Hollows under eyes and cheek droop after Botox

[botoxzombie]

I've gotten BOTOX a few years now. Had one bad reaction in 2007 where it all migrated to one side of my forehead and dropped the brow while the other side had no effect. Doctor said he diluted the product "more than most" doctors. First lesson - BOTOX MIGRATES if over-diluted. Everything cleared up in about 4 months as I was told it would.

Went back to Botox and another doc a year later and was fine for 3 more hits. UNTIL December 2009. Went to new doctor, which may have been my first mistake. Only got injected in forehead and frown lines between brows, not crows feet, not eyes. Driving home I could feel something was off - left eye was stiff. Next morning both eyes were throbbing and dry. So much pressure in them I had to have a book push down on eyeballs to sleep.

3 days later, the beginning of my ongoing nightmare. Black hollowed tear troughs under eyes like I'd been punched. Tender and sore there. Lower eyelid rims bulgey like I'd been crying. Exposed orbital rims on outer corners of eyes that felt hollow to touch. Eyes small and sunken in to my head. I LOOKED LIKE A ZOMBIE. My undereyes were now also baggy with new wrinkles when I smiled. I learned later I had herniated fat pads from the weakening of lower eyelid muscle. To top it off my CHEEKS HAD DROOPED and now bunched out when I smiled, like a chipmunk. They didnt lift at the sides when I smile.

Doctor said it "couldnt happen with Botox" and said I had pink eye or a virus. 3 weeks later he couldnt use that excuse anymore, but he said it "couldnt happen where [he] injected" (I already know Botox migrates). At my 2 month visit he had to admit something was up but said he didnt know "what this is" because even if it ALL migrated there it couldnt do what I was saying because of the amount injected (30 units). As I've learned through more research, this can happen even in small amount (only a few units).

Does this story sound familiar to you? I've been speaking with women all over the web on different discussion boards who have the EXACT same symptoms. Some had crows feet injections, but some like me have not even gone near the eyes or under the brow. Many describe the fat pad herniations as "festoons"... I guess I was lucky mine were just bulges. We are all at different stages waiting for this to wear off, most people are over 6 months now, some at 8. Barely any progress for any of us.

The other common thread is that doctors paint us as halluncinating hysterical females with body dysmorphic disorder who are making stuff up. OR WORSE - YOU ARE TOLD YOU DIDNT NOTICE THESE WRINKLES AND DROOPING YOU ALREADY HAD (ITS AGING!) My before/after pictures certainly dont lie. I haven't even been able to go out in public without glasses.

I've reported my symptoms to Allergan and they said they get these reports alot. Mostly they say, it's due to offlabel use in crows feet. Yes crows feet, is not an approved use for Botox, so they technically do not have to report these events in their label or to doctors. But these side effects are happening. And no one is talking about it. My side effects were not from off label use. And Im hoping more people who have had this happen report their side effects and make some noise with the doctors. Whether you had these events on label or off label use, the medical community needs to stop denying it is happening.

Tomorrow will be 24 weeks for me. I have had no changes other than the eye pain and pressure resolved at 3 weeks. No physical change or improvement.

I need to know there is hope. If you have come through this adverse effect on the other end, let me know how long it took you. If you are going through it now, please know you are not alone. And please report your side effect to Allergan. It is not aging. It is NOT in your head. It IS Botox. They can't keep this quiet for ever.