New research shows Botox injections are being considered for severe depression and bipolar disorder because it stops frowning and this lack of frowning has a positive impact on neurotransmitters and mood. I recently posted this on Facebook and asked this question:
I’m curious if you have had Botox injections or would consider it (for cosmetic reasons) or perhaps for migraines, dystonia, proctalgia fugax or depression/bipolar?
If you have had Botox injections are you happy with the result or did you have any adverse effects like increased anxiety, panic attacks or anything else?
The response was varied with most folks saying they would never consider using Botox for cosmetic reasons, some folks saying they used Botox for cosmetic reasons and had issues and some folks saying they’ve used Botox for cosmetic reasons and love it, and others who have used Botox for non-cosmetic reasons.
All the practitioners who commented have concerns about Botox saying results are mixed with some of their clients having severe reactions and some doing fine. As I looked further into this topic I’ve gained additional insights and my biggest concern for you, and my community, is that Botox can lead to very severe anxiety and panic attacks.
I encourage you to keep an open mind about my Botox concerns if you have chronic anxiety that is not resolving and it started (or got worse) after receiving Botox injections, or if you’re considering Botox injections.
Anxiety, panic attacks, inability to handle stress, body shaking
I gained my biggest insights from the Botox Dysport (Side Effects) Support group. Someone suggested I look into this group and I requested an invite to join so I could learn more. So many of the members of this support group report anxiety, panic attacks, inability to handle stress, body shaking and problems connecting socially. This is what one member shared:
…just joining the dots, I’ve been unwell for a few years since getting Botox but didn’t put it together until having it last week and going into panic attacks / ER.
Since then extreme anxiety and I’ve ended up in a mental health facility on benzodiazepines (ativan/valium). Reactions / withdrawal has been severe, have started to put it all together whilst reading through this page.
I’m realising that my decline, immune system failure (chronic epstein barr) fatigue, loss of motivation, loss of appetite, shaking in my body, muscle atrophy, anxiety, no motivation to connect socially, can’t handle any stress, can’t relax, tinnitus, breathing trouble and the list goes on is from botox…. scared to say the least as doesn’t seem to be a solution, I was worried to get Botox originally and obviously am eating myself up with regret, thought I would share if anyone has a similar story.
There are many similar posts to this one and it’s heart-breaking, especially because they say they are not being heard by their doctors.
I had a short online conversation with one of the moderators and she shared they suspect Botox is impacting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis leading to high cortisol and causing their anxiety symptoms. Many of the members find relief with Seriphos, which is a phosphorylated serine product I’ve had great success with. Here is my blog post on Seriphos for anxiety and insomnia related to high cortisol.
I asked if any of the members find GABA or serotonin support helpful and for some GABA helps ease the physical tension and for other members tryptophan or 5-HTP helps ease the worry type of anxiety. However for others, the amino acids seem to have a paradoxical effect and make symptoms worse.
I’ve never been in favor of Botox for cosmetic reasons simply because I’m not a fan of putting foreign objects/toxins into the body and because I believe in aging gracefully with confidence. I do find that many women feel the need for cosmetic Botox injections and other ways to try and look younger (such as breast implants and hair dye) because of low self-esteem and lack of confidence caused by low serotonin.
Botox for non-cosmetic purposes
Botox is also used for non-cosmetic purposes. Some of my neurologist colleagues also have concerns about cosmetic use and will only use Botox injections for the following:
- severe cases of dystonia
- migraines (to relax forehead muscles)
- proctalgia fugax /rectal spasms
Botox may also be used for multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, pelvic pain and bladder issues, for TMJ, after a stroke and for chronic anal fissures in colitis (sphincter spasms can prevent anal fissures from healing).
I would love to see safer approaches for non-cosmetic Botox injections being researched and explored by practitioners. For example:
- Relief of dystonia symptoms using diet, GABA, tryptophan, zinc and vitamin B6
- Sublingual GABA to help to relax forehead muscles in those with migraines
- Sublingual GABA for the extremely painful proctalgia fugax. Could this also be considered in colitis patients?
Botox for mental health – we can do better with nutritional psychiatry
At the beginning of this blog I mentioned the new research that shows Botox injections are being considered for severe depression and bipolar disorder because it stops frowning. This lack of frowning has a positive impact on neurotransmitters and mood.
A study published in 2018, Clinical analysis of 86 botulism cases caused by cosmetic injection of botulinum toxin (BoNT), reports that botulism is a severe side effect of Botox injections with symptoms including: “headache, dizziness, insomnia, fatigue, blurred vision, eye opening difficulty, slurred speech, dysphagia [difficulty swallowing], constipation, and anxiety.”
The authors report these symptoms occur in the first 36 days after the Botox injections and that all symptoms resolved after botulinum antitoxin serum injections.
This conclusion clearly doesn’t address why there are so many folks in the Botox Dysport (Side Effects) Support group continue to experience long-term severe symptoms.
We also have research reporting a possible connection between Botox injections and thyroid autoimmunity.
I feel we can do better especially with what we know about nutritional psychiatry, the use of targeted individual amino acids, nutrients like lithium orotate, the gut-brain connections and everything covered in my book The Antianxiety Food Solution (my Amazon link) and on this blog.
A note of appreciation
I’d like to end with a note of appreciation to everyone who commented on my Facebook post, to the members of Botox Dysport (Side Effects) Support group on facebook (with over 5700 members as of this writing).
