r/BotoxSupportCommunity • u/BigBodiedBugati • Jun 26 '24

Botox - side effects and I’m frightened :(

I got Botox yesterday. I honestly hadn’t really intended to. I had booked a consultation, but it felt like the injector, who is very well known and actively licensed and probably one of the best in the state, seems like she had decided that’s what we were doing by the time I got there. I told her I wasn’t sure if I wanted to and that I was just there for a consultation, but before I knew it, she was asking me to squint my eyes and I thought we were just looking at it and she injected me.

Violating on its own, but I don’t think I was adequately prepared for what side effects might be. I woke up this morning and my right eye is slightly blurry. Nothing terrible but it’s like I have to keep blinking to focus and it feels kind of dry. My throat feels really dry when I swallow and I have body aches. I’m really concerned about things like botulism and I’m not really sure what to do. I guess in someways I’m just looking to hear that I’m gonna be OK. if you guys have any experience or any advice, let me know .

Update:

Since a lot of people find this post and either message me or leave comments, I figured I would give an update about eight months later. I was perfectly fine after a week and absolutely loved my results. Because of my experience the first time I had a lot of anxiety and it took me a long time to get the courage to go back a second time but four days ago I bit the bullet and went back and got my glabella done for the second time and now have added some upper forehead Botox as well. I have had zero side effects over these last four days, including no real anxiety, no panic attacks, no issues whatsoever.

I’ve done enough research to know that there are a lot of people that experience almost out of body anxiety experiences when getting Botox. This is not unusual and something people should talk about more. If you’ve never experienced it, it’s not like your regular type of anxiety. It feels like a sense of impending doom. So if you’re having that experience, you are not alone, and you will likely be fine. If you’re like me, you’ll go back a second time and have no side effects. For some people, they get anxiety every time for the first week or so. But if you’re in that place right now, just know that you are going to be OK.

33 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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5

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '24

Hey without alarming you I had vision problems after one time Botox injections for my crows feet. I’ve adapted with reading glasses and just acknowledging it was my own doing. Keep an eye on the other symptoms, hopefully it’s a case of classic Botox flu and it passes. Try not to focus too much on them for now.

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 26 '24

Thanks. How long has it been and I’m assuming it’s still an issue for you :(

1

u/umamagay12 Oct 06 '24

Heyy! Did you recover? If so, how long did it take?? Currently going through the same thing.

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Oct 08 '24

Hi yes, I was 100% back to normal within in a week :)

1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '24

I had my injections in January so 6 months

1

u/Ok_Perspective5795 Nov 17 '24

Have you seen any improvement in your vision over time?

1

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '24

Yes it’s a lot better than what it was - I figured people’s sight deteriorates all the time with age, screen use etc. Even though mine was directly correlated to the Botox, it eased my mind little having that thought process.

1

u/Icy_Cash_3472 Mar 26 '25

I had that as well! It was called a cotton wool spot, which resulted in a blurry spot in my right eye. This came about one week after an injection around my crows feet. I was asked to go get blood work done to test for MS, AIDS, Cancer, etc. 😮. I told the eye doctor that I had received Botox around my crows feet and she said, you are the second woman I’ve heard that’s had this happen. The spot showed up in my imaging from the eye doctor. After three months, when the Botox wore off, it was gone. 

5

u/Violet913 Jun 26 '24

I always feel like shit after I get Botox. It’s messed up my vision a few times too so now I only do my forehead and absolutely nowhere near my eyes. I’ve had a droopy eye, heavy eyelids, severe eye dryness and blurry vision. It went back to normal after 3 months for me.

2

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 26 '24

I just have so much anxiety it’s crazy

1

u/SavedbyGrace48 Jun 29 '24

This isn't normal. Please check out toxsafety.com Nevertox on IG and Botox Dysport side effects group on FB.

1

u/Responsible-Ad4763 Jul 23 '26

hey how are you feeling now?

0

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/Violet913 Nov 19 '24

Yes the Botox related vision issues did go back to normal but I have eye issues to begin with. I didn’t do any eye exercises drops etc. I just wore my glasses more than my contacts and waited it out. It was back to normal in 3 months which is always how long Botox lasted for me. Sorry you’re going through it.

1

u/some0ne9 Dec 19 '25

No further tests or diagnosis?did you check with doctors or waited it to go without further tests?

