Botox: Stories

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Ended Up in the Emergency Room!

unregistered guest
posted 5 years ago
updated 4 years ago

Not Worth It
Cost: $350
Massachusetts

I had botox between my brows two years ago. The...

6 Sep 2007

I had botox between my brows two years ago. The aesthetic results were wonderful -my forehead was smooth, but it still moved. I looked years younger. However, I got EXTREMELY sick and weak. My symptoms started a few days after the injection and lasted for about 8 weeks! I could barely get out of bed to take care of my precious family. I was extremely sick -nauseated, dizzy, weak, headaches-for the ENTIRE time. The sickness never stopped. It was 24/7. I contacted allergan in hopes that they could find a solution. I had hoped that they could possibly get the botox out of my body via an anti-body or something -do you think they helped or cared? nope. I contacted the doc that did the botox, and he didnt care either. He even sent me a postcard 4 months later that informed me that "it was time for another botox treatment." I was terribly sick and there was nothing I could do about it! I believe others have had similer reactions as me, but you dont hear about it. What bothers me is that I NEVER see any negative press or websites about botox. It is all wonderful positive stuff. Botox made me extremely sick, so it must do something to our bodies. Although I dont know why I got so sick and many others dont?

Great review?

Comments (46)

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Soozy 22 Sep 2011

I had 24 units injected for crow's feet one week ago. The following night I started feeling like I was coming down with the flu. The next day I was ill and had to stay home. Since the injections I have been experiencing insomnia, severe nausea (especially at night), headache, neck pain, brain fog is horrendous, loss of appetite, and generally feeling very sad. I felt so depressed for a couple days like something about me had changed in a bad way. The dermatologist said these symptoms are more than likely not related to the Botox (of course). I will say today I feel a little better. Got a bit of an appetite and the depression part seems to be subsiding. I am taking ginger root for the nausea and used a natural sleep aid last night which seemed to help. I also decided to start a whole body toxin cleanse to see if I can get this poison out sooner. I am thankful my husband is supportive even though I had this done without his knowledge. He felt it was silly that I felt I needed to do this. Now I agree with him. I'll take crows feet over Botox sickness any day! I am sad that we all feel the need to inject poison into our faces to feel pretty. This has been a life lesson for me. Good luck and know that you will eventually feel like "you" again. Hang in there.

Sher Witt 7 Jul 2011

I had 44 units of Botox 8 weeks ago and have been sick with a myriad of ailments ever since. The doctor who did the injections and a regular doctor both denied that Botox had anything to do with my recurring sinus infections, headaches, neck pains, heart palpitations, chest pain and now for the last 2 days, one of the most severe sore throats I have ever had. I can barely talk or swallow! I will never have Botox again. I can only hope that this stuff leaves my system soon and doesn't do any permanent damage. The medical industry and the pharmaceutical industry don't care. They are making millions. I believe that a national movement needs to occur where all the women who have had this happen, band together and get the word out. That will "kill" this horrendous business and hopefully stop the nonsense. I just wish I had done more research and read the posts online from all the Botox sufferers.

Nickname70 27 Jun 2011

Hi. I was hoping to feel great after Botox, not depressed! I had injections in my forehead eyebrows/ frown line. Day 1, I felt a bit weird, day 3 I noticed that my eyebrows didn't match as one was raised and one not, but this started to even out between days 3-5. By day 6 I started to get puffiness in my face and a faint rash on my arms and legs. Its now day 11 and I could cry. I woke with such bad water retention. My eyes are tiny as the surrounding area is so puffy. My whole face and lips are swollen and I didn't have injections in this area! It seem that my whole body is suffering from water retention as even my fingers and toes keep swelling up and I put on 4Ibs over night due to the retained water. The rash keeps coming back in the evening but it's faint. Today I decided to go on a juice detox. I,ve drunk 3litres of juice and water today so far hoping and praying that I don't look this in the morning :(

Sdp 21 Apr 2011

Fatimah - Search "Flu-like symptoms after Botox" on the web - it is another RealSelf Forum with more active participants. I think you need to read what we've been talking about. I'm SDP -hope to see you there!!

Fatimah 25 Feb 2011

Oh me. I have never been through such HELL in my life. I got BOTOX between my eyebrows and the nightmare started.

2 weeks later I was in the ER after I could not move my neck and was suffering from the most extreme pain in my life.

This is not all though. Then starts the constant anxiety (almost a psychotic state), heart palpitations, severe depression and crushing fatigue.

Well I had almost convinced myself that it was not the BOTOX after reading that it had caused severe sinus pain and subsequent infection....and the next morning I HAD that too!

Every day it is a new symptom. One day last week I woke up, looked in the mirror and was horrified to see sunken black eyes, my cheeks were drooping causing ptosis WHICH in turn makes my nasal labial folds looks worse. I never had any of this and they started one day and appeared MARKEDLY almost overnight.