I’d also like to thank Diane Kazer for asking bold questions about Botox injections as part of her Non-Toxic Beauty Revolution Summit which addresses Botox, breast implant illness, toxins in your cosmetics and so much more. In my interview we talked extensively about the low serotonin/low self-esteem connections which I feel is a big missing piece for helping women who feel the desire or need to use cosmetic Botox in order to feel good and love themselves.
Diane writes about Botox here: Is Botox Safe? Top 3 Concerns & What to do if you’ve had it, sharing a brief history of botox, what she has uncovered about toxicity issues and possible detox solutions.
She also created this list of 58 Botox Illness Symptoms which she gave me permission to share here. She compiled this list from 1000+ people who have had Botox injections.
Because of Diane asking questions and this initial research I’ve done, I’m adding a question about past history of Botox injections to my client intake form and will be gathering more information from my community of anxious women to see if there are patterns as to why some folks have such bad reactions.
I do feel we need to be asking if Botox injections (cosmetic or non-cosmetic) are a possible root cause of anxiety and panic attacks because they are adding to the toxic burden in susceptible folks.
But I do acknowledge it’s challenging to unwind all the contributing factors because it depends on what is going on with each person, such as their gut health, other medications (benzodiazepines themselves can be problematic), past trauma, infections, poor adrenal health, low GABA, low serotonin, poor detox capacity, low bile production, genetics etc. Unfortunately there is no way to know in advance who will be harmed and if Botox is the tipping point.
Please comment below if you’ve had Botox injections and had adverse reactions or have benefited from them with no adverse reactions. And if you have not had Botox would you ever consider it? Feel free to post your questions too.
I have been using Botox for migraine for about 3+ years and I have had none of the symptoms mentioned in the article above. I am so sorry to hear that some are experiencing such severe reactions. My migraines have a strong hormonal tie and frankly Botox and other new monthly injections have been a life saver for me! I wish all the best and am glad you say we need to do more research to understand why some are so impacted rather than making large wide spread assumptions.
Angela
Thanks for sharing and good to hear you’re doing well. Botox is commonly used for migraines with great success so I fully understand. It’s a very personal decision but given what I’m learning about Botox my message going forward is to continue to seek root cause resolution for migraines and consider Botox as short-term band-aid and be very aware of the possible risks. A few approaches to consider for migraines, which I admit can be challenging to figure out: neurotransmitter balance (both low serotonin and low GABA can be factors), hormone balance, addressing gluten issues, antiphospholipid syndrome (https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/migraines-anxiety-antiphospholipid-syndrome-chronic-headache-migraine-summit/), histamine issues etc. I had one client where nothing helped and it turned out she had Lyme disease which when treated resolved her severe headaches/migraines.
I’m 44 years old and began getting Botox injections 12 years ago, to stay looking young. I would, without fail, get Botox injections every 6-12 months (sometimes every 4-6 months). Three years ago (at 41), I became severely ill and decided to stop all Botox and filler injections. I also changed my diet – I cut out all dairy, gluten, grains, soy and red meat. I am mainly plant based and eat only organic foods.
I was always a fairly healthy person, but have struggled with anxiety, depression and insomnia since I was about 32 years old. I became a Yoga Teacher at 41 years old and then “crashed” shortly afterwards. I have yet to regain my health. I have a brain tumor, EBV, Lyme Disease, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, insomnia, severe balance issues, vision changes and vertigo. I am also having my breast Implants removed on July 14th.
It’s difficult to say if everything that is going on with me was/is caused by the Botox injections I was getting twice a year for a decade. I will say this though – the last time I had Botox injected was in March/April 2017. After the injections I had to sit in my car in the parking lot for an hour. I couldn’t drive as my anxiety was out of control. I had tremors and was extremely nauseous. I left the doctor’s office parking lot one hour later and I seemed to be somewhat okay after that.
I then crashed with these multiple illnesses in May, 2017, and have never fully recovered. I still cannot drive and I take Klonopin every night. Some days I can’t even walk unassisted, because of my severe balance issues and vertigo.
The fact that Botulism Toxin is such a dangerous toxin – but is severely downplayed as being so – it would not surprise me in the least, if studies come out in the future declaring Botox as a dangerous anti-aging tool. I’m actually expecting that news to come out some day.
However, in the mean time, so much money is being made off of this toxin and it really does take away your wrinkles, albeit temporarily. So why would anyone (doctors, scientists, product distributors, pharmaceutical companies, etc) want to uncover the truth?
Amanda
Thanks for sharing and sorry to hear about all your health issues. Good for you making all those dietary changes!
Many of your symptoms seem very similar to what folks in the “Botox Dysport (Side Effects) Support” group on facebook are posting. As I mentioned it’s challenging to unwind all the contributing factors because it depends on what is going on with each person. As I said to Mary, hormones are changing on our 30s so this may be a factor and it may be a combination of Botox and hormone changes – we just don’t know. Given the March/April 2017 incident and crashing shortly after I would also suspect Botox as the tipping point.
Breast implant illness may also be a factor and may be further adding to the toxic burden. Diane Kazer, host of the Non-Toxic Beauty Revolution summit had severe health issues from both and is on a mission to help create awareness and help women. She covers safe breast explants in the summit.
Unfortunately Klonopin itself may be a factor in some of the symptoms you describe – more here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/world-benzodiazepine-awareness-day-2017-awareness-anxiety-nutrition-solutions/
You mention using Botox to stay young. I’m curious if low self-esteem/lack of confidence (caused in part by low serotonin) was a driving factor?
