Botox side effect? Slurred speech

Question

To add to my initial post, I am 27 years old and otherwise healthy with no known allergies and no medical history

Leonard Grossman, MD · Answer

If the doctor who was administering Botox was truly concerned and believed that you had slurred speech, he or she should have sent you for an evaluation immediately. Good luck from New York City

Alex Eshaghian, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question goldendelicious15. I understand your concern. Botox is a purified protein
used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression. When injected into
the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. The
most common areas of treatment are in the upper face. These include the
horizontal lines seen on the upper forehead when one raises the brows, the
vertical lines seen between the brows when one frowns (frown lines), and the
crow's feet seen around the eyes when one smiles.It is difficult to make an assessment without a
formal exam in the office where I can view the skin in multiple angles and observe
wrinkles formed with facial expression. However, I hope the information
provided here is useful.The safety record of Botox is well established.
The product has been used for over 20 years for a variety of treatments with
minimal side effects. Botox is amongst the safest treatments for treating
facial wrinkles.With any injection, there are risks such as
pain, bleeding, bruising, redness, swelling, tenderness, and infection. We take
special precautions to minimize these risks such as using a painless technique.
We also treat bruises with a laser as early as the next day. Bruises usually
resolve within two weeks if untreated. After a laser treatment bruises usually
resolve in 1-3 days, but may still take two weeks for full resolution. In
addition to these risks, with Botox there is also a risk that the product spreads
or diffuses to nearby structures. Spread to nearby muscles can lead to side
effects such as the temporary appearance of droopy eyelids or a temporary
asymmetric smile.Although certain neurological symptoms are possible after a Botox treatment, symptoms such as slurred speech, which could represent a stroke or mini-stroke (TIA), have not been reported to my knowledge. Anxiety is possible and sometimes presents as such symptoms. If I had a patient with such symptoms after a treatment I would recommend that he first visit his general doctor and depending on what the doctor says, possibly be referred to a neurologist.After a Botox treatment, I recommend that my
patients avoid heat exposure, alcohol consumption, and strenuous exercise for
24 hours and not lie down flat for four hours. This is because all of these
activities may possibly lead to the movement of the product and consequent side
effects such as droopy eyelids as described above. Although there have been no
definitive studies shown that these actually occur and some physicians do not
provide such aftercare instructions, in the absence of data I err on the side
of caution and recommend that my patients avoid such activities.Please consult with a doctor for specific
recommendations. Good luck!

Botox side effect? Slurred speech

Answers (2)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Botox

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

Botox side effect? Slurred speech

Answers (2)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Botox

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.