Side Effects of Botox

Botox mania has caught on and millions of individuals in North America are getting the injections. Botox is widely available in most cities in America. Despite being a pharmaceutical product, the drug is injected by physicians, nurses and numerous other individuals who have no health care training. Spas and beauty salons which usually cater to hair and feet now also have Botox available for their customers.

Many non health care professionals who inject Botox into their customers have no clue about the human body and the majority can't even spell "botulinum". Yet it is shocking that customers allow themselves to be injected by these individuals.

Even though Botox is generally safe and thoroughly tested, it does have a few side effects. Botox side effects include:

Skin discoloration: In the rare individual Botox injected at the skin site will cause a discoloration. This is a transient side effect and usually resolves in a few days

Eye lid droop: This is another common side effect of Botox. When the drug is injected to close to the eye muscles, a transient eyelid droop can occur. This may last a few days to several weeks in some cases

Pain: All needle injections are painful to some degree and Botox is no different.

Swelling: Sometimes, the injected area remains swollen and tender for a few days

Bruising: Sometimes the needle will traumatize a small blood vessel and bruising may be noticeable at the injection site.

Dry eyes: Occasionally when Botox is injected near the eyes, dryness is a common complaint. It usually resolves over the next few days

When the Botox is injected near the neck area, it can paralyze the swallowing muscles and one can have difficulty swallowing food or drink liquids

Flu like syndrome is not uncommon after Botox. This may last a few days

Headache: This is also a very common side effect of Botox injections and usually resolves within 48 hours

Who should not get Botox?

There are some individuals who should not be injected with Botox. This includes individuals with:

- myasthenia gravis or other muscle disorders

- skin infection

- allergy to Botox

- who are taking certain antibiotics like the aminoglycosides, heart medications like quinidine

- females who are pregnant or who are breast feeding

Botox injections do not cause permanent problems but the few temporary side effects can be troublesome and may last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. It is important to have the injections placed properly.

Finding an experienced physician is of utmost importance, as many complications are the result of misplaced injections or too-large doses.