And I agree, it’s a huge industry and very lucrative. There are black box warnings (https://www.webmd.com/beauty/news/20090430/black-box-warning-for-botox#1) and the insert (https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2015/103000s5292lbl.pdf) lists many side effects which are seldom shared with the patient?
Hi Amanda. So sorry to hear about your situation. As I too am suffering from 151 units of botox for migranes. My migranes r 1000 percent worse
I commenced having Botox injections in 2011 when I was 35. For the most part I was being injected every 3-6 months until the middle of last year when I ceased having Botox.
I have a history of anxiety since childhood and depression since adulthood so it is very difficult for me to say whether Botox played a role in my mental wellbeing or if other factors came into play. However, my anxiety/depression did worsen during the time I was having Botox. In addition to this I now have quite a few of the 58 symptoms associated with Botox, including numbness in hands. vomiting and diarrhoea, hair loss, thyroid antibodies, high cortisol, stomach issues and last year, suicidal ideation. At this time I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type II as well as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.
As I said earlier I don’t know what role Botox has had (if any) on my health, as nutritional deficiencies, poor eating habits at times, stress and relationship/work/life problems were all present too, but I do find it interesting that my symptoms seemed to have worsened upon starting Botox, and I’m wondering if they will eventually disappear (providing I have no more Botox).
Thank you Trudy!
Mary (from Sydney)
Mary
Thanks for sharing and sorry to hear about your anxiety, depression and other health issues. Many of your symptoms seem very similar to what folks in the “Botox Dysport (Side Effects) Support” group on facebook are posting. As I mentioned it’s challenging to unwind all the contributing factors because it depends on what is going on with each person and if Botox was the tipping point or at least an added toxic burden. Also 35+ is when hormones are changing so this may have been a factor in worsening anxiety/depression too. And it may be a combination of Botox and hormone changes – we just don’t know.
I’m not yet sure what the best detox approaches are but Peggy mentioned epsom salt baths, massage, glutathione and vitamin C and this makes sense. I’d expect liver support, sauna, rebounding, dry skin brushing may help too. And in addition, using nutritional approaches like GABA and tryptophan to address the anxiety/depression (if tolerated) and Seriphos for high cortisol.
Interestingly GABA also protects against hypothyroidism caused by fluoride toxicity (https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/gaba-hypothyroidism-fluoride-anxiety/) and I have to wonder if there may be a similar application given the Botox/thyroid connection.
I’m curious why you decided to have Botox? You mention anxiety and depression so I’m curious if low self-esteem/lack of confidence (caused in part by low serotonin) was a driving factor? Were the black box warnings (https://www.webmd.com/beauty/news/20090430/black-box-warning-for-botox#1) shared with you?
I’ve been using Botox for about 6 years. Interestingly, I have had globulus hystercus (tightness in my throat) for about the same amount of time….did not connect this to Botox, but guessing with this information that it could be. I do have hypothyroid and gluten sensitivity. Have been gluten free for same amount of time and change my thyroid meds to be gluten free, which has helped, but not resolved the globulus symptoms. I really haven’t felt anxious, which is one of the triggers for globulus.
Thanks for gathering this information.
Leslie
Thanks for sharing. Have you been getting Botox or Botox Cosmetic injections? Both have the black box warning mentioning throat issues but not globulus hystercus specifically: “The signs and symptoms of distant spread and botulism poisoning in Botox users are many, including unexplained sudden loss of strength or muscle weakness, hoarseness or trouble talking, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, trouble breathing or swallowing, double vision, blurred vision, or drooping eyelids. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/news/20090430/black-box-warning-for-botox#1
I actually experienced globulus hystercus with my anxiety and panic attacks in my late 30s. It felt like I had a golf ball in the throat but was very short-lived thank goodness. A few years ago I had a terrifying plane ride which lead to vagus nerve issues and throat tightness/spasms and using GABA and doing vagus nerve rehab eliminated it. I blog about this here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/vagus-nerve-rehab-gaba/. We also cover vagus activation in detail in one of the recent Anxiety Summit 5 interviews https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/vagus-nerve-activation-to-reduce-anxiety-with-dr-navaz-habib-the-anxiety-summit-5/
And I just came across this interesting research: Chronic laryngopharyngeal vagal neuropathy http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1808-86942018000400401
I had botox once for TMJ that wasn’t really that bad. I had a different problem in my right temple that the neurologist thought was all connected, and I don’t deny that he could be correct. I told him that I was a poor methylator but he couldn’t comprehend, or didn’t care to. For the first 24 hours I thought I was going to be ok but then things started to go wrong. As I was told, it would be harder for me to chew but I could also feel the ‘heaviness’ of the botox creeping down into my chest. It began to feel as if I had to really work to breathe. I called the clinic and there was nothing they could do for me. I tried to stay mobile as the fear of what was happening made me want to curl up int a ball and cry. I went for a short walk one morning and thought I was having a stroke so got myself home and just tried to stay calm and breathe. My digestion was affected due to not being able to chew, and eat some healthy foods. My naturopath tried Reiki to help me detox but it didn’t do much, if anything. I tried epsom salt baths and massages, more glutathione, vitamin c, etc. About a month ago I got a headache so realized that the botox was actually leaving my body, and that it had been helping me with headaches. But I will NEVER submit myself to this EVER again. Unfortunately my daughter gets botox every 3 months due to the good it does for her migraines but I am concerned for her health over the long term. Thanks so much for looking into this Trudy!!!!!!!