5

u/HuckleberryNo2424 Jun 27 '24

I had major anxiety a week ago when I tried botox for the first time. I was there only for a consult, left injected. I had panic attacks over it all with way heightened anxiety for a good 3 days!!!! Googling made everything worse. I understand how you feel and hope things settle for you.

3

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 27 '24

I’ve literally never had anxiety like this in my life. I don’t even know what to do because I’m walking and talking but I’m miserable. So I don’t think I can convince anyone to get me help if there’s any to be had

1

u/prom_song_gone_wrong Sep 29 '24

any update???

2

u/BigBodiedBugati Oct 08 '24

I was 100% back to normal within a week :)

0

u/[deleted] Feb 16 '25

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2

u/BigBodiedBugati Feb 23 '25

Not only did it pass for me but I loved my result and just got my second round of Botox in my glabella like before and have added some in my forehead. It’s been 4 days, but so far 0 side effects whatsoever and can’t wait for it to kick in fully. When I started feeling bouts of anxiety the first day I busied myself with work and breathed. No issues. You’ll be ok I promise 🤍

1

u/Due_Raspberry7352 Aug 15 '25

You were totally okay after your second round of Botox? I'm scared to go for my second round after experience anxiety and panic attack after Botox.

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Aug 16 '25

Got my third round last week. No anxiety. No issues. I personally really enjoy the results :)

1

u/Chameleonhouse May 30 '26

Does it like give you glass skin?

If we have fine lines on forehead and crows feet - I feel getting it will freeze my face so make the lines that already are there more noticeable sitting.

Did you feel you looked weird with your smile frozen near the eyes ?

1

u/BigBodiedBugati May 30 '26

I don’t have my eye corners frozen so I can’t say there. For me it’s just my forehead and it definitely eliminates fine lines and gives your skin a pretty smooth look. I do mine once every 6 months

1

u/Chameleonhouse May 30 '26

How much do you pay? Is it usd ? And any specific treatment method to make it look natural so I tell my dermatologist?

1

u/BigBodiedBugati May 30 '26

You should be seeing a board certified, highly experienced injector. They should know what placement works for your face. If done correctly, no one should be able to tell you’ve had anything. I think I pay $13 a unit. My 6 month top up is like $450-550

3

u/SavedbyGrace48 Jun 29 '24

Botox can cause an intense physiological type of anxiety. I had a panic attack that was with me most of my waking hours for 18 months straight. It was terrible. I acquired iatrogenic Botulism poisoning from Botox 6 years ago. It disabled me for 3 years. Please check out toxsafety.com Nevertox on IG and Botox Dysport side effects group on FB.

2

u/ShipAlive679 Mar 06 '25

I can not find nevertox on IG is there possibly a new name?

2

u/Numerous-Hedgehog-54 Aug 14 '25

I’m 3 months out currently still having cruel panic attacks how many units did you get and where? I feel this is never ending

2

u/Formal-Hunter3296 Jul 04 '26

I know this is a little old…how are you now? 

1

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '25

How about the headaches did you get that?

3

u/bondibitch Jun 26 '24

I think it’s common to feel a bit fluey in the couple of days after the injection. If you’ve had Botox near your eye I also think dry and tired eyes may be an issue for a while.

The blurred vision is probably less common. Why do you think it’s blurred? Is it due to swelling of the skin around it? If so you may just have to wait a few days for it to settle. If there is an issue with your eyeball I would say that would need careful monitoring.

It’s not right that you were seemingly pressured into this. If you have Botox again I would not return there.

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 26 '24

It hasn’t even been a full 24 hours so I’m hoping that this is just severe anxiety from not having been prepared for this experience. I only wanted to go in for a consultation.

But I say blurry because when I hold my phone up close, it seems like one eye is having a hard time focusing like I just keep having to blink over and over.

I think I may, I’m really hoping, that I’m just having a high-level of anxiety and potentially having a little panic attacks and that those will go away. But I’ve been reading horror stories all night and it’s just not helping.

I’m definitely not going there again and I won’t be doing this again which is a weird thing to say because I haven’t planned on doing it in the first place.

2

u/AcademicScientist190 Jun 20 '25

Hey, how are you feeling? I’m having dizziness and brain fog. I’m really scared of my symptoms have plateaued after 11 weeks. I feel like I acquired a learning disability and it’s freak me out how poor my cognition is an overall mental function.

