A Texas woman took to Instagram and TikTok to share the harrowing experience of severe complications she faced after receiving Botox injections for migraine relief Feb. 17.
Alicia Hallock, a 35-year-old social media influencer with a following on TikTok and Instagram under the handle @alihallock, opened up about a health crisis that landed her in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Hallock said she got Botox injections as a treatment for her chronic migraines. However, she apparently faced a complication from the procedure.
Hallock detailed the onset of rare side effects from the injections on Instagram. “I ended up having a rare complication from my Botox injections for my migraines,” she wrote on Instagram. “It spread to muscles in my neck and now it’s created many issues. My eyelids are droopy, causing a lot of pressure, blurry vision, and dizziness.”
@alihallock I was admitted to the hospital four days ago. But, it’s been a very scary 12 days to say the least. I ended up having a rare complication from my Botox injections for my migraines. It spread to muscles in my neck and now it’s created many issues. My eyelids are droopy, causing a lot of pressure, blurry vision, and dizziness. The muscles in my neck are essentially paralyzed so I can’t lift my own head. I have to wear a neck brace to help hold my head upright. I just kind of bobble around without it. It’s also caused dysphagia, which has been the scariest part of all this. I experienced a couple of days where I was choking on sips of water and even my own saliva. They gave me the botulism anti toxin that was sent here from the CDC, we’ll see how things look today and decide if they want to do a second dose or not. It won’t actually reverse aything that’s already bonded to the muscle, but it can prevent things from getting worse. They placed an NJ tube and started feeding me meds and nutrition through the feeding tube. It’s absolutely miserable, but it’s also been really helpful. I am absolutely miserable. I would rather do my lung surgery 5X over than ever walk through what I’m walking through now. This has been horrifying and scary, and completely defeating. There have been times when I’ve sobbed hysterically and told Brian, my mom, and my nurses, I don’t know how to walk through this. I don’t think I can. I am currently NPO because I’m having an incredibly difficult time swallowing still. I currently have two IV’s and they’re running all the things. Unfortunately, this can take weeks to months to wear off!😭 I just can’t wait to be on the other side of this, to see normally again, eat & drink regular food, and hold my own head up!! I will update as anything changes.♥️ #botoxformigraines #complication #botoxinjections ♬ original sound – alihallock
“The muscles in my neck are essentially paralyzed so I can’t lift my own head. I have to wear a neck brace to help hold my head upright. I just kind of bobble around without it,” Hallock continued. “It’s also caused dysphagia, which has been the scariest part of all this. I experienced a couple of days where I was choking on sips of water and even my own saliva.” (RELATED: Apparently It’s Easier To Get Bladder Surgery And Botox Than To Pee During Long Drives To The Hamptons)
She posted an update on TikTok where removed her neck brace to show the extent of her condition. “They placed an NJ tube and started feeding me meds and nutrition through the feeding tube. It’s absolutely miserable, but it’s also been really helpful,” she wrote in the video caption . “I am absolutely miserable. I would rather do my lung surgery 5X over than ever walk through what I’m walking through now.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Botox as a therapeutic option for “chronic migraines,” which are characterized by headaches that happen on 15 or more days each month, according to the American Migraine Foundation. This treatment entails administering Botox injections into the head and neck muscles to block the pathways that transmit pain signals, the organization said.
Botox, while FDA-approved for the treatment of chronic migraines through injections around the head and neck to block pain pathways, can cause botulism if the toxin spreads beyond the target area, the American Migraine Foundation stated. This condition can lead to progressive muscle paralysis, as warned by the FDA.