Peggy
Thanks for sharing and sorry to hear your experience. Do you recall if you received Botox or Botox Cosmetic? Both have the black box warning mentioning trouble breathing: “The signs and symptoms of distant spread and botulism poisoning in Botox users are many, including unexplained sudden loss of strength or muscle weakness, hoarseness or trouble talking, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, trouble breathing or swallowing, double vision, blurred vision, or drooping eyelids. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/news/20090430/black-box-warning-for-botox#1
I’m not yet sure what the best detox approaches are but epsom salt baths, massage, glutathione and vitamin C make sense. I’d expect liver support, sauna, rebounding, dry skin brushing to help too. How long do you feel it stayed in your system?
Botox is commonly used for migraines and with success so I can see why folks would use this approach. Given what I’m learning about Botox my message is to continue to seek root cause resolution for migraines and consider Botox as short-term band-aid with risks. A few approaches to consider for migraines: neurotransmitter balance (both low serotonin and low GABA can be factors), hormone balance, addressing gluten issues, antiphospholipid syndrome (https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/migraines-anxiety-antiphospholipid-syndrome-chronic-headache-migraine-summit/), histamine issues etc.
I have had a botox injection once in the past. I asked a high end plastic surgeon if there were any complications. He had stated very little studies but if they did they have already have something underlying going on which I’m sure is why you sign a disclaimer, lol.
I did do a bunch of research and found very little.
Dry eyes are very interesting on what you shared. I have had low thyroid with menopause (I do not do any types of hormones and only do holistic herbs).
Brain hypoxia is interesting to me. I am a brain certified health coach with Dr. Amen from Amen clinics. I have done a SPECT (both rest and concentration) I’d be interested in talking with you about this.
Laurie
Thanks for contributing to the discussion. Are you saying you suspect that your dry eyes and low thyroid symptoms started after your Botox injection? Was yours for cosmetic reasons?
Regarding brain hypoxia i.e. the when the brain isn’t getting enough oxygen, this Webmd article about the Botox black box warning mentions trouble breathing: “The signs and symptoms of distant spread and botulism poisoning in Botox users are many, including unexplained sudden loss of strength or muscle weakness, hoarseness or trouble talking, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, trouble breathing or swallowing, double vision, blurred vision, or drooping eyelids. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/news/20090430/black-box-warning-for-botox#1
It’s interesting that your plastic surgeon didn’t at least mention the black box warning (which they are required to do), however there are many plastic surgeons and regular doctors who seem to have no concerns about Botox. I know this based on discussions in some practitioner Facebook groups that I’m part of.
Dry eyes may have stemmed from this. Not really certain because there is no baseline. As we age our meibomian glands quite producing the meibum which leads to dry eye. Because botox is often injected around the eye area, you may blink less. Interesting topic for sure.
I have been having Botox for both cosmetic reasons and for bruxism that I get from having 2 major surgeries on my neck/cervical spine. I’ve NEVER had a bad reaction, apart from it bring a little sore afterwards. It’s a personal choice and I don’t care about growing old gracefully tbh. I have it 3 times a year and have done for the last 16 years, by a registered nurse, she has 35 years nursing experience and a PHD equivalent in aesthetics.
Anyone that has this done by anyone but a registered nurse, doctor or dentist are risking their health.
It has not only given me more confidence, I look 10-15 years younger than my age, and it has saved any further damage in my teeth from bruxism.
People need to do their research, follow the post treatment instructions to the latter……..and stop negatively reflecting on people that have this treatment.
Marianne
It’s wonderful that you have not had a bad reaction. I would just say keep an open mind as there is a black box warning with both cosmetic and non-cosmetic use (https://www.webmd.com/beauty/news/20090430/black-box-warning-for-botox#1) and even folks who have had Botox in medical facilities may develop symptoms.
I also work with my clients to give them more confidence by boosting serotonin with diet, tryptophan or 5-HTP, zinc, B6 etc (instead of botox). This can have an even bigger impact especially if imposter syndrome is a concern (more here on that https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/imposter-syndrome-and-low-serotonin-is-tryptophan-the-solution/), if someone also has insomnia (more here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/5-htp-anxiety-depression-insomnia/) or carb cravings. There is also a neurotransmitter aspect to bruxism (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/154411130301400104) so there may be this connection too. For me root cause resolution is always the best approach.
No-one is “negatively reflecting on people that have this treatment.” We come from a place of concern, caring and the desire to create awareness.
Hi Trudy. Regarding the issue of breast implant illness, a friend in Cape Town recently released a documentary about this called ‘Toxic Tits’. You can find it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/ou0eQQDSKGM
Alice
Thanks for sharing this excellent documentary about breast implant illness (BII). Leigh Wood did a great job and I commend these women for sharing their stories. I’m really hopeful that documentaries like this will contribute to the growing awareness! It is also super to hear all the South African accents and I’m proud to see a documentary like this coming out of South Africa!
I’ll be sure to share with Diane Kazer as BII is very personal for her and a big part of her message as a health coach.
I am also working on a blog post on this subject because so many women with BII also experience anxiety, panic attacks and depression (there is also research supporting high suicides in this group of women). All the women interviewed mention anxiety, panic attacks and depression, together with fatigue, brain fog, pain, poor eyesight and other symptoms related to autoimmune diagnoses.
They also all talk about their lack of body confidence due to small breasts or lack of confidence after a divorce – and how their implants boosted their confidence.