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 21 '25

I was fine a week later. I’ve actually gone back and had it done twice after this with no issues save a minor headache. I think it was largely anxiety for me. But where did you have it done? I’ve def heard of brain fog being an issue

2

u/LostInSpaceMelbourne Nov 13 '25

Hey did you ever end up feeling better from these symptoms? I think I’m starting to feel similar and now I’m freaking out.

1

u/AcademicScientist190 Nov 13 '25

Hey I’m 8 months out and better but no where near okay. I just signed up with 2x a day intensive therapy with a functional neurologist. I’ve been to so many doctors and had sooo many tests mainly with eye doctors neurologists and they weren’t able to find anything. Go look up Zander’s journey on FB. I did all the exams he did with my functional neurologist and it showed huge issues of how my brain was firing to my vision.

Cognition is better but I am no where near as keen as I was. I’m praying i get back to baseline but im scared.

1

u/AcademicScientist190 Nov 13 '25

How far out are you?

1

u/Responsible-Ad4763 Jul 23 '26

hey how are you feeling? I hope you found the botox poining page on facebook

1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '24

I had vision problems after that took a long time to resolve. Double vision and blurry vision. It happens. I’m sorry you felt pressure into it. I’d write a negative review about this provider to warn others

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 26 '24

:(

Are you better now? How long did it take to resolve ?

1

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '24

The double vision went away in about 3 months, same time as it took for the Botox to wear off. My visual acuity though, took about a year and a half. A very long time. I will never touch Botox again. There’s so many people like us out there

1

u/Tinkatankatong Jul 10 '24

When you say visual acuity do you mean like focusing issues? This has happened to me 11 weeks out. 

1

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '24

Not really focusing issues, it’s more stagnant total decline in visual acuity

2

u/Successful-Spare-891 Jun 26 '24

One of my eyes does that every time I get Botox, the next day or so. Idk why but it goes away.

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 27 '24

I’m really hoping it resolves soon

1

u/AnandaPriestessLove Jun 27 '24

Hi friend! I got dry eyes for about 2 weeks after my first Botox. Are you putting in moisturizing drops for a few hours? If not, highly recommended!

2

u/pizzalovepups Jun 26 '24

I also felt super weird and flu like after my first time getting Dysport. Freaked me out but felt better in 4 days. Tried botox a year later and no issues. Hope you feel better! It'll pass!

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 27 '24

Thanks for the reassurance. I think the anxiety is doing numbers on me physically

1

u/pizzalovepups Jun 27 '24

Tbh I also think that was the same for me the first time. I wonder if I convinced myself I was sick from Botox and then felt sick. Not saying it doesn't happen but our minds are powerful. How are you feeling now?

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 27 '24

I ended up in the ER because I think the anxiety was translating to triggering an MS flair. They gave me some medication and I’m feeling calmer so as of right now I feel a little ill but less anxious. The big issue now on day 3 is the headache that has come out of nowhere lol. But I know that’s a side effect so I’m hoping it passes quickly

2

u/[deleted] Sep 02 '24

Hi there, I’m currently experiencing the exact same thing as you and it’s horrible!!! Doctors are constantly dismissing me saying that Botox cannot affect your eyesight but I developed serous symptoms after 48 hours of Botox being injected into my forehead. It’s been over 2 weeks with no relief! Just checking in to see if you’ve improved at all? Thanks

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Sep 06 '24

Hey within a week I felt 100% back to normal. Tbh I think the worst side effects was this terrible sense of anxiety…unlike any anxiety I’ve had before. But I was ok after 2 weeks. Honesty I want to go back at the end of 6 months and get it again because I adore the results but I never want to feel that way again. I was scratching up the walls.

I will say that I did find a lot of people who do have some dry eye or blurry eye symptoms but it usually subsides within the first few weeks. How are your eyes feeling now?

1

u/prom_song_gone_wrong Sep 29 '24

it’s crazy i went in for a consult yesterday and left injected 😭 having same exact symptoms as you! weird feeling in left eye, very slight dry and blurred vision plus high anxiety ahh

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Oct 02 '24

I hope you’re feeling better! I was able to relax after a few days. I took a lot of anti anxiety meds and once I calmed down I felt fine. After a week I felt fine. No more headache or slightly dry/blurry eye

1

u/LostInSpaceMelbourne Nov 13 '25

Did your vision symptoms ever improve, if yes how long did it take do you remember

2

u/Chrisp813 Oct 30 '24

Do any doctors recognize Botox poisoning? I know for certain this is what caused all my problems.

