Botox and MS

The use of Botox in the medical world isn’t only for cosmetic purposes. Other than preventing wrinkles the medication has many other uses, including for people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

We’ll take a brief look at the uses of Botox and MS, in addition to things you should know before getting it.

Is Botox safe for people with MS?

Botox is a well-understood drug that is safe to use regardless of if you have MS or not. It’s used frequently as a way to help manage spasms and spasticity symptoms caused by the disease.

How does Botox help with MS symptoms?

In a nutshell, very small doses of Botox are injected into affected muscles such as the arms or bladder wall. The job of the drug is to bind together nerve endings which aims to reduce the effects of electrical signals being misfired as a result of your MS.

MSers who have this procedure often find it helps with their spasms and spasticity, as well as incontinence when injected in the bladder’s muscle wall. It is used as a supplementary treatment in conjunction with other medications you might be taking.

What you need to know before getting it

Whilst this is a very applicable treatment for many MSers, there are some things you need to know beforehand

It’s not a one-time thing

Even if this treatment is really effective for you, you will have to stay on top of injections. These periods between treatment can range every three to 12 months, but of course there are many factors that can influence this.

It’s not just one injection

Due to how Botox doesn’t really spread at all within the body, the medical professional administering it will have to make multiple injections. The number of injections needed varies, but you could have several, sometimes up to 40 plus injections, in one sitting.

It might be worth asking the practitioner beforehand to gauge the volume of injections if this is something that worries you.

Possible side effects

Like any procedure, it is possible to get some side-effects from having it. It is highly likely you’ll get some bleeding and bruising from the injections – some rarer ones include getting flu-like symptoms.

It might become less effective over time

Doses of Botox can lose their effectiveness the more you have. It’s important to know that what works really well this year might not have exactly the same effects in a few years’ time.

We do have our dedicated choices booklets linked below that go into more detail around Botox in case you’d like to learn more. Just click the buttons below to read more on this topic, or perhaps other areas of multiple sclerosis.