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Woman Wants Botox Top-Up Before Vacation—Then Terrifying Symptoms Begin
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. A woman who experienced terrifying side effects from what she thought was a Botox appointment is pleading with others to research the potential risks before getting injected.
Sarah Danielle, 45, is from California, and recently planned to undergo a Botox appointment she'll now never forget—and now she's warning other women .
She told Newsweek she made an appointment for brand-name Botox, but cannot be sure that what she received was brand-name Botox or a generic botulinum toxin injection.
On May 7 this year, Danielle says she attended a Botox appointment ahead of a vacation with her friends, and requested 40 units, just on her forehead. She did not name the clinic, but said it had been administered by a registered nurse.
She later learned that she had actually received 65 units—but at first, everything appeared normal, despite it being more painful than she had experienced before, and noticing small bumps on her forehead, which the nurse practitioner assured her was normal.
As days passed, however, she told Newsweek , she began feeling "alarming" symptoms.
"Blurry vision, difficulty swallowing, itchy eyes, dry mouth, profound fatigue, the feelings of intoxication and muscle weakness," she said. "The situation became scary very quickly."
Danielle, fearing she was having a stroke, rushed to the emergency room—and after multiple visits as her symptoms didn't abate, spent a total of seven nights in the hospital.
She recalled the terror of being taken by ambulance, not knowing what was happening to her, and called her recovery, weeks later, gradual and "emotionally draining."
Danielle said she had asked what the side effects of the procedure could be, but says they "were very much downplayed," and has now encouraged people to do their own research and fully understand the potential risks before going through with an appointment.
Botox injections are common , both for cosmetic reasons and to treat certain medical conditions such as migraines. Botox itself is a brand name for botulinum toxin injections—neurotoxins that affect nerves and cause muscle weakening.
It can cause pain, swelling or bruising at the treatment site, as well as flu-like symptoms and temporary drooping eyelids, according to the Cleveland Clinic. However, rarely, it can also cause more serious symptoms that require medical evaluation.
These include vision problems, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing, slurred speech, numbness or paralysis in an untreated area, severe stomach upset, and blood in the urine.
When contacted for comment, a spokesperson for Botox's parent company, Allergan, directed Newsweek to the Botox Cosmetic product label, which states on-label dosing for the forehead and glabellar lines combined is 40 units.
Forehead Lines Administration: 0.1 mL (4 units) into each of 5 forehead line sites to make a total of 20 units, with 0.1 mL (4 units) into each of 5 glabellar line sites for another total of 20 units, making it a recommended total of 40 units altogether.
Ashton Collins, director of Save Face, a government-approved register in the U.K. that connects people with trusted practitioners for cosmetic treatments, told Newsweek that Danielle's story is not an isolated one, but that in safe hands and using genuine brands, "serious systemic reactions are very rare."
"Where we do see clusters of severe cases, they are disproportionately linked to counterfeit or unlicensed products bought online or imported outside regulated supply chains, or to treatments carried out by people who are not appropriately trained or overseen," Collins said.
Collins explained that in the case of a toxin being incorrectly administered, there is a "risk of the toxin spreading beyond the intended muscles," and called Danielle's symptoms "all red flags for possible systemic botulinum toxin effect, [which] warrant urgent medical assessment."
Danielle had had Botox multiple times before with no issues, but is now warning people to remember that "Botox and neurotoxins, injectables, can be inherently unsafe."
"It’s a gamble in the name of vanity in a lot of cases—such as my own," she said.
"If you are injected and something feels off, especially symptoms like vision changes, trouble swallowing, speaking, or breathing, or unusual weakness, don’t brush it off. Check in with your provider right away, and if symptoms feel severe, seek emergency care."
Collins agrees, warning people to watch for "basic red flags at a clinic level," such as a practitioner increasing the dose beyond what was discussed, or reassuring patients about an unusual reaction without a medical review. Practitioners should also prescribe the units for each individual person, rather than the patient requesting it.
She warned that there is also a "proliferation" of products being passed off as Botox, which may bypass regulatory checks or contain different ingredients.
Collins advised that patients should always ask who the prescriber is, and for their medical registration; ask what exact product is being used, and how any complications will be recognized and managed, and where the patient will be referred if something goes wrong.
Danielle has also shared her story to her TikTok account @hellosarahdanielle in an attempt to raise awareness of what can go wrong.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Sirena Bergman and Emma Lee-Sang
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