So, my wife comes home one day to tell me that her doctor is going to start using Botox to treat her chronic migraine headaches.
I thought this was a bit unusual, in all honesty, so I decided to take my questions straight to the source – Dr. Tesha Monteith, assistant professor of clinical neurology and director of the Headache Program at UHealth.
Yes, it’s true, she said. Botox recently gained federal approval for use in the treatment of migraines, and researchers are pursuing more unique therapies. On the horizon, she said, is treatment with the CGRP antibody, which provides for a very targeted approach.
If you think you’re having migraines, Monteith said, it’s important to first get an exam, which can rule out secondary problems with brain disorders or thyroid disease.
Next, talk to your doctor about why the migraines might be getting more frequent Injuries or changes in diet or sleep patterns might be the culprit, she said.
Then comes migraine treatment, Monteith said, which is likely to be a combination of Botox, other medications, and lifestyle changes.
Having been in this town for a long time, I can tell you that Miami is a mecca for migraines. But Monteith said there’s more to the phenomenon than just environment.
A migraine is a common neurological disorder with a genetic pre-disposition, she said. You may have all of the diet and lifestyle risk factors and never get one. But someone with a genetic predisposition could slip up – just once – and lose a week of work to a massive migraine episode
“Migraine is a treatable disorder that has a huge socio-economic implication,” Monteith said.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Dr. Tesha Monteith of the Headache Program at UHealth.
