A former migraine sufferer is on a one-woman campaign to get botox paid for by the NHS after going to extreme lengths to tackle her own 30-year plight.

It comes after a Government drug rationing body rejected an application for the treatment to be free, claiming it did not have enough evidence of its efficacy.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) decides which treatments should be paid for by the NHS.

It has asked the Allergan, the company that makes the treatment, officially known as botulinum toxin type A, to provide more information on using the injected drug to prevent headaches in adults with chronic migraine.

For 30 years, Pam Mason battled an almost constant migraine.

The pain was so severe she was bed bound for days, and suffered bouts of vomiting, sometimes lasting up to 48 hours.

The mother-of-two’s pain was relieved when she would visit a private surgeon every three months who would give her the £350 botox treatments.

The injections work by paralysing the muscles in the neck and forehead that set off the condition.

She said: “I am so angry about this. They say £350 every 12 weeks is expensive. But when you are a chronic migraine sufferer, the likelihood is that you won’t be able to work, as much as you would love to, and are probably costing the system money in benefits.

“Why don’t they just give it a go?”

Professor Carole Longson, director of the Health Technology Evaluation Centre at NICE, said: “Our independent committee is asking Allergan to provide further information and analysis as part of this public consultation, so that it has sufficient evidence to develop sound advice for the NHS regarding the use of botox for the prevention of headaches in adults with chronic migraine.

“Without this additional evidence, potentially we will be unable to advise the NHS that this drug is good value for money for these adults because there are currently too many uncertainties. ”

Mrs Mason, of Long Hanborough, has since had a permanent procedure privately which removes the migraine-triggering muscle, and is enjoying a migraine free life.

But she continues to campaign on behalf of other sufferers.

She said: “For people who react well to the botox, there is a good chance the operation I had will work too.

“I’m not saying this is miracle treatment for everyone, but it could work for some people and it is worth trying.

“The difference in my life is astounding. It means I can get out of bed every day, which sounds so simple, but means so much.

“Where to go from here, I have no idea. One voice cannot shout loud enough.

“But most migraine sufferers do not have the inclination to take on the fight as they have no energy to do so.”