Botox before Travel: Bad Idea?

Hi All,
I have my first Botox injection scheduled for 4 days before I fly out of the country. After reading some of the threads on here about side effects, I am a little concerned about having an averse reaction. I read that someone suggested taking Benadryl before going. Is there anything else I can do to prepare and mitigate potential side effects?

Thanks!

I used the Benadryl with my first round of Botox, which helped to relax my muscles, making the shots less painful, and didn't have the stiff neck afterward.  The only side effect I've had is blurry vision.

Travel, especially air travel brings on migraines for me, so I tend to avoid it.  My neuro said that some folks experience relief from the Botox injections within a few days, so this might actually help you on your journey.

I will say that Botox has definitely been worth it, in that it has decreased the intensity of my headaches.  Still waiting for a headache free day after 5 weeks.   

Oh good Michelle! This is so great to hear! Thank you, and I'll post back to let everyone know how it goes

Fingers crossed that you will get some headache free days xo

I forgot to share how the botox went, so here goes...

I moved the appointment up by a week and it timed perfectly with my trip. It took about a week to take effect. A day or two before I left, the headaches lessened and then disappeared. I flew for 6 hours--no headaches. I was jetlagged, eating new food, sleeping on erratic schedules--no headaches. I ate 3 solid meals a day, with hours between full of activities--no headaches. I even went out dancing one night and had an alcoholic beverage--with no headache! Alas, all good things must come to an end. I became over-confident, and drank white wine the next day. Within an hour the raging migraine had returned, and it refused to respond to medicine. I spent the next 3 days lying indoors hating myself, and dreading the plane ride home.

And then, it just went away, on the flight home. Really?!

I counted a total of 10 days of relief, which to my dismay, my doctor told me is, "great news, it should work better next time!" A $200 treatment for 10 days of relief? No thank you. I have my fingers crossed it WILL work better next time.

All I can say is that Botox gave me my life back, and then in a blink of an eye, it was gone. It was unfair and cruel. Those 10 days were the happiest I have been in so many months, and the week following turned into the lowest of lows. I actually ended up in the hospital a few days later, with a 10/10 migraine. While lying in the hospital bed, I swore that I would rather spend the rest of my life in a little bit of pain, than cycle from high to low like that.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have an appointment with a new neurologist and I'm hoping to try Botox. I guess the lesson I take away is not to overdo it if the Botox does work. I'm surprised you only got 10 days. Most people report 3 months.

I only got 1 pain free day after my first round of Botox, and that was taking my "at-home cocktail" of Phenergan, Benardryl, Ibuprofen and Magenesium.  It's been 3 1/2 weeks since my second round of Botox, and the M's are again less severe (3-4 level, with one doozy of a 10 about once a week).  The neuro is very optimistic because my headache intensity was overall decreased by 50%, considered the gold standard of success with migraine treatment.  I still take my cocktail every 6-8 hours.  I know all about rebound headaches and Ibuprofen, but this keeps me at a level of 3-4 instead of 6-7.

The studies that were done with Botox for migraine report an average of 9 "extra" pain free days per month, which doesn't sound like a lot, but 9 days without this monster sounds like heaven!  Of course, I'd rather have every day be a pain free one, but I'd take the 9 days.  mt

It is interesting to read about various reactions to Botox. I have seen my neuro about 2 weeks ago and he has booked me in for Botox for November. There is a waiting list, but I don't have to pay because it is on NHS which is a comfort anyway, but he said that if at any stage I change my mind and decide not to have it would be fine. I am not sure what I will decide in the end, but I have time to think and this thread is very helpful.

I asked my neuro what is his assessment about results of Botox after he treated many patients with it. he said that it is unpredictable, but overall it is very effective otherwise NICE (an government agency assessing efficacy of medicines and treatments, that gov is paying for on NHS) would not approved it's use. He said that people react in different ways, so there is no guarantee, but he is very pleased with how helpful Botox is.

MY head is not very bad lately, especially this summer, so my only concern is that it might make things worse again. Is it likely I wonder?

Hey Mini,
You should go for it! There is nothing to lose. Worst case, it doesn't work at all. And really, for me it was such a let-down because i had anticipated it for so long (whilst my headaches got really bad), and then it worked for so well that my expectations were raised even more. If you're attitude going in is neutral, you might be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Since then, I haven't noticed a significant reduction in headache duration or severity, although my mom likes to joke, "at least you have no wrinkles on your forehead!" My next appointment is in 2 1/2 weeks.