Botox Side Effects

The botulinum toxin contained in Botox can spread to other body areas beyond where it was injected. This has caused serious life-threatening side effects in some people receiving botulism toxin injections, even for cosmetic purposes.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects, some of which can occur up to several weeks after an injection:

• trouble breathing, talking, or swallowing;
• hoarse voice, drooping eyelids;
• unusual or severe muscle weakness (especially in a body area that was not injected with the medication);
• loss of bladder control;
• problems with vision;
• crusting or drainage from your eyes;
• severe skin rash or itching;
• fast, slow, or uneven heartbeats; or
• chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, general ill feeling.

 Less serious side effects may include:

• muscle weakness near where the medicine was injected;
• bruising, bleeding, pain, redness, or swelling where the injection was given;
• headache, muscle stiffness, neck or back pain;
• fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, flu symptoms,
• dizziness, drowsiness, tired feeling;
• nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, loss of appetite;
• dry mouth, dry eyes, ringing in your ears;
• increased sweating in areas other than the underarms;
• itchy or watery eyes, increased sensitivity to light; or
• eyelid swelling or bruising.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.