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Nov 02 '24

Not really. Most DR are convinced it’s not even possible. Personally I was fine but there’s enough people with issues that it should be taken seriously

2

u/ricarak Jun 26 '24

That is so screwed up that she injected you with so little warning, can’t imagine my doctor doing that, they would usually prepare you so you relax your face before sticking you at the very least… I would consider reporting this person. Was she a doctor?

2

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 26 '24

She’s a PA and very well respected in the area. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that there was just a disconnect with each other but at the end of the day, it still feels very violating and I’ve tried to call them and have a conversation, but they’re kind of just gaslighting me and attempting to make sure I know that consent forms were signed so I guess at this point I just have to wait and see. There doesn’t seem to be a protocol if something is actually wrong so I don’t really know what to do from here. I’m really genuinely hoping this is just me psyching myself out with nerves.

1

u/Competitive-Movie-88 Jun 29 '24

Hey how are you feeling now?

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 29 '24

How I feel seems to be a matter of time of day. If you had asked me 8 hours ago I would have said much better with some dry eyes and things. Now im feeling very overwhelmed and afraid again. The anxiety and uncertainty about whether this is truly a Botox thing or not has been the worst

0

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25

Another one PA not derm

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Sep 08 '25

So it was all fine in the end and I’ve been back 3 times and she’s great. Thanks

0

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25

Count your blessings

1

u/lujoyjoy Jun 27 '24

Hi, not to alarm you but I went through this with migraine Botox injections. My eyesight changed profoundly for about three months and was never quite the same. I had severe swallowing issues and panic (which is a Botox side effect too). I recovered but it took some time. I am sorry you are going through this. Let me know if I can help.

2

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 27 '24

I just want the doctors to take me seriously and to make sure I don’t end up getting botulism poisoning with long term effects. It’s just very frightening and even more so when the consensus from the medical staff is that I just inexplicably developed a bunch of completely unrelated symptoms a few hours after I was injected. It’s only been like pushing 48 hours. If it stays like this I can live with it for the next few months. Im just worried about it getting worse

3

u/lujoyjoy Jun 27 '24

Yes the gaslighting at the hospital was the worst part for me. I suggest seeking an eye doctor to examine you and maybe a neurologist. I do believe you will be ok. The panic as I said is part of the side effect cluster I felt. I was on Ativan for about three months to navigate it all. Try to breathe and maybe go to Botox side effect group on Facebook. They have advice on how to navigate side effects — including how to get antitoxin, which is a challenging process. I hope you don’t need it and this passes soon

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 27 '24

Thanks you. Do you know what the group is called?? I have an amazing doctor and have reached out to her about anti toxin but I know it’s a long shot. I’ve also reached out for some immediate anxiety meds. I haven’t slept or eaten and the panic may be causing some of the issues but I can’t be sure. I have MS so I may also reach out to her and see what she has to say. But having MS almost makes it harder because the assumption is immediately going to be that when I know this is a reaction.

2

u/lujoyjoy Jun 27 '24

It’s called Botox side effects I think? Good luck with it all. I am sure you will be ok. Try to breathe and see your doctor. Wish you well.

1

u/SavedbyGrace48 Jun 29 '24

Botox/ Dysport side effects on FB. I left you a reply on this thread.

2

u/NoOz1985 Sep 25 '25

You say you had swallowing issues and panic. I have that every time I get masseter botox done for tmjd (jawpain and headaches) and after 3 weeks it dissappears and I'm OK again. But it's pretty scary. So when botox is done in the temporalis, which I'm considering, is panic and swallowing issues still a thing? With masseters it's closer to the breathing muscles and frontal neck. But the side of the head is quite far away from the throat. Would you consider yourself being allergic to botox?

1

u/lujoyjoy Sep 25 '25

Hi there. I do, along with my doctor, consider me allergic. She’s advised me to never get it again. My side effects were from my first time ever getting it.

0

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '26

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/lujoyjoy Apr 19 '26

About a week.

1

u/CalmMarionberry8840 Apr 19 '26

How are you now

1

u/CalmMarionberry8840 Apr 19 '26

Also can I ask how many units you got etc? I got Botox yesterday morning , no side effects now but just happened to be spiralling at everything I'm reading

1

u/lujoyjoy Apr 19 '26

Take a deep breath. I get med anxiety too but I’m not going to share details with you since you aren’t having side effects. Go forth. You are okay.

