“It’s been three months since I used Botox, and if I could turn back time I would never have started. I feel so stupid that I gave in to it anyway, even though my friends and family say I I could not have foreseen it all. But I should have acted on my first reaction, my feeling immediately told me not to do it. If I had listened to it, it would have saved me a lot of misery and pain.”
“I have been suffering from severe headaches and migraine attacks for at least ten years. This started in my adolescence and still has a major impact on my daily life. If I make an appointment with a friend, I may have to cancel because I have a headache. So many times my plans have been ruined by this and I have missed parties or had to report sick to work. I was disappointed about that.”
Motionless tight forehead
“Three months ago I had an appointment with the neurologist. Over the years I have tried different medications for the headaches, but nothing helped. Then the doctor suggested the possibility of having Botox injected. He said that this could help very well against my complaints. I am not a fan of Botox and immediately said that I was not going to do it. I also don’t like it at all when someone has a stiff, immovable forehead due to Botox. I associate it with vanity and as a remedy for wrinkles, why not? I let me do that as a twenty-seven year old?
But according to my doctor, the Botox would flatten the muscles in my head and that could help with the pressure in my head, which was causing me pain. My migraine attacks were horrible. This is not an ordinary headache that disappears with paracetamol. I often lie flat on bed for a whole day with the curtains closed, because even light causes pain. Because my doctor was so convinced that Botox could help me, I decided to schedule an appointment.”
“Of course I did research in advance. I looked online for information about possible side effects. I read that only one in every thousand people gets an allergic reaction. That worried me a bit, because I am allergic to many things: certain shampoos, creams and perfume, but also nuts and milk. But my doctor said that allergies almost never occur with Botox and that reassured me.”
After fifteen minutes outside again
“The treatment itself was carried out in the hospital by the neurologist and it went well. I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect and I was afraid it would hurt.
That wasn’t too bad. Several injections were made in my forehead and near my eyebrows. After fifteen minutes I was outside again with a feeling of peace. I hoped to finally be free of that headache.”
“Towards the evening I noticed that my eyelids were a bit swollen. I didn’t think about it for very long. But when I woke up the next morning, I could barely open my eyes. They were completely swollen and red, I was shocked I felt bad. I immediately called my doctor. I sent him pictures and later I was allowed to come over.”
“He confirmed that I had an allergic reaction to the Botox. He had never experienced this before, according to him I was just unlucky. Unfortunately, he could not do much for me, the Botox had to wear off on its own and that took about three take months.
Then I panicked. I couldn’t walk around like this for three months, could I? Damn, I thought. I should have just stood my ground and not done this. My feeling said it all, I had ignored it and now I was dealing with the consequences.”
No point in staring
“Apart from the thick eyelids, my head became red and warm, it also started to itch and hurt. My body simply reacts very violently to substances that do not belong there. Ultimately, I had to call in sick for a few days because I was in so much pain and I had difficulty seeing out of my eyes. I was given anti-allergy pills which slowly reduced the swelling slightly, but unfortunately did not disappear completely.
I didn’t go out for weeks because I was ashamed of my appearance and didn’t want to be stared at. Sometimes I was afraid that I would never be the same again.”
“Now there is little visible of the allergic reaction, only in the morning my eyes are still a bit swollen. Hopefully that will disappear soon. I share my story because I hope others learn from this. Do your research, because it is possible is that you will experience a lot of problems if you are sensitive to this, like me – even if you have it done by a good doctor.”
Embracing wrinkles
“I was treated in the hospital, certainly not through a shady offer from someone with no medical experience. And yet it went wrong. I told my doctor that I will never have Botox again. Not even when I get older .I’ll just have to embrace my wrinkles by then.”
For privacy reasons, Eline’s name has been changed.
Don’t want to miss an episode of this section? Then click on the Never Again tag below and then click ‘Follow’ at the top left.
Never again?
Do you also want to tell your story and tell what you ‘never want to experience, do or not do again’? We are curious about your story. Email us at weekendmagazine@rtl.nl
2023-11-03 08:34:59
#Eline #botox #doctor #bad #luck
