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. It starts next week – tune in to learn more about Botox, Breast Implant Illness, toxins in your cosmetics and so much more. In my interview we also talk 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 (https://nontoxicbeautysummit.com/?idev_id=739) 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?
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