Treats uncontrollable muscle movements or paralysis in the neck (cervical dystonia), eyelids (blepharospasm), or around the eyes (strabismus). Also used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles between the eyebrows
Brand Names:
Botox, Botox Cosmetic
Contraindications:
You should not receive this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to botulinum toxin, or if you have an infection where the shot will be given
Uses:
Injectable
Your doctor will prescribe your exact dose and tell you how often it should be given. This medicine is given as a shot into a muscle around your eye or neck, or along your eyebrow.
You may be given medicine to numb the area where the shot will be injected.
This medicine works gradually. Most people notice an improvement beginning 1 day to 2 weeks after the injection, depending on what condition is being treated. Once you reach peak improvement in your condition, the effects of the medicine will slowly decrease. This cycle usually lasts about 3 months.
If a dose is missed:
Call your doctor or pharmacist for instructions.
Special precautions:
Before taking, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any medications. tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart failure or liver disease. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking, call your doctor
Make sure your doctor knows if you are also using an antibiotic (such as clindamycin, gentamicin, neomycin, polymixin B, streptomycin, tobramycin, Cortisporin®, Garamycin®, Neosporin®, Tobrex®), medicine to treat Alzheimer's disease (such as tacrine, Cognex®, Exelon®, Aricept®), quinidine (Cardioquin®, Quinaglute®, Quinidex®), or magnesium sulfate.
Tell your doctor if you have received botulinum toxin for any reason in the past several months.
Warnings:
Make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have any kind of nerve or nerve-muscle problem (such as myasthenia gravis or Lou Gehrig's disease) or heart disease.
Before you receive an injection, tell your doctor if you have had any kind of face, eye, head, or neck surgery, or if you currently have any unusual muscle pain or weakness.
Your doctor may need to check your progress 7 to 14 days after your treatment. Be sure to keep all appointments.
If you are receiving this medicine for dystonia and you have been inactive, be careful to resume your activities slowly.
Side Effects:
Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in face or hands, swelling or tingling in the mouth or throat, tightness in chest, trouble breathing
Bleeding, bruising, or swelling in or around your eye
Eye pain
Irregular heartbeat, chest pain
Severe trouble swallowing, breathing, or speaking
Trouble seeing
Double vision, trouble judging depth or distance
Drooping eyelid, dry eyes, watery eyes
Fainting
Headache, neck pain
Mild sneezing, stuffy nose, cough, muscle aches
Nausea
Redness, pain, bruising, or swelling where the shot was given
Unusual weakness in other muscles (not where the shot was given)
