Can Botox Injections Cause Blurry Vision?

Question

Can vision be affected from Botox going too deep or too much injected? It's been almost a week, had 20 units in each area, and since then it has been really bad. I was soooo swollen like a fish all over and had a bad migraine. Worse though is my vision is blurry. I wonder if I should see an ophthamologist or neurologist. I am an employee of the medspa that had an untrained doc do this, and I have no insurance :(

Jennifer Reichel, MD · Answer

Botox injections around the eyes, when injected too close to the bony rim, can affect the muscles that move our eyes. The muscles that can be affected are the inferior oblique and the lateral rectus. The inferior oblique moves the eye in a downward direction, and the lateral rectus moves it laterally (away from the nose). Paralysis of these muscles will cause double vision (blurry focus). Luckily, the affect is transient and goes away. As far as seeking care, I would recommend that you definitely speak with the doctor that did the injection, regardless of his/her level of training. He/She will need to know what happened. My understanding, is that the temporary double vision can be corrected by placing a special prism on the lens of a pair of glasses - so seeing an ophthalmologist may be advised.

Martin Jugenburg, MD · Answer

If used incorrectly, botox can affect the muscles that move the eye.  When these muscles are affected the two eyes do not move in sync and thus problems with vision can occur as if you were cross-eyed.  The only good news here is that if you can wait long enough, the botox will wear off and you should return to normal.

Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS · Answer

While it is possible to get blurry vision from a poorly positioned injection. It would be best to go to an ophthamologist to explore other options first. If it is botox, time is the best option. It is always best to go to a reputable and experienced injector.

Peter A. Aldea, MD · Answer

Botox is a drug and Botox injection is a medical procedure. Having a MD degree does not magically confer experience, common sense, knowledge of facial anatomy or artistry. The odds are that in an attempt to smooth lower lid wrinkles Botox was placed too close to your inferior oblique muscle which moves the eyeball, especially looking down, giving you double vision. Next time, see a Board certified Plastic surgeon, ENT or Dermatologist for your Botox and fillers.

D.J. Verret, MD · Answer

As Dr. Hoenig points out, your blurry vision may be due to your recent Botox injection, but it may be unrelated.
Injecting the Botox in the wrong area or migration of the Botox can affect the muscles of eye movement as well as the muscles which aid in tearing. If this is the case, it will wear off with time and likely resolve completely.
It would be best to have an ophthalmologist evaluate your eyesight to be sure that there is not something else which is causing the blurry vision.

Can Botox Injections Cause Blurry Vision?

Answers (5)