Will I be allergic to botox?

A history of other allergies does not indicate that you will be allergic to Botox. It is very unusual. I have not encountered it in my practice after using Botox for the past 22 years or so. Seek an experienced provider could manage an allergy if one should occur.

Unless there is a contaminant in the diluent, there really is no risk of allergic reaction to Botox.  Allergy to Botox will result in resistance to it (meaning it will have no effect) rather than a rash or hives.  

What you are describing is 'atopy'.  Atopic patients and their families tend to have seasonal rhinitis, eczema, asthma, hives and other sensitivities.  There is no evidence that any of these conditions predisposes the patient to increased risk of allergy with any botulinum toxin.  There is also no cross reactivity between botox and allergies to any antibiotics or other orals or contacts.  Do always bring a list of your allergies to your dermatologist so she can document them in your chart.I hope this answer is helpful.Wishing you the best of luck.

Hi JodicumaI have been injecting Botox since it was first approved and have only encountered two problems in all of those years. In both cases the reactions  were minor and transient. There was mild redness and itching which did not require any treatment.

In actuality all patients who get Botox make some antibodies to it but they are of no significance and there is only subclinical proof--that is there is no reaction and to find it a blood test must be done which is not done very often. One of the consequences of this is that over time with many injections the Botox seems not to work as well or last as long

Actually, you can develop an allergy to almost anything, and definitely to Botox, or any product containing the toxin. The allergies that you describe are allergies of the immediate type in which IgE is the globulin responding to the allergin, and can be detected by scratch tests to the toxin. This type of testing is usually done by an Allergist. However, if you were to have an allergic reaction to botox, it would more likely be due to the delayed limb of the immune response where the primary globulin is IgG. This type of allergy is determined by patch testing, usually done by a dermatologist. The problem is getting the toxin to do the allergy testing. If you can find an Allergist who does both scratch and patch testing,, set up an appointment for evaluation. A good Allergist is probably the best person to answer your question, anyway.     jlr

It is extremely uncommon to be allergic to Botox. Rare. Patients with a history of numerous allergies are still able to get Botox. Xeomin is available that does not have a protein wrapped around the botulism toxin and therefore has the lowest risk and may be an option.Discuss your concerns with your provider. In any case, it is safe and those who do develop an allergy usually suffer from short term results and not a typical skin allergy that one would expect.Hope this helps!drbader

If you are concerned about being allergic to Botox, you could consider using Xeomin instead of Botox.  Botox consists of botulinum toxin that is bound to other proteins.  It is very rare but possible to be allergic to those other proteins.  Xeomin is a "naked toxin" which means that it contains only botulinum toxin and has no other proteins bound to it.  Theoretically, Xeomin has a lower risk of allergic reaction than Botox.  But the actual risk of being allergic to either product is extremely low.

It is quite uncommon for patients to develop a true allergy to Botox.  The fact that you've had eczema and are allergic to dogs and cats doesn't mean that you will become allergic to Botox.  That being said, you should voice your concern to your Dermatologist.  However, I have injected many patients who have various allergies without any issue.

Hi jodiecuma,I do not expect that you will develop an allergy to Botox even when confronted with the fact that you suffer from multiple allergies. I suggest that you discuss this with your Botox injector.Hope this helps,Dr. Gus Diaz