“Flu Symptoms, Numbness, Lethargy, Feeling Awful”

Hi Designerstubble, Although I doubt what you're experiencing is a direct result of Botox (assuming it was actually Botox and was properly injected), I definitely think you should call the doctor who did your injections. A follow-up appointment or visit to your general practitioner may be in order if your symptoms continue.

I had the numbness and it does something to your sinuses too.. but its not so bad.. give it a few days..maybe even 1 week. then you feel better! I think you're giving yourself an anxiety attack! :)

I disagree that what you feel is unrelated to Botox. You are describing the same side effects of Botox that many people (including myself) have written about on this website. See my posts about Botox and those from many others who have experienced the same thing. The side effects of Botox include: insomnia, anxiety and panic attacks, disorientation, dizziness, nausea, headache, facial pain and tingling, a feeling of 'not being with it' and flu-like symptoms (aching muscles, sore throat, dry mouth, sinus pressure, blocked nose, tired eyes, malaise, fatigue etc.) Lots of doctors deny that these side effects exist because doctors want to promote Botox as very safe (and it might be) but that does not mean that there are no side effects. There are. Allergan (manufacturer of Botox) notes a lot of the things you describe as Botox side effects and yet doctors continue to deny they are related to Botox! The unfortunate thing is most of what you are experiencing can be attributed to something else - stress, anxiety, a genuine cold or the flue - so you are unlikely to get any assistance from the medical profession. The good news is that in my experience (and the general consensus of the people who have put up posts about the side effects) is that the side effects start to go away pretty quickly and are fairly well gone after a few weeks. Some people have said that the side effects last as long as the Botox effect, but that has not been my experience. My side effects lasted about three to four weeks. Hope yours pass soon. Keep us updated.

hi, try to take some anti-allergen med, like aerius . I did and it helped, no swelling at all, no flu -like symptoms I am allergic and my eyes are often swollen from allergy and I have had chronical sinusits for years but I took aerius for 10 days since botox treatment and im fine, good luck

FYI - I had the fatigue and flu symptoms you describe the first two times I had botox. They lasted less than a week. I have not had them since and have had 4-5 more injections. My doctor denyed the connection but I am positive it was a reaction. Good luck.

thanks for advice... update... well... spent 3 days feeling extremely poorly, then the 'flu' symptoms miraculosly disappeared along with the numbness. hmmm. i continued to feel spaced out and weird, with funny eye muscles and strange swallowing sensations for a full 10 days, along with extreme fatigue and headaches... and it took this time for the botox to actually begin to work. until this point i actually thought the botox was not going to work for me. love the results. i look great. i'm gutted however because i know i can never have it done again, clearly i am just not a good candidate. i would like to point out that i received the injections at a reputable long standing clinic by a doctor who came recommended. this doctor eventually admitted that there had been some 'rare' cases of flu like symptoms reported. i saw my GP who was great. he rang a colleague for advice, and was told that systemic reactions had not been defined properly, and there was not enough evidence in clinical conditions to verify or unverify adverse reactions. at last hey, someone that speaks sense?! i would love to have botox done every 3-6 months... BUT i will never go through what i went through again. ever. it was horrific. i would be happy enough if the professionals in this area of so called expertise at least admitted the fact that even the manufacturer lists these side effects and so ARE viable, as opposed to trying to make us feel as though we are being silly. these are real adverse effects, even if they do only happen to a small percentage of us, wish they'd just get 'with it'. thanks 'tried but failed', i checked out your posts, v interesting indeed! it's a crazy world we live in where we inject botulum into our heads for the sake of vanity.

I had Botox in January of 2008 and it was the worst experience of my life. The actual procedure was a breeze but the HORRIBLE side effects were unbearable. I was sick to my stomach, had SEVERE headaches, anxiety, could not sleep, could not get out of bed, etc. and was a PERFECTLY healthy female of 48 before this procedure. My doctor told me at first it was a sinus infection and I had a CAT scan that showed NO sinus infection. Then I was told it was "all in my head" and that I was "depressed". The medical community will NOT admit to any negative side effects of Botox but they are SEVERE when you experience them so do not be fooled into thinking you are imagining the symptoms. Be patient and try to wait out the horrible side effects because they will last AT LEAST a few weeks, maybe longer. I lost over 17 lbs and could not eat normally for over two months. It was a long road back but I am so very glad the Botox is out of my system and I will NEVER do that again!

Most people do not experience the horrible side effects of Botox, only about 2% of all Botox patients will experience the symptoms I described above. The maker of Botox will tell you that the case studies are not in a control study so therefore they will not own up to any of the symptoms described.No matter what, the symptoms are REAL, you are injecting a POISION into your system and even the most experienced and professional physician will have patients who can react badly. My doctor was NOT to blame, she is HIGHLY qualified and I have used her for many other services, including fillers in the past and since I had the Botox problem.

