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Botox to Masseter Muscle for TMJ, Bad Side Effects?

I have recently had Botox to my Masseter muscles as I clench all the time, have a very strong jaw and suffer with TMJ, neck pain. I am not sure of the dosage I had, I had it done on the NHS in a UK Hospital. The day I had it, I had to go straight to bed as I felt so dizzy and weak. I have since been so weak and fatigued. Why has this happened, I keep forgetting things and getting brain fog, does this mean I cannot continue with treatment? Can the toxins affect the brain/system.

Answers (5)

From board-certified doctors and trusted medical professionals
Dr. Kenneth Hughes, MD
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Dr. Kenneth Hughes, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
4.7 | 664 Reviews
Answered on Aug 24, 2015
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Dr. Sam Naficy, MD, FACS
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Dr. Sam Naficy, MD, FACS
Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.7 | 280 Reviews
Answered on Dec 16, 2016
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Dr. Michael I. Echavez, MD
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Dr. Michael I. Echavez, MD
Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.5 | 26 Reviews
Answered on Jan 9, 2013
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Dr. Ira Shapira, DDS (in memoriam)
Dr. Ira Shapira, DDS (in memoriam)
Dentist
Answered on Dec 11, 2017
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Dr. F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam)
Dr. F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam)
Board Certified Dermatologist
Answered on Jan 10, 2013
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More Botox for TMJ Questions

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J. Jason Wendel, MD, FACS

Thank you for your question about botox.  Botox is used to treat TMJ pain and migraines all the time.  I am not sure why you experienced a decrease in the opening angle of your jaw.  I would follow up with your provider and a neurologist for a full evaluation.Botox lasts 3-4 months (some pat...

+4 answers
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Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

Only a specialized dentist is able assess the bite and understand the factors that are causing the TMJ issues.  It makes absolutely no sense to let a family practitioner, dermatologist, or plastic surgeon inject the muscles of mastication for the purpose of treating a TMJ issue.  To...

+11 answers
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Otto Joseph Placik, MD

I would obtain a second opinion as this is a highly specialized and off-label use of Botox. There are several muscles of mastication and they work in a highly coordinated fashion. Weakening of one set of muscles could cause and imbalance resulting in pain.

+2 answers
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Michael A. Persky, MD

Hi Marie, Sorry to hear about your misfortune with Botox injections to your TMJ. Unfortunately we hear about side effects from these injections all too often. Time is the best medicine for you. Your soft palate function, talking, and swallowing will get better, hopefully sooner than later. I...

+2 answers
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Tanveer Janjua, MD

I use it for a few of my patients who have very strong jaw muscles. It works well. However, what has really helped my patients is the injection of Kenalog (a mild steroid) directly into the jaw joint (TMJ). If you are hurting in the joint get kenalog and ask your doctor to give you a muscle...

+6 answers
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Harold J. Kaplan, MD

Botox injections in key areas of the very large muscles that contribute to TMJ is a good option for many. In fact, one of our nurse practitioners was treated for this with good outcomes. She had been relying on 800 mg of Ibuprofen per day to get relief from this condition prior to using Botox....

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