Kristin Chenoweth Shares Her Experience Suffering From Chronic Migraine - Exclusive

Kristin Chenoweth is an Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress you likely know for her roles in "Wicked" and "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown." The Broadway star has also been in films and TV shows such as "The West Wing," "Pushing Daisies," and "Schmigadoon!" But far fewer people know that throughout her impressive career, she's also been suffering from chronic migraine.

Chronic migraine is a debilitating disease associated with 15 or more headache days a month, and it affects 3.3 million Americans. Though Chenoweth has suffered from this disease for years, she only recently started opening up about her experience and has now partnered with AbbVie on the Center Stage with Chronic Migraine program. By speaking about her experience, she hopes to raise awareness, empower those dealing with migraines, and share how Botox for chronic migraine has helped reduce her headache days. Chenoweth sat down for an exclusive interview with Health Digest to discuss her migraine journey, and she revealed how her perspective has shifted from where she started to where she is today.

Although Kristin Chenoweth has now found a treatment method that helps reduce her days with migraines, she suffered from this disease for years before discovering Botox for chronic migraine. Speaking to Health Digest, she recalled her first migraine when she was 25. Chenoweth was performing with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra when she got her first symptoms. "I looked up in the mezzanine at the spotlight. Lights are a big deal. By intermission, I literally sat down. The curtain went down. I sat down and crawled off the stage. That started my whole process with chronic migraine," she said.

After that first experience, chronic migraine was a regular part of her life for years. She had frequent debilitating pain that impacted her life and career. But she didn't feel she could speak out about it for fear of being seen as weak. 

"There's this stigma with 'just having a headache.' This is not a headache — this is a horrible, painful thing," Chenoweth said. Though she did tell a few of her coworkers, for the most part, she did her best to downplay her pain. She also remembered times when she had to perform while in the middle of a migraine. There was one Broadway performance where her migraine was so bad that Chenoweth said she couldn't see. "I pushed through it but was so sick, and it's not a performance I would want anyone to see," she said.

Kristin Chenoweth tried multiple treatment methods before she discovered a method that finally helped. "I tried everything. I did shots in my legs. I did medication. I did everything," Chenoweth said. But it wasn't until her doctor suggested Botox for chronic migraine that something made a notable difference. "Within two months, I noticed a vast difference ... I started getting hope. Then I came to understand that this was preventative," she told Health Digest.

After years of living in pain and finally finding something that made a difference, Chenoweth was excited to partner with AbbVie and start sharing her journey. Chenoweth said about their partnership, "[It allowed me] to be able to talk about something that really affected my life and career." For a long time, she'd kept her migraines quiet, but now she's ready to share her story and empower others with chronic migraine. "[I'm] able to now be free to talk with you about it and not shrink ... I want to be able to empower others. I love to mentor. It's a big thing in my life," Chenoweth said.

For more information on Center Stage with Chronic Migraine and safety information for Botox treatment, visit botoxchronicmigraine.com/centerstagewithcm.