I had major insomnia for two days after botox in my glabellar region, as well as extremely dry eyes. The first night I did not sleep at all buy lay awake wondering why my eyes felt so funny. When I looked in the mirror the next day I had the beginning of bags under my eyes which developed into Jabba the Hut eyes within five days. I also had episodes of double vision and blurred vision. All of these side effects I am sure were due to the botox, although were attributed to "allergies" or perhaps ingestion of the deadly "soy sauce" (which I by the way did not ingest).

PS - someone at work commented on my puffy eyes and asked if I was tired or ill. I could not help but say "Oh, I had sushi for lunch and my eyes always puff up after soy sauce." Honestly, I could barely get the words out without laughing out loud.

I had botox injections for the first time this week, and the day after I woke up with severe flu symptoms, chest pain, and this is the worse flu symptoms I've ever experienced. The doctor did tell me that flu like symptoms is a possible side effect...I had no idea he meant severe flu symptoms...I was expecting minor aches and pains, not so so,this is severe.

I'm grateful for this site. Thank you all for posting and sharing your experience. I had botox for the first time yesterday afternoon and woke up with puffy eyelids, a severe headache, nausea, tremendous fatigue, and a strange muddle-headed feeling. Phoned the dermatologist who had injected the botox and was told to come in this afternoon. The dermatologist examined me and denied that any of these symptoms were related to the botox injection (I had a total of 28 units injected between my eyes and on my brow). She told me that I was coming down with the flu, should take Tylenol and lie down. I don't have a fever or coughing and don't believe this is the flu but is rather the "flu-like symptoms" associated (I've now discovered!) with botox. My temperature is not elevated. My headache has gone away with the Tylenol but my throat still feels strange -- oddly rigid -- and the fatigue persists. What bothers me very most is the dermatologist (who has offices on Park Avenue, is quoted in many beauty mags., and is quite high profile) denying that the symptoms I'm having are linked to the Botox she administered. I do think it's easy for individual patients to be double-talked by doctors who don't want to admit that botox has troubling side effects. The extent of this dermatologist's denial seems unethical to me.

it's infuriating, really it is. Why do they still deny?? I had my botox over a year ago now, i'd love to look the way i did back then... 10 years younger!! but when you think about it... why are we doing this to ourselves? poison??!! in our faces!! i will NEVER willingly submit myself to that again! no fillers or anything... we're bonkers. for me, i have decided to not join the anti aging brigade, afterall, us women... really, we do it to ourselves and eachother! what's wrong with the skin we are in? yeah, i'm going hippy and pure!

I won a contest and have been receiving -free of charge some Botox, but more so filler injections in the cheeks and temples and I have had tiredness and dull headache later the day of the injections and then followed by feelings of depression . My forehead and cheeks feel stiff-like and i feel "cloudy'. I don;t know how much nis really physical and how much is psychological but iI had some botox yrs ago and never felt like this after at all.

The more I think about it, the more I realise how pleased I am that Botox did not work for me. If you start to really look at people that have had a few years of Botox treatment, you will see just how 'disfigured' the face begins to appear. And actually how much nicer a natural look is. I have decided to not become part of the anti ageing conspiracy! I want to celebrate my natural look now... And who knows what this stuff is really doing longterm? I'll keep the wrinkles thanks! :D

I had Botox done two days ago, I fainted after the procedure, have had insomia, a dull headache, anxiety, and just feel out of it. Me ears feel clogged too.
The Dr did not inform me of any of these side affects, so at first I thought it was in my head.....anyhow I am convinced this is related to Botox and I cant wait to feel like myself again, never going down this route, thanks for your write ups I am glad to know that there is in fact negative symptoms to Botox and that this is not just me. Has anyone ever fainted from it? how long do these symptoms last??? My doctor wrote me a prescription of Xanax which really helped, but I have never needed to take a medication for a beauty treatment, Ridiculous!

Hey everyone...
I found this site as I was considering getting botox again..it has been a year since I last had it.
The first few times I had it it was amazing...all good.
The second last time I had it, I did the crows feet area and had that horrendous cheek disaster!! where my smile looked all weird and different and I had those dents appear under my eyes...I was soooo relieved when it finally wore off...
SO, I went on Wednsday to get just my frown lines a a little bit in the forhead done so it won't affect my smile.
Fri night and it's looking good! I went out with a friend, didn't drink or anything and after I came home and went to bed- in the middle of the night I woke up and ran to the bathroom..violently vomiting...and diarrhea.. ALL night...my whole body was aching, bad headache, sooo lethargic..I couldn't even send a text I felt so sick :( sick all day Sat and now it's Sunday night..I feel a bit better..still have a tight head and tired and a bit nauseas..which is why I google and found this sight!- I couldn't believe it..I was blaming the Thai curry I ate that morning, but after reading all of these posts it all makes sense!
I'm a very fit active person and I'm hoping this clears up quickly...
Hope everyone's doing Ok
~ Pinkypink x