Botox for injection contains minute quantities of botulinum toxin A. It is used cosmetically to prevent wrinkles and is used medically to treat muscle spasms and movement disorders. It acts by preventing neural stimulation of muscles. It is only effective for 3 to 4 months and injections must be repeated. An analysis of 36 studies in a 2004 article in the journal "Current Medical Research and Opinion" reports that Botox injections caused mild to moderate adverse effects in approximately 25 percent of treated patients while adverse effects were reported in 15 percent of untreated control patients. The majority of reported adverse effects have occurred in people that were treated for medical reasons and not in those that received Botox injections for cosmetic purposes.
Muscle Weakness
The review in "Current Medical Research and Opinion" reports that the most commonly reported adverse effect of Botox injection is muscle weakness. Botox injection can exacerbate swallowing and breathing problems by weakening muscles used in these bodily processes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's official label for Botox reports that between 1 and 10 percent of patients that already had decreased lung function experienced a loss in breathing volume after Botox injection, although this was not significantly higher than the occurrence of decreased lung function in patients taking placebo. The FDA also reports that nearly 20 percent of people treated for chronic neck movement disorders experienced problems swallowing after Botox injections.
Headaches
According to the FDA official label for Botox, 11 percent of people treated with Botox injections for chronic muscle spasms in the neck experienced neck pain and 10 percent reported headaches.
Flu-like Symptoms
Rarely, flu-like symptoms following a Botox injection are reported, according to the FDA. Flu-like symptoms include fever, chills, sore throat, dry mouth, nausea and fatigue. The FDA reports that respiratory infections occurred in 11 percent of patients treated with Botox injections for upper limb spasticity.
Pain and Bruising
The FDA reports that at the injection site, people may experience pain, bruising, swelling and sometimes localized infection.
Eye Injury
In people treated for eye disorders, such as strabismus, orbital hemorrhage and corneal ulceration have infrequently occurred. The FDA reports that in a series of more than 5000 Botox injections, orbital hemorrhage occurred in 0.3 percent of cases. Less serious effects to the eye and surrounding muscles include drooping eyelids and double vision, which may indicate spread of the toxin to surrounding muscles.
Allergic Reactions
The FDA reports that serious allergic reactions have sometimes occurred after Botox injections. The hypersensitivity reactions included anaphylaxis, serum sickness, skin rash, swelling and shortness of breath.
Warning
The FDA official label for Botox warns that botulinum toxin may spread from the area of injection to cause more serious deficits in muscle movement. The most life threatening of the muscle movement deficits may result in swallowing and breathing difficulties.
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