Botox injections could be unsafe - Side Effects - cosmetic wrinkle treatment - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Oct, 2002

Botox (botulinum toxin type A) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for removing facial wrinkles. Botulinum toxin is a purified form of one of the most potent toxins in the world, and while effective in temporarily decreasing wrinkles, it may not be as safe as its users believe. There are no studies on its long-term effects.

According to The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics, while Botox can temporarily reduce or remove frown lines, it could cause eyelid or eyebrow drooping, double vision, reduced blinking, and corneal ulceration. The most-frequently reported adverse effects in clinical studies for treatment of forehead frown lines are headache, respiratory infection, nausea, and flu-like syndrome. These effects are usually transient, but may last several months.

The local injection-site effects of Botox can include facial pain, erythema (redness), edema (swelling), and ecchymosis (purplish bruise). Weakness of muscles near the injection site may occur if the drug spreads in the tissues, and some degree of facial expression might be lost. Another reported effect of forehead injections is severe, intractable headaches lasting for two to four weeks. Complications are more common when Botox is used in the lower face, including drooling, an asymmetrical smile, and repeatedly biting the inside of a flaccid cheek. With injections into the platysma muscle, difficulty in swallowing and changes in vocal pitch may occur. Long-term use can cause reversible denervation atrophy in the injected muscles.