Key Points

Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) for migraine prevention lasts about 12 weeks for people who have a good response. You will visit your doctor 4 times per year for your treatment, or as directed.

Because Botox is an injection you receive every 12 weeks, you won’t have to remember to take a daily pill for migraine prevention.

If approved by your doctor, you can combine Botox with oral medications for acute migraine treatment to help reduce pain once a headache has already begun, if needed.

How long does it take for Botox to work for migraines?

When you first start Botox, you usually begin with 2 treatments sessions spaced 12 weeks apart. After your second session, you and your doctor will discuss your Botox treatment and how well it is working for your migraines.

If you are having a good response to Botox, you will continue your migraine treatment every 12 weeks (4 injection sessions per year), or as directed by your doctor.

On average, Botox prevents 8 to 9 headache or migraine days a month, compared to 6 to 7 days for a placebo (inactive) treatment. Your results may vary.

In clinical studies, some patients had migraine results as soon as 4 weeks. If Botox for migraine prevention works for you, you will usually see results after the second injection at 12 weeks.

• In 6-month long studies, patients continued to see reductions in their number of headache days over the study period.
• Botox also lowered the total length of time of headaches on days when they occurred over the 6-month study period, when Botox was compared to placebo.

Bottom Line

• Botox for migraine prevention lasts about 12 week for people who have a good response to treatment. You will visit your doctor 4 times per year for your treatment, or as directed.
• Because Botox is an injection you receive every 12 weeks, you won’t have to remember to take a daily pill for migraine prevention.
• If approved by your doctor, you can combine Botox with oral medications for acute migraine treatment to help reduce pain once a headache has already begun, if needed.

This is not all the information you need to know about Botox for safe and effective use for migraine. Review the full Botox information here, and discuss this information with your doctor or other healthcare provider.