Saturday, October 1, 2011

No Botox (yet)

Injection image by TschiAe; modified by War on Headaches
Well, I assumed correctly. I called my insurance and they do cover Botox, only after I meet my deductible, and only 80% of the cost. I have a $1,000 deductible, so needless to say I will not be getting Botox injections anytime soon. I was really looking forward to trying it...at least as much as you can look forward to multiple shots in the head.

Now I'm only doing the following for my headaches:
  • 5-HTP (no change yet)
  • Mouth guard at night for TMJ (might as well not be on the list since it hasn't helped my head)
  • Exercise
  • Gatorade once a day - update: I'm down to the bottom of my Costco-size container of powder, so I don't think my electrolyte levels have an impact on my headaches
  • Therapy about once a month 
  • Drugs as needed: Aleve, Butalbital, Ketorolac
  • Ice pack as needed
The list looks long, but basically I feel like I'm doing nothing, and I'm running out of ideas (that I can afford or attain legally). It's so frustrating. At the same time though, I'm still optimistic that things will get better, and I'm thankful that I've been able to drag myself to class, work and church even with the pain. Surely this headache thing will end some day, right?