H Jacqui, glad you found your way over to this bb (I answered you on the SD board) - welcome.I can't answer your question about alternative treatments as I take botox for my beb every 4-5 months. I don't find it particularly painful as it is over and done with in a few minutes and I can endure that. However, others on this bb do find it very painful and deal with it in various ways (emla cream, pain pills) - I'm sure they will answer you soon. Good luck in your endeavours.
June in Toronto
I believe there are several people on this BB who do not take Botox because they have found alternative medications that relieve them, or because Botox fails to relieve them, but Botox is the treatment of choice for the majority of BEB sufferers. More of them respond to Botox than anything else. Before I had a correct diagnosis, I used tranqilizers for several years because they gave me some relief and stress management. Once I was correctly diagnosed, we tried every other drug known to help (they didn't help me) until we got to Botox, which works for me.
There are a number of things that can be done to alleviate the injection pain: EMLA cream, higher Botox concentration (equals lower normal saline solvent), Tylenol III (prescription, has codiene).
--- Lynn