Ask a doctor

How Long To Wait For Botox Injections After Medrol Medication?

Is there a waiting period between getting botox injections after finishing Medrol 4 mg pak? I recently had posion ivy and was put on this medication for 6 days, taking 6 (4mg) pills on day one, 5 on day 2, 4 on day three, etc. I am not sure how long I should wait since this supresses the immune system. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Doctor Answers 11

Do I need to wait for Botox after using a Medrol dose pack?

August 19th, 2011
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

No, the Medrol dose pack was most likely prescribed to decrease the inflammation caused by the poison ivy and should have no effect on the Botox however, you should not, IMHO have the Botox injections if you have poison ivy in the area to be injected.

Web reference: http://www.drfpalmer.comt

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD


Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.6 out of 5 stars 23 reviews

Botox after Medrol treatment

August 18th, 2011
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

There is no need to wait for Botox after Medrol treatment.  You may enjoy your Botox at any time.  Medrol should not interfere with the efficacy of your Botox treatment.

Sheri G. Feldman, MD

Sheri G. Feldman, MD
Beverly Hills Dermatologist
5.0 out of 5 stars 1 review

No need to wait for BOTOX® after Medrol

August 18th, 2011
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

There is no need to wait for BOTOX® injection after any steroid medication or Medrol. There is no interaction between them.

A. H. Nezami, MD

A. H. Nezami, MD
Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon
4.8 out of 5 stars 28 reviews

Waiting period for Botox

August 18th, 2011
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

You shouldn't have to wait because of the meds. I would just recommend getting over the itching of the poison ivy before having any elective cosmetic procedure for your own comfort. 

Web reference: http://www.palmbeachface.com/botox.html

Michael L. Schwartz, MD

Michael L. Schwartz, MD
West Palm Beach Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.7 out of 5 stars 9 reviews

Botox & Steroids

August 18th, 2011
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

Dear Awsum87: There is no relation whatsoever between your Medrol pack & receiving Botox. You can receive the botox before, during , or after the Medrol without any worries

Khaled El-Hoshy, MD

Khaled El-Hoshy, MD
Detroit Dermatologic Surgeon

Waiting period for Botox

August 18th, 2011
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

There is no waiting period for Botox when one takes any kind of steroids including the Medrol dose pack.  You can go ahead and have any injection at this point if you like.

Janet M. Neigel, MD

Janet M. Neigel, MD
Livingston Oculoplastic Surgeon
4.7 out of 5 stars 16 reviews

There is no waiting period for BOTOX® after taking Medrol®

August 18th, 2011
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

There are no interactions between BOTOX® [or other formulations of BTX-A], and there is no waiting period for BOTOX® after taking Medrol®, so go ahead and enjoy your BOTOX® treatment.

Kevin C. Smith, MD

Kevin C. Smith, MD
Niagara Falls Dermatologic Surgeon
4.7 out of 5 stars 4 reviews

Botox's effect should not be affected by corticosteroid Prednisone

January 18th, 2012
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

The relaxation effect of Botox on muscles is related to the Botox being a competitive inhibitor in the junction between the nerve and muscle so the signal between the two does not cross the junction. In other words, the nerve can't tell the muscle to contract because the Botox pretends to be a neurotransmitter signal, acetylcholine, and blocks the receptors. Corticosteroids such as Prednisone decreases inflammation but there is no inflammatory response in the nerve muscle communication pathway.

Web reference: http://www.thenyac.com/botox/index.html

Ronald Shelton, MD

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 37 reviews

Timing of Botox Treatment after Medrol Taper

August 21st, 2011
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

There is no need to wait after Medrol taper and Botox treatment. The steroid treatment does not affect the administration of Botox or the results.

Web reference: http://www.skinmdseattle.com/FAQ.htm

Anifat Balogun, MD

Anifat Balogun, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

How long after steroids should I wait before Botox

August 19th, 2011
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

The answer- no time at all.

Botox and Dysport work by interfering with communication between the nerves and the muscles that they serve. Steroids minimize the inflammation from immune response but it should not have any impact on Botox or Dysport injections aside from decreasing the swelling that may occur (rare in any case)

Kenneth Beer, MD

Kenneth Beer, MD
Palm Beach Dermatologic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 6 reviews

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.