Merrow Park Surgery
Kingfisher Drive
Merrow, Guildford
GU4 7EP
Tel. 01483 450755
Fax. 01483 456740
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News

January 2011

“I thought it might be useful to write a few words on Botox in Chronic Migraine.

Approximately 10 years ago I was trained in New York by Dr Alex Mauskoff to administer Botox in chronic headache patients. In the intervening years we estimate that about 400 patients have been injected here in Guildford for the indication. Some patients have seen no benefit and other amazing reduction in headache burden.We have some patients who have been injected many times over that time.

We performed our own study about 8 years ago where 24 patients were given Botox up to 4 times in a year. They were generally refractory patients (poor response to their treatments). Overall they achieved about a 50% reduction in headache days and reduced rescue medication intake by about 50% too. Quality of life was improved in line with these results.

In July the regulators in the UK licensed Botox for Chronic Migraine after the publication of a study called Preempt that gave scientific proof of the Botox effect but as yet the commissioners in the NHS have not agreed to fund its use. We hope that this situation will change with time.

I am acting as a trainer for those wishing to learn the injecting techniques around the country and am pleased that this option is now recognised for our patients and we are of course continuing to offer it here at the Surrey Headache Service as one of many options available to those with this disabling condition.

Dr Andrew Dowson.”