I’d love to be able to reach these women and share the work I do: 1) ideally before they get breast implants (raising serotonin with tryptophan/5-HTP/diet/lifestyle etc boosts confidence so hopefully they won’t get them done) or 2) if they already have breast implants and have anxiety and panic attacks (the amino acids tryptophan and GABA can help ease some of their symptoms) or 3) after the breast explant if they still have some lingering anxiety as they are dealing with the toxin removal (again the the amino acids tryptophan and GABA can help ease some of their symptoms)
I am LOVING how awake, intuitive and open minded your followers are Trudy! Thank you for this article! YES yes yes. To ALL of it. I’m referring to Botox as one of the Top 5 B’s among an umbrella of Body Dysmorphia that’s damaging women and threatening the evolution of our species overall. The 5 B’s are – Botox, Breast Implants, Birth Control, Benzodiazepenes and Binging/addictions to numb out this deep sense of shame and fear propagandized by the media and Western culture. I’ve written about most of them, so I’ll include some links below here.
I would love to second your article on Botox here by sharing my most recent podcast episode on it – https://dianekazer.com/is-botox-safe-top-3-concerns/
Here’s my take on Breast Implant Illness as well. I had breast implants for a decade and they (along with Botox injections) destroyed my body and nearly killed me, but most importantly, they blocked my heart chakra from being able to hug people closely and connect to my heart frequency. A definite oxytocin blocker. Oxytocin = love, connection, cuddle hormone that helps us to feel safe and induce parasympathetic (rest & digest, breed & feed) system.
Women are literally losing their minds with these things inside of them plus Botox b/c they disrupt our hormones, neurotransmitters, and gut to the extent that they drive up estrogen (fueling the growth of cancer cells, fat, cysts, endometriosis, tumors, etc). Along with explant, and a deep dive cleanse, hormone/gut healing approach, I 3x’ed my ovarian hormone production, lost 15 pounds of inflammation, back pain, energy drain and belly bloat. My ribs were ALWAYS out of place no matter how much I got adjusted by my chiro. I spent $100k+ on healing hacks over 10 years without realizing my toxic tits were at cause for most of my symptoms.
Breast implants are TOXIC filled with 30+ toxic chemicals, and don’t belong in any woman’s body. My book ‘Killer Breasts’ is coming out next month to help women navigate this bc there’s more to it than simply explanting. There’s a lot left to do, such as detox’ing the body (takes 1-2 years), and balancing hormones, healing the gut, etc.
I have a free Ebook, Facebook group and BII Masterclass on my website if anyone wants that as a resource: http://www.dianekazer.com
Thanks again Trudy for covering this topic extensively!
XO, DianeKazer.com
Hi Trudy,
I wanted to reach out to you and say “Thanks” for all you’re doing for people with anxiety and depression. I subscribe to you and am finding YOU are the only functional medicine person that is truly addressing these issues. As a person who has both, as well as tremor (as long as I can recall since I was very little), and Dystonia, your info regarding Botox is of great interest since I’ve been receiving Botox injections in my neck for Cervical Dystonia since 2002.
In addition to my PCP and neurologist, I’m currently under the care of a Naturopathic/Functional Medicine doctor. He and his office staff are phenomenal people to work with. They are the first people to ever really CARE why I’ve had tremor most all my life. I’ve been receiving treatments called SRT that work on acupressure meridian points within our bodies. (It’s an FDA approved machine and testing.) It’s been amazing what kinds of things this procedure can detect. They are working to uncover why I’ve had tremor most all my life. Each visit seems to unlock more pieces to the puzzle. They have suggested I start taking CBD oil to help calm things down, and it’s working! I’ve cut my prescription medications in half just with a few visits and hope to eliminate them completely. I’ve had some kind of prescription for anxiety or depression since 1979 and would love not to have to rely on them anymore. Again, I just wanted to say “Thank you so much” for all you’re doing and continue to do to help people like myself.
Monique
Thanks for your very kind words and for sharing your story. I’m so glad you’re working with a great team to help you. I’m new to SRT that works on acupressure meridian points – please feel free to share a link to an article or study as I’d love to learn more and understand some mechanisms. I’d be curious to know if it may boost GABA levels? I’d also discuss the addition of sublingual GABA as a possibility too.
Wow, I am so thrilled to have found this site. I stopped using (cosmetic) Botox in late 2017, after having had regular injections since it first became available. Writing this, I cannot believe it, as I think that was the late 90s. It began as love – I have always had a lined forehead even as a teenager and to see the lines erased was magic.
Then it became a habit and it escalated – crows feet, more complex kinds of injection, something called the Nefertiti lift that made me look like a praying mantis…
So, I stopped on impulse – I had one wonky eyebrow higher than the other, both spocked out at the sides and I was sick of the expense/time. It also occurred to me that with the best will in the world, it was not going to deliver my 20-something face back and, yes, the poison. I carefully checked my face creams for petrochemicals etc but got shot up with a virus or whatever it is four times a year.
So, I would love to say I feel great and mentally I definitely do but I think I am STILL detoxing this stuff. It’s that evil. I became hypothyroid about four years after starting Botox and also developed a rash on my neck, with no apparent cause. And, yes the brain zaps. It did not even occur to me that Botox could be doing it.
