more injections in the area (s) where you have the most pain. The treatment lasts about 10-20 minutes. If there is a good effect, this treatment is offered at regular intervals, typically every 3-5 months. If there is no effect after 1-2 treatments, treatment will not be continued.
As with all types of injections, you may experience some discomfort associated with the treatment itself. You should stay at the treatment site for 15 minutes after the first treatment so that we can make sure that you are well and able to tolerate the treatment. You may experience some swellings on the skin around the insertion sites, but these usually disappear within a few hours. For the first 24 hours after you receive the injections, do not rub the areas where you have been sprayed, as this may reduce the effect.