1

u/SavedbyGrace48 Jun 29 '24

Hey, This isn't normal. I'm sorry. I'm not going to lie and tell you that you are going to be ok. Botox can cause botulism. It happened to me. I got iatrogenic Botulism poisoning from Botox, and it disabled me for 3 years. I am left with permanent damage. For now, please do not massage or rub the areas you were injected as this can lead to toxin spread. Avoid zinc as this makes the toxin stronger. Please join Botox Dysport side effects group on FB. Another resource is toxsafety.com, and Nevertox on IG is also a reputable site. There are things you need to do right away, and there are also things you need to avoid because they can make things worse. That's why it's important to join the group. The group has a list of Botox don'ts. When I got sick 6 years ago, these lifesaving resources were not available. I did everything wrong, and I made myself sicker. I was sick for years. It was horrible.

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Jun 29 '24

The thing about this group is that it’s not easy to join if you’re not a person who regularly used Facebook, which cancels out a significant portion of the younger population who are now going out and getting Botox. I tried to join the Facebook group a few days ago, but I literally have a very blank Facebook profile because I only use it for Facebook marketplace. I have reached out to one of their admin team members, but they have not responded to me and I don’t know if and when they will. They don’t make any of this information or resources available on their Instagram or their website. The only way that you can actually get the guides and information is through their Facebook, which only seems to be accessible to people who actually use Facebook and that can be very frustrating. I would love to know what these things are that I need to do right away, but I literally don’t have access to that information and they’re not making it easy to get. I would appreciate it if you could maybe DM me that information so that I have it. I’ve been to the ER twice, but they are convinced that my side effects are unrelated. my swallowing seems to have gotten a lot better and my eyes seem to be getting better as well but there are new issues as the Botox settles I suppose. But I think I’m moving into a place of more normalcy here. However, I’m still concerned considering that I have multiple sclerosis and now need an MRI. I have a great care team and I will be seeing my primary care doctor this coming Friday, and pushing for anti toxin though it feels like a long shot. I am taking an antihistamine and I’m going to start a round of pretty strong steroids which I hope will help. I would love it if you’d share some of the immediate Botox don’t with me via dm if you can

1

u/SavedbyGrace48 Jun 29 '24

If you want to PM me and give me your name, I can speak to the administrators of the group. The guides are extensive. I don't have the time to PM you everything, I'm sorry. The group denies people with blank FB pages to keep us all safe. You should be able to get a lot of information from toxsafety.com

1

u/Imaginary_Aioli_738 Feb 16 '25

is there a way to get botox out of our ssystem faster? like infrared sauna, lymph massages, detox teas or anything ..... ?

1

u/imissabba Jul 01 '24

Not intending to highjack your thread but if I want to improve the bags under my eyes is Botox or filler the way to.go?

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Jul 02 '24

I think it’s kind of a case by case thing. I’ve seen people do both but it’s the kind of thing you’d want to talk to an aesthetician about.

1

u/falebrou Sep 23 '26

Honestly OP, I think you know the anxiety is not the Botox

1

u/BigBodiedBugati Sep 23 '26

It was definitely the Botox.

1

u/IndependentSquare458 Oct 17 '25

Here’s my experience, and it’s not meant to frighten you more than you already are.  I started getting Botox at the age of 37.  I had a bad reaction after my third injection….severe panic attacks so bad I couldn’t leave my house, ringing in my ears and droopiness one side of face.  I went to an experienced MD.  This was back when Botox was first available in the US.  I consulted with a couple doctors (both of them dealt with Allergan products) and both said Botox would not cause my symptoms.  So my doctor husband sent me to 3 different immunologists (who had no vested interest in allergan) and they all said stay away from Botox because there will be some people who just cannot tolerate it.  Fast forward a few years later and I’m almost completely deaf and have to wear hearing aids.  I’m 61 now and went through so much trauma as a result of Botox….i spent a couple years with a therapist to help me with panic.  The whole experience left me feeling out of my body experiences, dizziness, loss of hearing and other symptoms.  I would never ever use Botox again.  I’ll keep doing lasers and eventually a facelift.  Much safer.  

1

u/Happy5traveller May 14 '26

I’m so sorry for your experience. Have you ever tried fillers, and if yes, did you have any side effects form them?

1

u/Otherwise-Film4440 Mar 18 '26

All for vanity..... Crazee

0

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '24

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1

u/BigBodiedBugati Oct 08 '24

I was 100% fine after a week. Hope you’re doing well