But here is the odd thing – last year – two years after the end of Botox – I got a chiro adjustment that was really full-on – and then I got strange symptoms. The chiro said it may have released an old virus but i think it might have been stored botox – as ever since then, I have had electric zaps in my head, ringing in my ears and vagus nerve issues – at one point laryngeal nerve palsy and dysphagia. My jaw and neck are irrationally tight and I am fairly sure the doctor thinks I am making up the extent of the tightness – but it’s not like normal neck tightness.
It’s difficult to prove and honestly, what could I do? I signed the consent forms and having had fresh botox for three years now. But I would love any thoughts on how I can get this out of my system – so far all I can really find is advice on infrared saunas and chlorella – if you are thinking of getting it done, don’t. If I could have my time over, I would avoid it and put the money into massage, acupuncture, fitness, and dentistry.
Jean
Thanks for sharing your story – I hope it helps other steer clear of botox. Sorry to hear the reactions you’re having – I’m afraid it’s not uncommon. With any tightness I always consider GABA. It can help with brain zaps in some folks too. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/gaba-physical-tension-stiff-tense-muscles-type-anxiety/
I’m a big fan of sauna and working with someone to detox. Drainage and binders are key to get the toxins out.
Also vagus nerve support and exercises. You may find this helpful – Vagus Nerve summit is happening right now https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-vagus-nerve-impacts-mood-anxiety-immune-response-digestion-and-heart-rate/
Thanks Trudy, this is so cool! I do have a naturopath and unbelievably, I never talked about Botox with her – it has become ubiquitous. I know some people reacted with horror when I said I was stopping it. Something else I found out, it’s got blood in it!
What I can’t figure out though – and I don’t want to encroach further on your time – is why it took so long to show the effects. I used it from 2002 until 2016 but only felt terrible two years after ceasing.
I have worked out that I had some things occurring when I began using it but they were chronic and I never made the connection. In case this helps others: red rash on the front of neck that is called poikiloderma and usually put down to sun damage (it is slowly fading since I stopped using botox), losing my eyebrows, hypothyroid, some hair recession (like widow’s peak) and jaw/neck tension. Also, brain zaps, tinnitus, and electrosensitivity.
And then, as I said, two years after my last Botox injection, I got a chiro adjustment that I now think must have released some stored up toxin – so I lost my voice due to laryngeal nerve paralysis. I had to do a s-load of exercises and nutrition to bring it back, get my first CT scan and deal with people’s judgment – It was an education in how quickly a health crisis can set you back, financially, emotionally, and in time.
I’m so happy to have found this site – I thought I was going mad for a while because so many sources say ‘it’s great’ – ‘transient effects’ – ‘miraculous’ etc. I feel like a bit of a berk having so enthusiastically embraced it – however, I am going to sit my daughter and her friends down (they are all 19/20) and give them a very succinct take on it.
It is also, BTW, the most successful medical product in history, billions of dollars of profit, and a lifeline for mediocre doctors who can add it to their offerings. I am not saying every doctor who uses it is mediocre but that it has really plumped out the income of medical practitioners who would not normally do ‘injectibles’ and sadly, it is really hard to find a dermatologist who is knowledgable about the effects of it but is not offering it themselves – they are either evangelicals who say it’s fabulous and that any problems are down to ‘the skill of the injector’ or against it but would not know a thing about where it might settle or if it could logically be implicated in a skin condition.
And, sorry for the essay, but the ‘skill of the injector’ may get a better result cosmetically and avoid acute effects or crazy mistakes but it does not mitigate the effects of the Botulism – I had a plastic surgeon and/or his nurse who had as many qualifications in it as you could get, at a reputable clinic with a fantastic reputation – nothing ever went ‘wrong.’
This would be an amazing documentary expose but tricky as hardly anyone wants to go on the record discussing this and I would hate to think what trillion-dollar corporation lawyers could unleash. Thank you for this forum and the support – I’m off to look up ‘drain and bind’!
Super article. I know Botox was responsible for my 18-month illness as I had increasingly severe reactions each time. It’s the most deadly toxin on the planet and although the dosage is minuscule, our bodies don’t all accept the same amount of exposure or respond to it in the same way. Anxiety was just one of my symptoms on a very, very long list and I would strongly urge anyone to look at alternatives before considering Botox as there’s so much we just don’t know about what it does to our bodies yet, other than what sufferers tell us. Thanks
Sophie
I’m sorry to hear and appreciate you sharing. Hope you are doing better now.
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Reading these comments now 3 mos later.
I have Botox injected every 7-12 mos into my underarms for Hyperhidrosis, a condition where for me, anxiety causes increased sweating. It has been a life changer. It has made me much more confident without the sweat marks which often teach my upper waist.
I have been anxious since a child. Never on medications for it. Tried twice with antidepressants in the last two years and had to stop immediately after the first doses as they caused my BP to elevate to 200/100.
I’m concerned because two of my sons use it also for the same reason. However they were never anxious yet heavy heavy sweaters.
I would really like to know if I should be telling them about this. I think I will.
Leah
I would tell your sons and find a functional medicine doctor/naturopath to help you all find the root cause of the hyperhidrosis.
Re your anxiety, if you are new to the amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/store/aafsbook.html
Apologies for the delay in your comment approval and my response. We had a computer glitch where a large number of comments were hidden from view in a spam folder. It mostly affected new folks who were commenting for the first time but it’s hopefully resolved now.
