Can botox affect you later down the road?

Vee Thank you for your question about Botox. I have broadened my answer to include all the neurotoxins. Botox is the brand name for one 5 neurotoxin use to treat dynamic wrinkles and muscle spasms. The Newtox / Jeuveau , Xeomin, Dysport, Daxxify, and Botox. There are no known long term side effects of the neurotoxins. There can be a self limited short term side effect like lowered eyebrow. There have a few rare reports of short term side effects related to overdosing and allergic reactions in the 20 years of use. The vast majority of these rare side effect occurred with use of neurotoxin for treatment of medical conditions and not for esthetic or cosmetic uses.

Although the existing forms of botulinum toxins used for aesthetic purpose are in general safe, there are well described long term effects that can be rather devastating. This long term side effect is called the Impaired Neuronal Communication Syndrome (INCS) that manifests itself in many ways related to Central Nervous System, peripheral nervous system, autonomic nervous system including hypothalamic syndrome as well as psychiatric disturbances. The INCS is considered a very rare complication, related to distant spread of the toxin. With only about 300 cases reported the question remains whether the illness is indeed very rare indeed or just very rarely diagnosed due to lack of awareness and diagnostic limitations?
In summary, considering the number of Botox injections around the world , the product is quite safe. Yet, denying a possibility of rare, at times debilitating, long term side effects limits our credibility.