A Mayo Clinic case study finds Botox may offer new hope to patients suffering disabling low cerebrospinal fluid headaches. The successful treatment also offers new insight into Botox and headache treatment generally. The case study was presented March 13, 2011, at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in Hawaii.
In this blog post, Michael Cutrer, M.D, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic and co-author of the case study, discusses the treatment of the patient. He also discusses the nature of low CSF pressure headaches and how the case report gives physicians new insight into Botox and headache treatment.
The patient in the case study suffered low CSF pressure headaches for 25 years. For most of that time, she only felt better while lying down, curtailing her day-to-day activities. Five years ago, she sought help from Michael Cutrer, M.D., and Paul Mathew, M.D. The patient has received Botox for three years and the results have been consistently positive. After each treatment, improvement would last for three months before pain returned, requiring another dose. While not cured, the patient is now able to live a more normal life.
I assume this patient has tried blood and fibrin glue patching and you have consulted with Dr. Bahram Mokri, a specialist at Mayo in spontaneous CSF leaks? With low CSF pressure, the brain is not properly cushioned, the brain sags down and the person gets subdural hematomas, hearing damage, and other issues. Taking away the headaches with Botox may not be the best thing for the patient.