Thank you for posting all this critical information and warnings. I am a 48 year old woman. Truly suffered life long daily anxiety since 4th grade. Had my first full blown panic attack at age 33. Haven’t been the same since. Been on Benzodiazepines ever since. I quit a 20 year career in financial services and was approved for Disability income. I haven’t worked (or lived life) in 5 years. I had Botox by my Neurologist 11 days ago. Last night it kicked in. My forehead is frozen. Can’t lift my eyebrows. Granted my migraines have vanished but I’d give anything to feel that pain again! Migraine pain is excruciating, but last night’s panic attack and today’s sky high anxiety is far worse! I am counting the days for this poison to leave my system. They say it takes a few months. The mental and psychological trauma I’m going through isn’t worth it. I’d rather deal with pain. I’m supposed to get my teeth cleaned tomorrow at the dentist and I have such intense fear and panic that I don’t think I’ll be able to sit in the chair long enough to clean one tooth! I don’t know how I’ll even drive. I can’t describe with words how much this fear/panic consumes me. I was predisposed to panic and anxiety and clearly the Botox and uncomfortable frozen forehead feeling has greatly exacerbated by Disability. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone. Thank you and God Bless. Please pray for me.
Cheryl
I’m sorry to hear about this reaction and hope you’re doing better now. I encourage you to look into the amino acids and nutritional approaches I use to help my clients with anxiety and panic attacks. If you are new to the amino acids (and other anxiety nutrition solutions like gluten/sugar/caffeine removal, blood sugar control, gut health, pyroluria etc) my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place to start. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/store/aafsbook.html It’s never too late to find solutions for the anxiety and migraines.
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Hi,
I have an Anxiety disorder that is well controlled with medication. I decided to try Botox recently and after about a week I started having terrible anxiety. It lasted for roughly two weeks and slowly started to return to “my normal”. I consulted a physician and he believes my sensitive nervous system reacted to the Botox as foreign and spiked my anxiety. There was so little online about this side effect. I was happy to come across your article!!
Lilly
Thanks for sharing so we can help create more awareness. Glad your doctor recognized the issue. Hope you’ve now recovered.
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I got my first Botox injections two days ago. I’m 48 and had 30 units injected in my forehead area. While I have a history of anxiety, it is managed and I typically sleep well. The last two nights I’ve struggled with waking and not being able to get back to sleep, and increased worrying. Took a Ativan last night to make sure I get rest, but a little concerned…which is why I searched this site.
Sabra
Per the blog botox can be a trigger for anxiety. There is nothing documented on it’s interaction with benzodiazepines but it’s possible. Hope you’re doing better now
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I have been sick for two years, how are you reaching more people. Your site was save for me, I couldnt find any people suffering and when I found your article I joined the facebook support group. I have all the same symptoms as the other people on there. It gives me comfort but doesnt take away the pain.
Kerri
Sorry to hear but glad the facebook support group provides comfort for you
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I recently had botox for my first time at 37 years. At the 2 week mark, I was sitting in class and bam I felt so lightheaded and dizzy and felt like I was going to faint. Fast forward to today. Almost 3 months later and I still feel the same along with high anxiety and anxiety attacks. I was told it wasn’t from the botox. I was a normal person, living a normal healthy lifestyle and just like that I changed. I feel it is from the botox and I wonder if I will ever feel normal again. I was put on a benzo to help with my anxiety and also developed social anxiety not being able to drive or go to work. I have always been a social butterfly and now my head just isn’t right. I have been admitted with blood work and CT of head with normal results. I am so frustrated and sad and I don’t want to live this way. Thank you for posting this as I am not crazy! Everyone thinks I just developed anxiety over night.
Crystal
You are not crazy. I’m sorry you’re going through this. It is unfortunate benzos are prescribed as these add to the body burden and can create new issues with tolerance and discontinuation syndrome (https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/world-benzodiazepine-awareness-day-say-no-benzodiazepines-anxiety/).
I’d love to see more practitioners recommending GABA, theanine, tryptophan, 5-HTP, melatonin and Seriphos (based on unique needs of each person), in addition to detox protocols. With social anxiety I’d also look into pyroluria as it can be triggered by stress/stressful situations. More on that here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/pyroluria-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
Thank you for writing about this!
My previously healthy 24 year old sister got botox injections for the first time in 2017. She had chronic migraines, and figured why not try 2 birds with one stone- get rid of her first big forehead wrinkle, and see if it did anything for her migraines. Within a few hours she started feeling really jittery and on edge. By the evening, she was having full blown panic attacks, and as asking if Botox could have done this to her. An ER visit that night resulted in being completely dismissed, as well as a phone call to the doctor on call from the place that did the injections. The panic attacks were cyclical- a pattern often seen in the body when sick or in pain. She would feel a wave of panic come up, peak- (sometimes for hours)- and then a noticeable comedown, feel “normalish” or exhausted for a few hours, and then it started all over again. Her PCP at the time was just getting in to functional medicine, and luckily took her really seriously. They prescribed gabapentin 3x daily, xanax (as needed at her worst moments), a clean diet, charcoal in smoothies/supplements, and a ton of water. At her worst points, she would do this panic cycling all day, and peak with feeling suicidal. It was truly chemical, when she “came down” she didn’t even relate to the suicidal feelings. Her husband had to take all of the guns and ammunition out of the house. My dad took a leave of absence from his job because she needed constant care and supervision. She didn’t trust herself. The xanax helped a lot, but she didn’t want to become dependent so she used very sparingly.
I feel very lucky for our family that she made slow and incremental progress to getting better on a similar cycle that would match up with the botox leaving her system. I have heard others were not so lucky. After a few months, the panic attack frequency and severity started to slow down. By five months, they were happening only a few times a week, usually in the evening.
