The Scoop

Starting earlier this year I had an experience that I wanted to share, thinking it might be beneficial to other women and men. It’s sort of a long post but if you are interested in a Xeomin (Botox type of toxin) gone wrong story, read on.

I shared this story in my newsletter last Sunday and the response encouraged me to share it with the larger audience of my blog.

This is my story only. I am not advocating for or against these products.

I wanted to look less tired

Last December my PA recommended Xeomin and I got the injections for the lines in my forehead and around my eyes. It smoothed out the lines beautifully but within two weeks I had joint pain in both my knees and in both my elbows. This was something I had not really experienced before.

I wasn't told joint pain was a possible side effect so didn't connect the two. I continued my yoga and runs and tried to eat really well and even gave up my wine thinking it might be arthritis or something worse. I even considered it might be an autoimmune disease. Four months later I went in for the injections again (the recommended time) still not getting the connection. Within a couple of weeks my joint pain was so bad I couldn't sleep at night. I couldn't get up and down off the floor to do my yoga without pain or sit cross legged on the floor the way I had always been able to.

I started researching and couldn't find anything that aligned with my symptoms until I dug down deep in the research and found that it was a symptom of Xeomin. It was like a light went on in my head. I let the Xeomin leave my system which took about four months and with each month my joint pain lessened.

Separately I started having trouble with an old running injury so decided to go see my regular sports medicine doctor who had helped me before. I told him this whole story and he said my instincts were exactly right. He said these products have not been tested enough and that no one really knows what short or long term effects are. Some people have no issues that they know of and others have all sorts of issues but have no idea of the connection to the toxins that Botox, Xeomin and similar drugs put into their bodies.

My doctor is not at all against using these products and wasn't trying to turn me off on it, he was just being matter of fact. I appreciated his straight forwardness. He said that they really have no idea how many people have problems because there is no real systematic way to collect data and that many times it is not even reported because there is no way to report outside of telling your injection tech or doctor and most of them don't formally track.

Anyway, the toxin is mostly out of my body now. I can tell because all the movement is back in my face and my joint pain has almost completely gone. I am no longer getting any kind of injections.

X-rays showed I have no arthritis. My doctor said before he took the x-rays that it wasn't arthritis. He said there was no disease that had sudden onset of joint pain in both knees and both elbows at the same time. He was as sure as I was that it was the toxins from Xeomin. Especially since the pain correlated with when I got the injections and when the toxins wore off.

The Xeomin made me look refreshed, less tired and less wrinkled. But it is not worth the pain I experienced so I'll accept my wrinkles happily. I am so grateful for a healthy body and I hope to never risk damaging it again. There is no guarantee that I didn’t cause some permanent damage.

Long post I know but I want others to at least be aware that not everyone can tolerate these products. Many people providing the injections are not aware of all the side effects and many think there are none. They will say side effects are rare. And most do not verbally discuss all the possible side effects which can be worse than my joint pain.

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Thanks for stopping by!

Peace!