Tweaking the Botox dosage
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Posted by: Lynn Yarbrough ®

01/16/2003, 13:07:46
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I got my Botox shots earlier this week and asked the Dr. a couple of questions about dosage. Here's what I learned:

My left and right eyes differ slightly in their responsiveness to Botox. Six months ago my left eye took nearly a month for the dose to take full effect, although the right was at full effect within a week. So I asked if the doses for the left eye could be increased by, say, 10%. No, says the Dr., I can only change the dose, already at 2.5MU, by another 2.5 to 5MU. The only way to go from 2.5 to, say, 3 MU would be to add normal saline to dilute the toxin, which would increase the volume per shot, which would increase the pain level noticeably. That, in my judgement, is not worth it.

The way hypodermics are calibrated and with the dilution my Dr. uses, the only measurable doses are multiples of 2.5 MU. Better adjustment requires more dilution and more volume, thus more pain. Less dilution makes the shots less painful but harder to get more precise dosage. It's an unfortunate tradeoff.

You can get different effects from different injection sites, but not all of these are positive. Siting is a medical art form, I think!

BTW, the major pain is incurred through distending the fatty tissue around the eyes, primarily in the brows. More fat, more pain.

--- Lynn







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Re: Tweaking the Botox dosage/Lynn
Re: Tweaking the Botox dosage -- Lynn Yarbrough Top of Thread Archive
Posted by: Kathy in Oregon ®

01/16/2003, 13:29:18
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This is very interesting , Lynn, and frustrating, but at least you have an answer to why that is so hard to do. I have the same problem ; my left eye being the worst and the most ornery one to control when the botox wears off and the last one to cooperate when it starts becoming fully effective.

So , if, and whenever these new research projects become a reality on patients , the dosage sites will indeed be an art form! Do you think sometimes changing the site could also train the muscles in some way to overcome and compensate for this??

--modified by Kathy in Oregon at Thu, Jan 16, 2003, 13:30:07






Modified by at Thu, Jan 16, 2003, 13:30:07

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Re: Tweaking the Botox dosage
Re: Tweaking the Botox dosage -- Lynn Yarbrough Top of Thread Archive
Posted by: Kelly Saffell ®

01/16/2003, 14:45:13
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That is interesting. My left side is by far the worst as well - both eye and jaw.






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Re: Tweaking the Botox dosage
Re: Re: Tweaking the Botox dosage -- Kelly Saffell Top of Thread Archive
Posted by: debbie campbell ®

01/18/2003, 09:44:53
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My left eye is also the worst. I don't seem to have as much control with or without botox.

Debbie from Canada






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Re: Tweaking the Botox dosage
Re: Re: Tweaking the Botox dosage -- debbie campbell Top of Thread Archive
Posted by: Kathy in Oregon ®

01/18/2003, 10:32:20
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This always makes me think something happened to the right side of my brain, since the left eye is worse.






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