A Shot Of Relief

A CBS 2 News Special Assignment

CBS 2 News' Linda Alvarez reports that the same "miracle" drug used to treat muscle spasms and reduce frown lines could also be a shot of relief from migraines.

Special Assignment: A Shot Of Relief aired Tuesday, February 2, 1999 at 11 p.m.

Like most people who suffer from migraine headaches, Michelle Kearney's symptoms start gradually and then come on strong.

"I always know I'm going to get a migraine. I look at my hand and it looks like someone else's hand," Kearney told CBS 2 News' Linda Alvarez. "If I want to look at you I would have to look (in another direction) because my vision is disturbed. I get a lot of black spots and aura, and then I get a bit nauseous and I vomit. And then I lie down."

Once the pounding pain sets in, Kearney says lying down is about the only thing she can do.

"You wipe that day off, you go to bed, you suffer," said Kearney.

But now, Kearney hasn't had to suffer with a migraine headache for more than three months, said Alvarez. In fact, she hasn't had any headaches since she went for an experimental anti-wrinkle treatment called Botox.

Botox is made from a diluted form of the bacteria that causes botulism. A few years ago, doctors began using it to treat muscle spasm in the face. Then, cosmetic surgeons began using Botox to reduce worry lines on the forehead and "crows feet" around the eyes.

Now, a startling discovery found that Botox could also provide relief from migraines by preventing them in the first place, Alvarez said.

"I made the observation that it reduced or eliminated in some cases generalized headaches, and then we found that it specifically had an inhibition to migraine headaches," plastic surgeon Dr. William Binder told Alvarez.

Binder's preliminary study of 96 patients found Botox eliminated migraines in more than half.

"They get relief for approximately three to four months," said Binder. "The best drug there is right now is 3 to 4 hours."

Binder recently presented his findings to the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. Now, larger studies at UCLA and in two other cities are underway.

"Each one sort of validated, on their own with their own observations, the original findings," said Binder.

Kearney, however, is not one of Binder's patients. She made the connection on her own.

"I had the Botox originally because I do have a lot of frown lines and I use my face a lot. So, I thought I'd try (the Botox treatment) for the wrinkles," said Kearney.

When her headaches went away, she wasn't sure what to think until she heard about Binder's findings.

"'Botox for migraine,' I thought, 'I knew that! I knew that!'" said Kearney.

Kearney and Binder say what really makes the discovery so exciting is that, in trials, Botox appears to be very safe, Alvarez said.

"This is a real phenomenon because it's a local injection that is not a systematic drug, so you have no systematic side effects," said Binder.

"I wouldn't take something everyday. I would rather suffer the migraine," said Kearney. "But if it could have something like Botox, it would be a miracle and I wouldn't have any wrinkles on my forehead. That would be fantastic."

Right now, Botox is only approved for treating muscle spasms, said Alvarez. But cosmetic surgeons are allowed to use it on an experimental basis for wrinkles. It could take a few years before the FDA approves Botox for migraines.

More information:

• You can contact Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. William Binder at (310) 858-6749.