Can I Take Pain Medication Before Botox?

Botox® is one of our most popular cosmetic treatment options at Longoria OBGYN. Dr. Leonardo A. Longoria and his team can use targeted Botox injections to give you a more youthful appearance, hiding facial lines and wrinkles. Botox injections can even help people who suffer from chronic migraines!

Botox is a safe and effective treatment option. However, it’s not a good idea to pair Botox treatments with some types of medication. Here’s what Dr. Longoria wants his new and existing patients from around the El Paso, Texas, area to know about medications to avoid in the days and weeks prior to your Botox injection appointment.

How Botox works

Botox, derived from the botulism toxin, is used in small doses for injections that stop some of the muscles in your face from contracting. This prevents facial lines and wrinkles from showing up. Used preventively, Botox can even stop facial wrinkles from developing as deeply.

Botox doesn’t help with lines and wrinkles not related to muscle movements, but can be a great option to treat lines across your forehead, between your eyebrows, or at the sides of your mouth. You can combine Botox with injectable dermal fillers like Juvéderm® for a more complete rejuvenative impact.

Your Botox results appear after just 1-2 days, and can last for up to six months. Your results can be maintained with repeat injection treatments as desired.

Medications to avoid before Botox

You won’t need any downtime after your Botox injection appointment. However, side effects like visible swelling or bruising can be worse if you’ve recently taken certain medications before your treatment session.

That’s because blood-thinning (anticoagulant) properties in over-the-counter pain medications like aspirin and ibuprofen make it more difficult for your blood to clot. If your Botox injection needle touches a subdermal blood vessel, blood-thinning medications make bruising much more likely.

In addition to avoiding anticoagulant pain medications before your Botox treatment, you may also want to watch out for antioxidants in the week prior to your injection. Antioxidants can increase blood vessel fragility, and also prevent blood clot formation. Antioxidants can be found in foods and beverages like green tea, red wine, ginger, cinnamon, and fish oil.

Talk to Dr. Longoria about the best Botox prep plan for you. Dr. Longoria can recommend any necessary shifts to your medication or dietary habits for your best Botox results.

What about pain relief during and post-treatment?

If you’re concerned about pain related to your Botox injection treatment, you should know that Botox injections don’t typically require anesthesia, and don’t cause significant discomfort.

You can use acetaminophen to safely manage any post-treatment pain and swelling. You can also ice treated areas for pain and swelling relief. Arnica gel is another good option to use around injection sites in the first 24 hours to reduce bruising.

For the first day or so after your Botox injections, avoid additional facial treatments, vigorous exercise, and sun exposure. You should also continue to not take blood thinners or drink alcohol for the first 24 hours post-treatment for best Botox results.

Learn more about what Botox could do for you by getting in touch with Dr. Longoria today. You can schedule your consultation online, or call our office to book an appointment.