After that I had two indentations - one in the corner of my eye and one above my lip, both of which look like they were places that were pressed upon and bruised and never went back to normal.

Words cannot describe the utter mental and physical pain I have been in the past 6 to 7 weeks of my life. The despair is beyond my ability to cope.

In addition to all this I have had severe eye problems (I can barely see to drive or read) and bad GI problems: diarhea, nausea, gas and bloating, sharp stomach pains, ad infinitum.

I still am having bad neck pain and can barely move my neck. I had to have 3 MRIs and a brain scan and they said that I had a protruding disk. Well I have had this for a while and the BOTOX has changed my anatomy such that it caused nerve compression. I have also read from two others who had the SAME thing.

Every thinks I am crazy and the doctor said that he NEVER had ONE person with ANY of these side effects??? And WHY is this SO hard to believe? It IS a NEUROTOXIN? It's not a vitamin for the love of all things holy.

I am beside myself and cannot stop crying. I can barely do ANYTHING for myself and I am so afraid that things will not go back to normal.

I need help getting through this and have nowhere to turn now.

Very very sad.

Miss Berry 8 Oct 2010

Wow, I am really regretting having botox injected now! I had around 40 or 50 units injected into my face 2 weeks and 2 days ago. Because it was injected into my jawline rather than forehead, I was told it will take approximately 3 weeks to see the full effect. 5 days after I was injected, I came down with a very nasty throat infection which I took antibiotics for and just finished the course about 5 or 6 days ago. Then 4 days ago, I ended up in ER after experiencing racing heart and difficulty breathing straight after dinner. Over the last few days this has gotten worse and am now getting the same symptoms every time I eat (although not as bad because I am now eating only a tiny bit of food at a time to avoid the symptoms!) I really hope this doesn't get any worse and I am seriously now praying that I make it through the next few months ok until this poison leaves my system. Please, if you are reading this and you have any history of allergies like I do (I have a bad nut allergy), don't risk getting botox injected! Your body may not be able to handle it!

blew 17 Aug 2010

I received injections both the brow and crows feet area. A few days later I came down with cold/respiratory symptoms. A week later was diagnosed with whooping cough. i wonder if by getting injections, one is prone to more infections since our bodies are already fighting a poison. So we may already have weakened immune systems that are just ripe to catch all kinds of things. It is going on week five, signs of whooping cough are diminished. Except i am still having laryngitis and breathy voice. Has anyone experienced a change or loss of voice after botox?

Stacy Jo 12 Sep 2010

Interesting! I had Botox injected 2 weeks ago and am now suffering from a sore throat and congestion....And not only that, I look hideous. Never again!

Rebecca Turn 9 Sep 2009

wow love all of you for sharing and be honest my nightmare is slowly , very very slowly changing.... sometimes freaked right out i will never look normal again.....

Researcher7 24 Aug 2009

How are all of you doing now? It has been about 5 months since the last post.

nellie 18 Aug 2009

well it been almost 5 months for me....seems to be getting a bit better. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, i USED TO HAVE BREAST IMPLANTS....I had them removed because I was super allergic to them. Don't know WHAT I was thinking getting injected...I just thought I would try TINY TINY BIT...I only had 112 dollars worth...tiny amount!!!

b83 15 Aug 2009

Botox not worth it!!!! Had Botox for the crowfeet. Three weeks later ended up in the ER having severe headaches at the base of my brain, numbness in my face and left arm. The doctor ran all kinds of test ct scan, mri/mra, blood test all negative. Five days later the numbness comes and go. Headaches come and go. How long does this last?

tried but failed 10 Aug 2009

Hi Learning - it sounds like you have experienced the very same look as me from botox. If so, then only some of what you are seeing under your eyes is swelling - the remainder is exposed herniated fat because your eye muscle is too weak to hold the fat back and exposes the eyebags that you probably would have got in 15 years' time. I look so much older and harder after botox. I have sent you a private email. Look forward to hearing from you.

tried but failed 9 Aug 2009

PLEASE REPORT YOUR SIDE EFFECTS AND ADVERSE OUTCOME TO THE FDA. The link for online reporting to the FDA is: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/medwatch-online.htm

Learning 10 Aug 2009

I certainly will.

tried but failed 9 Aug 2009

PLEASE report your adverse side effects to Allergan and the FDA. You can report adverse events to the FDA online through their website. I reported my adverse event to Allergan, the FDA and the TGA (Australian version of the FDA). I believe adverse botox events are significantly under-reported, which is why doctors can continue to make unchallenged assertions about the safety of botox. Botox users either do not recognise the side effects as connected to botox, or their concerns are dimissed by doctors (as they are repeatedly on this forum) or they don't want to report it because they don't want to admit to using botox especially for cosmetic purposes. If enough people report adverse events to the FDA (including the side effects they experience) then it will not be possible for doctors to continue to deny they exist. Is botox as safe as doctors continually claim? Maybe. Or maybe it is more a case of the statistics not reflecting reality. Who knows? Nobody will ever know until adverse events are reported properly and real data is available. My botox was administered concurrently with a contraindicated antibiotic (tetracycline) so the botox went crazy and dropped my face. The same doctor who gave me the antibiotic also gave me the botox. She 'didn't know' that tetracyclines can potentiate the effects and side effects of botox. My face is living proof that they do. The physical effect is grotesque and the side effects have been horrendous. I am stuck looking like this for months. It has profoundly affected my life.