A year later, she was panic attack free- but still deals with a baseline residual anxiety. I consider us fortunate.
Lynn
Thanks for sharing your sister’s story. I’m sorry she went through this but glad she found a doctor to take her issues seriously and has such wonderful family support. It is unfortunate she was prescribed gabapentin and xanax as these add to the body burden and can create new issues with tolerance and discontinuation syndrome (https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/world-benzodiazepine-awareness-day-say-no-benzodiazepines-anxiety/).
I’d love to see more practitioners recommending GABA, theanine, tryptophan, 5-HTP, melatonin and Seriphos (based on unique needs of each person). With her residual anxiety she may want to consider some of these nutritional approaches now.
I had this reaction several years ago. It’s due to the Botox spreading through your central nervous system. The anxiety is caused by your body going into fight or fligh mode due to the activation of your other nervous systems. There is no way to know if/when you will recover since it all depends on how much damage was done to the CNS. Doctors are poorly educated on this and Allergen misleads them and the public on the true numbers of people who have this. It isn’t reported because doctors dismiss it as a psychological issue when it’s a direct result of the toxin damaging the central nervous system. The black box warning on the product states all of this and yet doctors act like they never heard of it before. It also takes a few days to weeks for it to happen so the connection to botox isn’t always made. Finally, they also mislead by saying there hasn’t been a confirmed case of toxin spread when used in therapeutic doses. Well how convenient to say that when no such test to confirm it exsists! It’s criminal what they are getting away with. I had 4 units and suffered for almost 12 months. Even almost 5 years later, I still have residual effects from poison.
I received Botox in my masseter for TMJ in April 2021. That night experienced insomnia, heavy shaking, rapid heart beat, terrible anxiety and panic. Dr’s shrugged. It seems to be getting better as the botox leaves my system but 4 months later (August 2021) I still need to take a beta-blocker to control my heartrate and anxiety. Praying this passes soon. A silver-lining to this experience is that I am finally focusing on my health, eating better, exercising, drinking lots of water, no more caffeine or hard alcohol. I would give anything to not need a RX. I tried stopping the medication last week and my anxiety, panic, and racing heart came back immediately. I’ll try again in a little while to see if the botox is finally out. Glad to have found this information and feeling less alone. Everyone takes about Botox like it’s a harmless miracle product.
Danielle
Thanks for sharing and sorry you’re going through this. Many folks report good results with Seriphos https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/seriphos-original-formula-anxiety-insomnia-cortisol/
You may find this helpful in the future – Tryptophan ends TMJ pain, headaches and worry, and improves mood and sleep: a success story https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/tryptophan-ends-tmj-pain-headaches-and-worry-and-improves-mood-and-sleep-a-success-story/
I received Botox for the first time on may 23rd I had a lip flip of 7 units I had a slight head ache but that was it, I enjoyed my results so much I went back on June 23 rd and had my forehead 20 units done, the next day I noticed I was doing weird things while I was working out with basic motor skills I felt slow, forgetful then by the evening I started having back to back heart palpitations that eventually slowed down, for the first 4-6 weeks I looked sick, couldn’t remember anything and had diarrhea I was also very sensitive to caffeine, as of now the other symptoms have stopped but I’m still have the heart palpitations I’ve been to several doctors and they all tell me the same thing the Botox will wear off and I’ll be fine, I really hope so I’m very scared an anxious, is there anything I can do? Will this be a long term side effects? I just want to live a normal life again .
I had botox in my masseter 1.5 years ago. After a week I started feeling dizzy and slowly anxiety kicked in.
Today I am still suffering from daily anxiety – even though it has been worse.
I think I had some sort of anxiety disorder in me before this happened which just hasn’t fully surfaced yet.
I am also suffering from swollen sinuses ever since this started.
Michael
I’m sorry to hear. I have clients explore low serotonin, low GABA and high cortisol and address each one as needed.
I am curious to hear why masseter botox was recommended? If it was for TMJ, I’d explore low serotonin and parasites
Hi I wanted to give hope to women that have side effects of anxiety, dizziness, headaches right after being injected, the simple answer would be never get botox again but some of us are so silly the way we feel like is there a solution to get what we want both ways! Not for all but for myself I get the onset of symptoms same day and then hopefully they don’t get worse.. but ALWAYS get better when the botox has worn off (2 1/2-4 months) .. I do have a provider that can do per unit- and this is what has changed for me and I hope to recommend- if ur ok without being totally frozen and have an area that drives u crazy I suggest only 10-12 units and see if u don’t get the symptoms! I also had no symptoms with dysport, but it lacks a protein that for me unfortunately doesn’t make change to the muscles, also I’ve worked my way up doing 12 units then more the next time and sometimes this works and as I sit here tonight unfortunately 25 was too much: I will be doing the fallowing; Fiji water, infra red sauna, gaba, glucothion, high dose vitamin D, a liver detox and going to try for the first time ever- meditation with hertz frequency- wish me luck, I hope I’ve helped in some way, I know it can be scary reading some ppls stories but if ur reading this; you will be ok!! Liz
Liz
Thanks for sharing. I still don’t advocate botox and the simple answer is to never get botox again (as you say). It’s not silly to feel the need for cosmetic procedures like botox. For many, addressing low serotonin with tryptophan and 5-HTP boosts confidence and removes fear/worry/anxiety.