Botox injections for brain pain?

[SaratogaNurse]

Saw my NL yesterday.  He's awesome and we're working together to try to keep me out of the OR.   He's done studies on Botox injections for headaches and has had very good results with this on all types of patients (migraine, Chiari, brain trauma, cancer patients, etc).  Our goal is to control my symptoms and keeps me out of pain as much as possible so I can remain functioning and narcotic free.   Has anyone tried Botox?   I'm still researching it myself.   We scheduled my appointment for a month from now so that I can research and think about it.   Each session includes 30-40 injections - it that's about two weeks to reach full effect, but is supposed to work for about three months.  It works very much on headaches as it does for wrinkles - it relaxes the nerves around the skull.  

So far, I'm feeling pretty positive about the idea - well, except for the fact that Botox is a toxin...  and the 30-40 injections at once thing (for that, I'll take drugs and have a driver.  LOL).   I REALLY want to avoid surgery though, so I'm going to try it.  Just want to see if anyone here has had experience with it.


Oh!   I also have neuropapthy in my feet.   I've been complaining of the tingling in my feet for months and they keep telling my it's the Topamax, but yesterday, he did some testing and told me I actually have neuropathy..  Now he's testing me for diabetes (don't have it), B-12 deficiency (hope I don't have it), thyroid (normal 4 months ago), syphilis (damn well BETTER not have it!), and liver function tests (also OK 4 months ago).  

Is neuropathy a symptom of Chiari or not?   He seems to think something else is probably causing this, or maybe he's just trying to rule everything else out.   He spent two hours with me on a Saturday, but we packed that time and I forgot to take notes.  On the way home I was thinking of all the things I had forgotten to ask.  I'll be seeing him again next month, but he said he would call me personally if this blood work came back with anything alarming.

Anyway.  Botox?   Neuropathy?   Anybody?

[selmaS]

Hi...Ditto with Ray on the neuropathy .....as far as botox...I am not familiar...

If u do decide to have this treatment I look forward to the results u experience.

"selma"

[rod44]

Yes to the Neuropathy, DX of Peripheral neuropathy in 1998 and it was put down to chronic Alcoholism.
I stopped drinking in 02.....the numbness in my feet continued to get gradually worse.....

Last Tuesday I met my NS, He did the usual motor and sensory neurological tests....no reflexes in my lower limbs  and positive Plantar Response so he thinks it maybe due to a 7 mm syrinx (found on MRI) extending from C5 > T2....he said the syrinx was there all my life....

Ray