Hello,
I am new here and have suffered migraines for about 20 years. I am female and 39 years old.
Migraines became chronic about 8 years ago, having most days consumed by pain until I began the Botox for migraine injections. I have been doing the Botox treatment every three months for 3 years. While the shots have worked and helped my head pain tremendously, Over the past year, I have either developed neck issues such as bulging discs (recently found by MRI) or it's become worse over the past year and it's just not bearable anymore.
I don't know if I've had a neck/disc problem all these years that's caused the migraines or if the Botox has caused the disc issues by paralyzingly some of my neck and shoulder muscles and Botox has put too much weight and strain on my bones and/or joints in the neck.
I basically have these episodes every few months of severe pain in the joints in the neck,pain in the muscles in the neck and shoulders, extreme muscle tightness in neck and shoulders, some shooting pain in arms and some numbness. I am given a burst dose of steroids and pain meds. Once steroids are finished, it's always better but, hate the side affects from the steroids.
I have seen two neurologist, one at a sate university headache clinic that's supposed to be wonderful. I have also been treated by my GP. I was given neurontin to take nightly to help nerve pain but, honestly don't know if it's helping at all. These Drs have no answers for me. Ibe will say to keep doing the Botox, one says don't do the neck and shoulder part of the shots. I have skipped the neck part of the injections before for one treatment and still had neck issues and also a lot of headaches bc I didn't do the entire treatment.
When I am not in one of these episodes, I barely have any pain at all. Sometimes it will start up after I've done something physical but, others I just wake up and can't move.
I appreciate your time and any help or experience you may have.