Botox – Information, Uses, Side Effects and Dosage

Drug Trade Name: Botox, Botox Cosmetic

Category: Cosmetic Surgery

Generic Name: onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox)

Introduction and Quick Information:

Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) is made from the bacteria that cause botulism. It is also known as botulinum toxin type A and can block the nerve movement in the muscles causing a short-term paralysis in muscle activity.

Botox is used for the treatment of muscle spasm in the hands and arms, rigorous spasm in the neck muscles, severe underarm sweating (hyperhidrosis), cervical dystonia, and also helps in prevention from chronic migraine headaches. Botox is also used in cosmetic surgeries to treat various skin problems such as wrinkles, fine lines, etc. that are caused because of aging. Also, when used for cosmetic reasons, Botox treatment can cause side effects. 

Is Botox U.S. FDA Approved?                                  

Both, botulinum toxin A (trade name Botox) and botulinum toxin type B were approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) for the treatment of various skin and health-related issues.

Purpose of Using Botox:

Botox is used to relieve the symptoms of cervical dystonia, strabismus, and blepharospasm. It is also used for the treatment of excessivBotox-Botulinum-toxine sweating in adults that cannot be cured by topical skin treatments. Apart from these health issues, it is also used for the treatment of various other issues, these are:

Wrinkles: Botox cosmetic surgery is effective to reduce wrinkles and fine lines from the facial skin.  Medical research has shown that Botox cosmetic surgery can reduce the outer skin problems such as wrinkles, fine lines, puffy eyes etc. effectively.

Frown Lines: Frown lines are common, irrespective of the gender of a person and can be treated by Botox cosmetic surgery. Botox cosmetics are approved by U.S. FDA for treatment of frown lines. For more information regarding this, you can consult any dermatologist or Cosmo surgeon.

Migraine Headaches: Botox also has its application in the treatment of migraine headaches.

Bladder Problems & Incontinence: Various studies suggest that Botox can be effective for the treatment of incontinence and bladder problems.

Crow’s Feet Treatment: Botox can be useful for the treatment of various skin problems including crow’s feet.

Hyperhidrosis: Studies have shown that Botox can be helpful in the treatment of excessive sweating in many patients.

Recommended Dosage of Botox:

Botox comes in powder form to be blended with a liquid which is injected into the skin or muscles by your doctor or surgeon at the required area. Your dermatologist or surgeon will decide the location at which the medicine will be injected so that it can show effective results. Also, If you are using Botox for treatment of frown lines, cervical dystonia, upper limb spasticity, chronic migraine, strabismus, blepharospasm, etc. you might need to go for some additional injection session in every 3 to 5 months, however it depends on your condition and the type of treatment you are going through.

Moreover, if you are using Botox for the treatment of underarm sweating, you may need to get additional Botox injection session in every 5 to 7 months or when your symptoms start to reappear. Botox treatment should be done under the guidance of professional health experts as it can cause some very harmful side-effects. Also, you should follow every instruction given by your doctor or dermatologist in order to avoid negative health consequence and conditions.

Safety Measures for Botox:

You should not go for Botox treatment if you are allergic to botulinum, or if you have any kind of infections or muscle weaknesses in the place where Botox will be injected. Inform your doctor if you have any of the below mentioned health condition:

• Myasthenia gravis
• Lambert-Eaton syndrome
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Have any breathing disorder like emphysema or asthma
• Facial muscle weakness (weak forehead, weary eyelids, trouble lifting your eyebrows)
• Unusual change in the normal appearance of your face
• Bleeding problems
• Heart or related diseases
• Seizure disorders
• Have already done facelift surgery
• Have already taken other Botox injection such as myobloc and disport (particularly during last 4 months)

Discuss these health issues with your doctor, surgeon, or dermatologist before undergoing any Botox treatment.

What If I Miss Botox?

Since Botox is only given by professional healthcare providers at regular intervals under professional supervision, hence missing a dose is not considered harmful.

What If I Overdose Botox?

Botox overdose occurs rarely. Also, in case of overdose, the symptoms don’t appear right away. However, a person can observe symptoms like weak or shallow breathing, trouble swallowing, muscle weakness in case of overdosage of Botox.

Botox’s Risk Increase with Certain Drugs:

Various medications such as allergy or cold medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, irritable bowel medicines, bronchodilators, bladder or urinary medicines can increase or trigger some of the side effects of Botox. Notify your doctor if you use any of the below-mentioned medication on regular basis:

• Antibiotic injections such as amikacin (Amikin, Amikin Pediatric)
• Tobramycin (Tobramycin Sulfate ADD-Vantage)
• Paromomycin (Paromycin, Humatin)
• Kanamycin 
• Gentamicin (Garamycin, Cidomycin)
• Streptomycin
• Neomycin (Neo-Fradin, Neo-Tab) 

However, this list does not include all the drug interactions with Botox, thus it is advised to consult your dermatologist/surgeon for more information about drug interaction with Botox.

Possible Complication of Botox and Botox Side Effects:

Botox treatment can commonly cause various side effects that are very severe. It is advised to seek immediate medical attention if you notice any of the below mentioned side effects after the Botox treatment:

• Hoarse voice, drooping eyelids
• Severe or unusual muscle weakness (especially around injected area)
• Problem with vision
• Trouble with swallowing, breathing, talking
• Drainage or crusting from your eyes
• Uneven heartbeats
• Pain in arms, shoulder, ill feeling, heavy feeling, chest pain
• Dizziness, tired feeling, drowsiness
• Headache, bleeding, redness around injected area
• Cough, sore throat, flu, symptoms, fever
• Nausea, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea stomach pain
• Increased sweating around the area under arms
• Eyelid bruising or swelling
• Muscle stiffness, back and neck pain
• Dry eyes, dry mouth, ringing in your ears
• Watery or itchy eyes
• Increased sensitivity to light

The Botulinum toxin comprises a good amount of Botox that can spread around the areas of the body beyond the area it was injected. Also, it can cause various serious life-threatening side effects. As Botox is a sensitive medical procedure, you should follow every instruction given by your physician or doctor.

Where to Buy Botox?

Botox surgery for wrinkle, frown lines and or other skin issues are generally offered by cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists and considered as an expensive procedure. Apart from this, Botulinum Toxin A is available on every government or FDA approved drug store and you can get it only after you have a prescription.  You can also buy this medicine from online drugs store but from only approved ones since buying this medicine from any other unauthorized place is considered illegal.