33 years old Amanda Wolaver has been a long term user of anti-wrinkle treatments and botox but had an extremely traumatic experience after her latest session. It led to her having “severe” headaches and she felt like she was “slowly dying” after she took those cosmetic injections.
The next day after receiving the injections, she went to the hospital as she was almost unable to move. However, her CT scan did not reveal any problem with her body but she continued to suffer. As she came back home and days went by, her condition started to get even worse and doing simple daily activities including applying makeup became a task for her.
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It was only after months that an MRI revealed that she had undergone TIA strokes. She was eventually diagnosed with iatrogenic botulism, an uncommon neuromuscular disorder that is triggered by botulinum neurotoxins – the same substance used in Botox treatments, as reported by The Mirror US.
Unfortunately, there is no direct cure for her condition and thus she has to rely on the natural process of the toxins getting out of her body. Talking about the nightmarish experience, Amada said, “It’s almost been two years and I still don’t feel normal. Never did I think this might happen to me.”
She further added, “It was the worst decision I’ve ever made. I couldn’t be the mother I wanted for my three children, Landen, 16, Braxton, 11, and Havyn, five. I want my experience to educate others about botulinum toxins. I learned the cost of beauty the hard way.”
She also highlighted how she has been incapable of doing simple activities like walking, driving, or frequent movements because of the after effects of those cosmetic injections. She mentioned that her husband, Josh, who is 39 years old, stood by her side through the whole ordeal and continues doing so.
In August 2023, Amanda had thought of trying an alternative Botox method and spending $700, she got 104 units of Dysport, which was an alternative to botox but had never been used by her previously. These were administered into her forehead, crow’s feet, and eleven lines.
However, the problems started after that. Recounting her experience, Amanda said, “I began developing this horrible migraine and thought if I slept it off, it would go away. However, when I woke up the next day, I couldn’t function or string sentences together.”
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It should be noted here that both Dysport and Botox are neurotoxins that prevent muscle contractions to smooth out wrinkles and are derived from botulinum toxin, as The Mirror US reported. Interestingly, when Amanda first sought medical help following her extreme reaction after those injections, she was told that it had nothing to do with her treatment.
Amanda said, “They told me that it was probably just a severe migraine. But soon, my body felt like the floor was being ripped out from underneath me and that I’d collapse. My dizziness became so severe that I had to take Xanax to knock me out to sleep. I thought I was slowly dying.”
Ultimately, after countless hospital visits and numerous tests, Amanda was finally told that she had suffered multiple TIA strokes. She said, “That knocked me back. To be told I had suffered from multiple small strokes in my brain made me think that this would eventually kill me.”
Her pain hampered her ability to speak and she further added, “My life was essentially ruined. I lost friends and couldn’t hang out with my family, as loud noises and strong smells would trigger my dizziness. So I couldn’t even cook my kids’ dinner or clean the house.”
Ultimately, it was in 2025 that Amada was finally diagnosed with iatrogenic botulism, which confirmed that her whole ordeal was indeed connected to those injections. While she felt good to know what went wrong with her and how, the fact that there is no guarantee of a 100% normal life, still troubles her.
She said, “I still get the occasional dizziness and I have changed my diet completely to make sure nothing bad is going in me. I’ve cut out caffeine, soda, and even had my breast implants taken out in April to allow my body to detoxify itself. I don’t care about my wrinkles at all now and I’m getting more active and able to do more things with my family.”
She further added, “But now I want to create more awareness about the dangers of botulinum neurotoxins. Hopefully, I can help prevent this from happening to others.”
