Botox for Migraines Cost: What is the Average Price?

There are currently several treatment options available to alleviate migraine pain. Nevertheless, none of them promises a permanent cure. They do, however, offer short-term relief with a substantial decrease the in the frequency and intensity of migraine episodes.

Botox is one of these treatments that has grown popular over the past few years. In fact, the ability of Botox to relieve migraine pain has been discovered as a side effect of getting these kinds of injections to smooth out wrinkles and fine lines. Today, more patients are considering this option to help them stay functional despite their migraine condition.

However, since the result is only temporary, patients always ask themselves if this is economically the best option to deal with recurring headaches. In order to understand the costs involved better, and to see whether this is an option for you, here is a breakdown of the average Botox for migraines cost.

What is the Average Botox for Migraines Cost?

To get a better understanding of how much this kind of treatment could cost you, it’s helpful to take a look at the cost of purchasing the botulism toxin first.

To clarify, Botox is sold in vials of 100 ml or 200 ml. According to recent estimates, the 200 ml vial usually costs around $1200 to $1500. The typical botox dose to treat migraines(1) is around 155 units injected into 31 sites, which means that 45 units of the 200 ml vial will be discarded. However, some doctors will take this into consideration and will not stick to the standard protocol.

As a starting point, your doctor might begin treatment with 100 or even 60 units first to see if they work for you. These units will be typically injected into a fewer number of sites since the treatments should be tailored to work for every individual patient.

If they don’t work, then the doctor will go to the higher recommended number of units for your second treatment. It is important to understand that the weight of the person and the intensity of the pain are important factors to consider before deciding on the right dosage.

Doctor’s Fees

In addition to the Botox for migraines cost, you also need to consider the fees your doctor will charge. A typical 100 to 155 units treatment might cost up to $2500 per time. Most patients find this to be too expensive, especially due to the fact that this treatment is to be repeated every 10 to 12 weeks to maintain the results.

Nevertheless, with some patients dealing with at least 9 to 16 migraine days per month, they think that the price is worth it compared to the benefits that can be achieved.

How Can You Reduce the Cost?

Overall, it’s important to note that the costs will differ depending on a number of factors, but there are ways to make the Botox for migraines cost as affordable as possible.

Botox treatments are totally or partially covered by insurance if you have chronic migraines. However, it is important to note that this is true only if you have 15 or more migraine days per month.

Unfortunately, this is not so convenient for other migraine patients who are still struggling. People who have 10 to 14 headache days per month are still unable to function properly and can suffer from the financial side effects of reduced productivity. Nevertheless, insurance companies do not cover the Botox for migraines cost in such cases.

They can, however, talk with the doctor about the best option by starting small with 100 units or less to evaluate the success of the treatment.

It is also recommended to avoid big hospitals which typically charge higher per one Botox treatment. Therefore, not going to a hospital is a more cost-efficient option, especially considering the fact that these treatments will have to be repeated on a regular basis.

Conclusion

The reality is that the Botox for migraines cost is high, and unfortunately there isn’t really a way around it, other than to talk to your doctor and assess all of your options, which can include using alternative medical facilities to hospitals.

Obviously, if you experience the necessary amount of headaches per month to be covered by insurance, this is definitely an option to consider, but be sure to assess all of the risks and side effects involved.

If you don’t experience these kinds of chronic headaches, but still want to consider this type of treatment, you might need to save some money or investigate different options, especially if you struggle with regular pain.

Either way, with all of the information presented above, you should be well equipped to start the process of investigating whether the Botox for migraines cost will be worth it for you. In the meantime, you can also learn more about about migraine treatment and other ways to help relieve the pain you are experiencing, and find ways to get relief.