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Botox® Side Effects

Botox® side effects are finally becoming widely known among American healthcare consumers. Although the makers of Botox® — Allergan, Inc. — have always maintained that Botox® has an excellent safety record, with literally millions of Botox® injections administered each year without problem, there are definitely some dangerous potential side effects of Botox® of which the public should be aware.

Side Effects from Approved and Non-Approved Uses

Botox® injections are most often used to temporarily smooth facial wrinkles by paralyzing the facial muscles that create the wrinkles. Another FDA-approved use for Botox® is as a treatment for excessive underarm sweating (hyperhidrosis). Botox® has also been widely used in non-FDA-approved, "off-label" ways — for example, for spasms around the eyes or in the neck and shoulders (cervical dystonia), and for migraine headaches. Botox® injections to improve muscle contractions and spasms in patients with cerebral palsy have also shown some success.

New Black Box Warning about Side Effects

However, on April 30, 2009, the FDA announced that a new botox black box warning about side effects of Botox® (and similar injectables) will be required. The announcement was based on the FDA's accumulation of reported deaths and hospitalizations linked to botulism poisoning in pediatric (child) patients treated with Botox® for their cerebral palsy.

Deaths and Hospitalizations

In addition, reports of adult patients hospitalized after being treated with Botox® for cervical dystonia or movement disorders contributed to the new FDA requirement. According to the advocacy organization Public Citizen, Botox® treatments are responsible for more than 180 serious adverse events and 16 deaths due to side effects of Botox® in the United States alone.

Side Effect Symptoms

A major potential side effect of Botox® is the spread of the botulinum toxin from the site where it is injected to other locations in the body. The signs and symptoms of this dangerous side effect include:

• blurred vision
• difficulty swallowing
• double vision
• drooping eyelids
• hoarseness or trouble talking
• loss of bladder control
• sudden, unexplained loss of strength (or, muscle weakness)
• trouble breathing
• trouble saying words clearly

If You Have Been Injured from Botox®

Have you or a loved one been injured after receiving Botox®? If so, contact us to speak with an experienced Botox® attorney who specializes in drug recall litigation & lawsuits. Let us help you win the compensation you need and deserve.