Unopened vials of BOTOX should be stored in a refrigerator (2° to 8°C) for up to 36 months. Do not use after the expiration d ate on the vial. Administer BOTOX within 24 hours of reconstitution; during this period reconstituted BOTOX should be stored in a refrigerator (2° to 8°C). Reconstituted BOTOX should be clear, colorless, and free of particulate matter.
In a double-blind study of 123 adults with regular, chronic migraine, the adults receiving botulinum toxin type A experienced fewer migraine attacks each month. In addition, attacks they did experience were less intense, of shorter duration, and required less treatment than adults who did not receive Botox injections for migraine. These injections were also well-tolerated in adults experiencing migraine with and without aura.
A recent encounter with one of my headache patients got me thinking. I am treating this young woman for chronic migraine with BOTOX injections. She told me that one of her other physicians had been surprised to hear about this use for onabotulinumtoxin A. According to my patient, the gastroenterologist’s words were, “BOTOX for migraines? I’ve never heard of that.”
In a long term, open-label study evaluating 326 cervical dystonia patients treated for an average of 9 treatment sessions with the current formulation of BOTOX, 4 (1.2%) patients had positive antibody tests. All 4 of these patients responded to BOTOX therapy at the time of the positive antibody test. However, 3 of these patients developed clinical resistance after subsequent treatment , while the fourth patient continued to respond to BOTOX therapy for the remainder of the study.
Botulinum toxin is used to treat a number of disorders characterized by overactive muscle movement, including post-stroke spasticity, post-spinal cord injury spasticity, spasms of the head and neck,[8] eyelid,[9] vagina,[10] limbs, jaw, and vocal cords.[11] Similarly, botulinum toxin is used to relax clenching of muscles, including those of the oesophagus,[12] jaw,[13] lower urinary tract and bladder,[14] or clenching of the anus which can exacerbate anal fissure.[15] It may also be used for improper eye alignment.[16] Botulinum toxin appears to be effective for refractory overactive bladder.[17]
"Botox is a toxin that is extracted from a certain bacteria. It's been used for a couple of hundred years in medicine. It was first used in neurological conditions rather than cosmetic ones. It was first approved to treat spasms of the face and eye muscles. Only later was it discovered coincidentally that it could world for cosmetic purposes, like wrinkles," he says.
The cosmetic benefits came to light in the 1990s by happy coincidence. “The aesthetic indications were purely happenstance,” says board-certified surgeon and clinical professor Seth L. Matarasso, MD, who has been treating his clients with Botox since the 1990s but is not affiliated with the brand. “Dr. [Jean] Carruthers was working with patients with strabismus...[and] with diplopia [double vision], and her patients were coming in and saying, ‘Gee, my wrinkles are better.'" Soon enough, doctors were using Botox for what it is most commonly associated with today — nixing lines.
"Botox inactivates the muscle," Rowe tells SELF, "and therefore the muscle doesn't fire and pull on skin, thus reducing animation." However, when I asked Sobel what was happening during the exact incubation, he told SELF that "I'm not sure if anyone can give you an answer&we've noticed that when we inject it, it just takes three of four days for you to see the muscle contract."
When pregnant rats received single intramuscular injections (1, 4, or 16 Units/kg) at three different periods of development (prior to implantation, implantation, or organogenesis), no adverse effects on fetal develop ment were observed. The developmental no-effect level for a single maternal dose in rats (16 Units/kg) is approximately 2 times the human dose of 400 Units, based on Units/k g.
Formation of neutralizing antibodies to botulinum toxin type A may reduce the effectiveness of BOTOX treatment by inactivating the biological activity of the toxin. The critical factors for neutralizing antibody formation have not been well characterized. The results from some studies suggest that BOTOX injections at more frequent intervals or at higher doses may lead to greater incidence of antibody formation. The potential for antibody formation may be minimized by injecting with the lowest effective dose given at the longest feasible intervals between injections.
Above all, I try to be gentle with myself and my children. It’s easier said than done. Mom guilt and migraine guilt weigh heavy on my heart, and I continue to remind myself that I’m doing my best. I give myself a break as I do with my children when they’re having a bad day. I’m patient with them and try to give myself the same respect. As a mom, it seems like my job is never done and that I can always do better. The reality is, no one is perfect, and we all have our flaws. We don’t expect our children to be perfect, and we should not expect ourselves to be. We do what we can when we can and take each day as it comes. I find joy in the smallest things and find that being grateful and mindful remind me off all the blessings I have, despite my unpredictable and chronic migraine attacks.
