Wrinkle Reducer Seems to Relieve Headaches
Los Angeles Times - Monday, October 4, 1999
Botulism toxin, a muscle relaxant used to smooth out wrinkles in the forehead and to stop muscle tremors, also reduces migraine headaches, according to a UCLA researcher who inadvertently stumbled onto the discovery. Dr. William J. Binder said many of his patients who received the toxin to treat wrinkles reported that their migraines disappeared or were dramatically reduced.
To test the effects, he administered the toxin to 96 patients with chronic migraines. He told a medical conference in New Orleans on Tuesday that 49 stopped having headaches and 27 others reported that the number or severity of the headaches had been cut in half. The effects persisted for several months. It’s an expensive remedy, however: The toxin costs hundreds of dollars per treatment.
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