Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Difference Between Headaches And Chronic Migraine

Are your headaches actually Chronic Migraine? Learn what's actually going on, so you can talk to a doctor and get the help you need.

Click here for full Indication and Important Safety Information, including Boxed Warning.

You've been getting a lot of headaches. Do you feel like it might actually be Chronic Migraine?

Many things can cause a headache, including stress, lack of sleep, and alcohol.¹ Chronic Migraine is actually a distinct neurological disease that affects nearly 3.3 million Americans.² And women are three times more likely than men to experience the disability of migraine.³

One of the main differences between headaches and Chronic Migraine is the frequency.

People with Chronic Migraine have 15 or more headache days per month, with headaches lasting four hours each day or longer, and at least eight of those headache days being associated with migraine.¹

There are other symptoms of Chronic Migraine—for instance, sensitivity to light.¹

Nausea and vomiting.¹

Headaches lasting anywhere from 4-72 hours.¹

Chronic Migraine can have a significant impact on your life.⁴

People with Chronic Migraine may find themselves missing out on important events or canceling a lot of dinners with friends because of headaches. Chronic Migraine can affect your job and put stress on your relationships.

Don't put it off! Get in touch with your healthcare provider to schedule an in-person appointment or teleconference to get the care you need.

There are treatments available, including those that can prevent headaches and migraines before they start. If you’re an adult having 15 or more headache days a month, with each headache lasting 4 or more hours each day, then BOTOX® (onabotulinumtoxinA)—now in its 10th approved year of treating Chronic Migraine—may be right for you. BOTOX® is proven to prevent on average 8 to 9 headache days and migraine/probable migraine days a month (vs 6 to 7 for (placebo).² Learn more and find a headache specialist at BOTOXChronicMigraine.com.

BOTOX® (onabotulinumtoxinA) Important Information

Indication
BOTOX® is a prescription medicine that is injected to prevent headaches in adults with chronic migraine who have 15 or more days each month with headache lasting 4 or more hours each day in people 18 years or older.

It is not known whether BOTOX® is safe or effective to prevent headaches in patients with migraine who have 14 or fewer headache days each month (episodic migraine).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
BOTOX® may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. Get medical help right away if you have any of these problems any time (hours to weeks) after injection of BOTOX®:

∙ Problems swallowing, speaking, or breathing, due to weakening of associated muscles, can be severe and result in loss of life. You are at the highest risk if these problems are pre-existing before injection. Swallowing problems may last for several months

∙ Spread of toxin effects. The effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas away from the injection site and cause serious symptoms including: loss of strength and all-over muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids, hoarseness or change or loss of voice, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, and trouble swallowing

There has not been a confirmed serious case of spread of toxin effect away from the injection site when BOTOX® has been used at the recommended dose to treat chronic migraine.

BOTOX® may cause loss of strength or general muscle weakness, vision problems, or dizziness within hours to weeks of taking BOTOX®. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities.

Do not receive BOTOX® if you: are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX® (see Medication Guide for ingredients); had an allergic reaction to any other botulinum toxin product such as Myobloc® (rimabotulinumtoxinB), Dysport® (abobotulinumtoxinA), or Xeomin® (incobotulinumtoxinA); have a skin infection at the planned injection site.

The dose of BOTOX® is not the same as, or comparable to, another botulinum toxin product.

Serious and/or immediate allergic reactions have been reported including itching, rash, red itchy welts, wheezing, asthma symptoms, or dizziness or feeling faint. Get medical help right away if you experience symptoms; further injection of BOTOX® should be discontinued.

Tell your doctor about all your muscle or nerve conditions such as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome, as you may be at increased risk of serious side effects including difficulty swallowing and difficulty breathing from typical doses of BOTOX®.

Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you: have or have had bleeding problems; have plans to have surgery; had surgery on your face; weakness of forehead muscles; trouble raising your eyebrows; drooping eyelids; any other abnormal facial change; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if BOTOX® can harm your unborn baby); are breastfeeding or plan to (it is not known if BOTOX® passes into breast milk).

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Using BOTOX® with certain other medicines may cause serious side effects. Do not start any new medicines until you have told your doctor that you have received BOTOX® in the past.

Tell your doctor if you received any other botulinum toxin product in the last 4 months; have received injections of botulinum toxin such as Myobloc®, Dysport®, or Xeomin® in the past (tell your doctor exactly which product you received); have recently received an antibiotic by injection; take muscle relaxants; take an allergy or cold medicine; take a sleep medicine; take aspirin-like products or blood thinners.

Other side effects of BOTOX® include: dry mouth, discomfort or pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, neck pain, eye problems: double vision, blurred vision, decreased eyesight, drooping eyelids, swelling of your eyelids, dry eyes; and drooping eyebrows.

For more information refer to the Medication Guide or talk with your doctor. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see BOTOX® full Product Information including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide.

All images courtesy of Getty Images.

REFERENCES
1. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS). The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (beta version). Cephalalgia. 2013 Jul;33(9):629-808. doi: 10.1177/0333102413485658. PMID: 23771276.
2. Allergan data on file.
3. Agosti R. Migraine Burden of Disease: From the Patient's Experience to a Socio-Economic View. Headache. 2018 May;58 Suppl 1:17-32. doi: 10.1111/head.13301. PMID: 29697152.
4. Raggi A. A systemic review of the psychosocial difficulties relevant to patients with migraine. Headache and Pain. 2012 Nov;8 Suppl 595-606. doi: 10.1007/s10194-012-0482-1. PMID: 23001069.

BOTOX® and its design are registered trademarks of Allergan, Inc., an AbbVie company.

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