7 Healthcast: Botox migraines

A drug known to erase wrinkles now has another added benefit for migraine sufferers. 7's Francis Rivera shows us how it dramatically improved life for one woman in tonight's Healthcast.

Anyone who has ever suffered from a migraine knows exactly how excruciating it can be.

Like Sheila, who says the pain was so intense, it would completely shut her down and keep her from enjoying the things she enjoyed, like playing games with her grandchild.

In fact, even the slightest sound or light would cause her pain.

Sheila McMillan/ Migraine Patient
"Go back to the bedroom, turn all the lights out, black out curtains, turn the ceiling fan on, and cool, quiet, dark, motionless place."

Sheila finally decided to try a different method to treat her migraine, with a drug traditionally used to get rid of wrinkles.

Sheila McMillan/Migraine Patient
"The pain is so intense you can't imagine it. I was game for it; you know when you're at the end of the rope."

Dr. Roger Cady is studying Botox to relieve migraines.

Dr. Roger Cady/Researcher
"This is injected in the muscles under the skin; typically about 15 different sites are injected across the forehead into areas above the eye, into the temples and around the back of the head."

Researchers think that Botox injections paralyze pain signals sent by the brain during a migraine.

Dr. Roger Cady/ Researcher
"We are studying it and ideally the FDA will look at this and make a determination whether it's effective or not."

Sheila says she doesn't need a ruling from the FDA to be convinced that the Botox relieved her of her migraines.

Sheila McMillan/Migraine Patient
"When you go weekly with headaches and then you begin to have weeks without headaches and then months without headaches, that's a good life."

The one down side though is that insurance will not pay for this treatment.

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