Side Effects & Dangers of Botox Unwanted Effects There are many side effects  and you should be aware of these before you accept treatment. In practice many of these are rare, but many are linked to the skill of the doctor, and many are linked to the particular area you are planning to have treated. A detailed explanation of these and other unwanted effects are found in 'Botox Injections - The Insider Secrets' General Side Effects Side effects listed in the manufacturers data sheet can be divided into rare general effects and those specific to the area that you are having injected. General effects Bruising (Common  - See later) Dizziness   Skin rash Tiredness Muscle spasm Numbness General Weaknes Drowsines Flu-like syndrome            2% (Placebo   1.5%) Feeling generally unwell Dryness of the mouth Sickness                            3%(Placebo   2.3%) Headache                          13.3%(Placebo   17.7%) Stiffness Side effects specific to the area you are having treated Injections around the eye         Drooping upper eyelid  3.2%         (Placebo   0%)       Drooping brow Mild inflammation of the surface of the eye Difficulty in completely closing the eye Overflow of tears Dry eye Sensitivity to light Less commonly Inflammation of the surface of the eye Turning out (Eversion) of the eyelid Turning in (Inversion) of the eyelid Double vision Facial weakness Facial droop Blurred vision Rarely  Swelling of the eyelids Ulcers develop on the surface of the eye Eye pressure increase (Glaucoma)  Many of these side effects are extremely rare, and some occur less often than someone treated with salt water injections (placebo). The main problems associated with botox, therefore, are those associated with poor injection technique. In a study of 853 injections, ten adverse effects occurred. Only five of these were thought to be related to the use of Botox itself. These events were bilateral eyebrow ptosis (droop) (2 patients = 0.002%), right brow ptosis (1 patient= 0.001%), eyelid ptosis (1 patient= 0.001%) and difficulty swallowing (1 patient = 0.001%). Above all, you should have the clear and concise insider knowledge that makes you an informed expert, rather than a passive victim. Where is this information available?  Bruising You are having injections, and there are blood vessels under the skin. Bruising is occasionally inevitable, particularly when injecting the delicate skin around the eyes (crows feet). However there are things that you can do to minimise the risk. Avoid aspirin or anti-inflammatory painkillers (ibuprofen, Naproxen, Diclofenac, Advil, Neurofen etc) for two weeks before treatment. These drugs can interfere with the action of platelets that promote a clot after injury. (Paracetamol and Acetominophen-Tylanol are fine and do not cause this problem.) You can also avoid bruising by choosing an experienced physician (again!) who will look carefully using a bright light for large blood vessels that he can avoid. The use of ice is also helpful here as it will cause the blood vessels to shrink and thus be harder to hit. The ice also helps with discomfort. Bruising is not usually a major problem, but can be upsetting if the patient is an actor or just about to get married. In these cases, strict avoidance of aspirin is important. Heart patients who take aspirin every day have a dilemma. It is probably more important to protect their heart, and in these patients, they may have to accept a slightly higher risk of bruising. Drugs to avoid in conjunction with Botox Aspirin, Nonsteroidal antiInflamatory drugs and Vitamin E can all make bruising more likely Any drug that interferes with neuromuscular activity should be avoided with Botox. This includes AminoGlycoside antibiotics, curare, lincosamides, polymixin antibiotics, quinidine, magnesium sulphate, anticholinesterases and succinylcholine. This is obviously up to a good physician to check with you.  The medical conditions you must know about before having Botox Do not have Botox injections if you have a peripheral motor neuropathic disease or meuromuscular functional disorder. Examples of these are Eaton-Lambert syndrome and Guillain Barre syndrome. (you would probably know if you had these!) Pregnancy – although inadvertent use has not resulted in any reported deformities, it would be wise to advise Botox in pregnancy or breast feeding.