I Had Botox 3 Days Ago in my Forehead and Now I Have Horrible Pain. Normal?

Thank you for your question and your photos. Pain, swelling and flu-like symptoms are not
typical side effects from a Botox injection.
I recommend that you follow up with a certified injector that can
evaluate you completely. I wish you the
best of luck.

I'm sorry to hear that you've had to experience this. This side effect should resolve within the next few weeks. However, there is no guarantee that you will not experience this side effect again next time you have a treatment with Botox. You may want to try taking Tylenol to ease your discomfort

Is this a headache, or a pain in a focal area of the forehead right at a site of injection?  Does the pain hurt more with certain activities? Does the pain shoot in different areas?  Is there a bump at an injection site? Did the bone get bruised? Is there a collection of blood (hematoma) or an irritation of a nerve? Please see your doctor for them to evaluate you in person as this is not a common reaction.

It is not uncommon for some people to experience a headache for up to a week after a Botox treatment.  However, it if is stonger than a headache or persists for more than a week, please consult your doctor.

The length of time these last varies with the individuals.  In my personal experience, the treatment can trigger migraines in some individuals.  My theories regarding why these heads develop related to muscle tension that is caused by the injection process itself.  A way to test this theory would be to simply inject people with saline in the same area and see if the headaches occur with the same frequency.  This type of data may actually have already been collected in some of the FDA studies designed to evaluate the cosmetic use of botox.  The discomfort should resolve in a few days.

Now this does not mean you should just sit around and wait for that to happen.  Call your injecting physician and make them aware of what is going on.  They may recommend medication or physical measures to help you feel comfortable.  I have had patients who ultimately decided that the post botulinum toxin headache was not worth the treatment benefit.  That is a very rare outcome.