Learning 10 Aug 2009

Me too. I have documented all my reactions with my doctor (who is not my injector)and will do so to the equivalent New Zealand FDA, the US fda, and Allergen. The more research I do, the more I find that these type of reactions, both pyschological and physical, have been documented in research studies. I am Day 16 since botox to the crows feet area and underneath the eyes. Yesterday the puffiness was huge under my eyes and I believe it is largely fluid based because it comes up and down so much. I emailed ""LymphActivist" and one of the doctors from this site and they suggested the swelling or puffiness could be due to inadequate muscle pumping action, and therefore fluid accumulation in the eyelid skin, i.e. lymphedema. They suggested finding a therapist who is trained and qualified in "manual lymphatic drainage" to evaluate and possibly treat the puffyness. They said if it is edema, manual lymph drainage may help - and it did - I went yesterday and the swelling under the eyes by the evening was well down. I am trying to learn some massage skills to help drain the fluid myself and do everything possible to lessen the likeliness of excess fluid - by cutting back my salt intake, sleeping with my head elavated, eating well during the day and having less in the evening,drinking lots of water, reducing my wine intake(!damn - it's help taken "the edge" of this horrible nightmare!)and getting lots of rest - with help from sleeping pills at night (I'll deal with this later). I have also started really trying to excercise the orbicularis oculi muscle by lots of blinking and squinting because I do think my under eye bags are partly due to diminshed muscle tone. (paresis). I have now had botox to the crows feet 8 times within the last 15 months. Well over the stated minimum three-months-apart rule which I was never told about and obviously have found out since my horrible adverse reaction. My injector obviously knew and never put the brakes on or cautioned me to have them further apart.They just want the money. I also believe my face has 'dropped' and I can't smile properly. At christmas time I put my guant, dropped appearance down to having just lost my father, but the thought had crossed my mind (and I dismissed it)that my face had changed considerably (in an unfavourable way) since I had had botox done. I'm out of time today - will post some more thoughts tomorrow. Has anyone thought about suggesting a story about the likes of us, and what's happened to us, to the likes of 60 minutes?! I know I have ...

nellie 9 Aug 2009

This is so weird that so many us us reacted...weren't studies done or we all the guinea pigs???? does the fda know about us sick women!!!

Rebecca Turn 3 Aug 2009

anybody actually have a swollen face?

tried but failed 4 Aug 2009

I think it depends on when you had the botox. Apparently there may be some swelling for a few days after the injections but botox cannot cause prolonged swelling. No, I do not actually have swollen cheeks. The overweakening of my eye muscle (causing the cheek to droop downwards) and my inability to access certain muscles makes me look like I have swollen cheeks, especially when I smile.

Learning 9 Aug 2009

Yip I did on day 5 - all over top cheeks and hugeswollen bags under the eyes. Most has gone down but eyes look revolting (Day 14), What a nightmare. Also had major anxiety and instant insomia. On sleeping pills.

tried but failed 31 Jul 2009

Were any of you taking antibiotics (especially aminoglycides or tetracyclines) either right before you had the botox, at the time you had the botox or straight after you had the botox? I was taking doxycycline for 18 days before the botox and for 7 days after. Not only does the physical effect look like I had ten times the amount injected (dreadful), the side effects are unbelievably bad. There have been days when I am genuinely suicidal. I am even considering taking three months of unpaid leave to recover. I despair that it will never go away. It has only been three weeks.

nellie 31 Jul 2009

its been 4 months the botox has worn off..FINALLY...the effects of the flu symptoms are GONE!!!! iTS SO NICE TO NOT HAVE A SORE THROAT!!!OH did any one else feel extreme forgetfulness? I felt some days like i had Alzheimer disease????

melissadoodleboug 31 Jul 2009

Headache is common after botox injections, as the syringe penetrates the muscle. You should never rub the area, or lay down for several hours after injection to assure that it does not migrate. However, the percentage of serious side effects is rare. This is why you don't hear about it.

GRS 10 Jul 2009

After a full 12 months, I can say I had been feeling better until recently, when it all came back. Not nearly as bad as the beginning but still there. I can only hope that it won't take years longer to feel better. Please report to the FDA so our voices can be heard! There is not adequate warnings for this horrible suffering. Hang in there everyone!