A Georgia mother is speaking out after a routine beauty treatment turned her world upside down – leaving her paralyzed, bedridden, and feeling like she was “slowly dying.”
In August 2023, Georgia’s Amanda Wolaver paid around $700 for 104 units of Dysport – a Botox alternative she had never tried before – injecting it into her forehead, crow’s feet, and frown lines. Like Botox, Dysport is a powerful neurotoxin derived from botulinum toxin, designed to temporarily paralyze facial muscles and smooth out wrinkles.
The 33-year-old, who had been getting anti-wrinkle injections for a decade with no issues, explained that her beauty routine turned into a medical nightmare.
“I began developing this horrible migraine and thought if I slept it off, it would go away,” she said, per the Mirror. “However, when I woke up the next day, I couldn’t function or string sentences together.”
The woman was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed a CT scan that revealed “nothing was wrong.”
“They told me that it was probably just a severe migraine,” she said. “But soon, my body felt like the floor was being ripped out from underneath me and that I’d collapse.”
Amanda Wolaver tried ‘Botox alternative’
Wolaver was sent home. Over the next 16 months, her health rapidly deteriorated. Everyday tasks – like showering or applying makeup – became challenging.
“As I was essentially a vegetable, unable to move, walk and drive or do anything I love,” said the mom of three, who works as a sales director in Goodhope, Georgia. “My dizziness became so severe that I had to take Xanax to knock me out to sleep. I thought I was slowly dying.
“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.”
Regretting her decision for the 2023 top-up procedure, Wolaver said it “was the worst decision” she’s “ever made.”
“I couldn’t be the mother I wanted for my three children,” she said of her three kids, Landen, 16, Braxton, 11, and Havyn, five.
It wasn’t until $30,000 worth of medical tests and a determined neurologist that Wolaver finally got a diagnosis: iatrogenic botulism – a rare but serious condition caused by botulinum neurotoxins, the ingredient used in cosmetic injections like Dysport, that she tried for the first time.
Mini strokes
According to the CDC, botulism can “happen if too much botulinum toxin is injected for cosmetic reasons, such as for wrinkles,” leading to muscle paralysis, migraine headaches, respiratory issues, or even death.
Wolaver’s MRI also revealed she had suffered transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) – mini-strokes caused by a brief blockage of blood flow to the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic – further compounding the damage.
“To be told I had suffered from multiple small strokes in my brain made me think that this would eventually kill me,” Wolaver said of her painful condition.
Now, Amanda is in slow recovery and with no specific treatment available, her body needs to naturally detoxify over time. Despite the pain, she’s beginning to regain mobility and spend more quality time with her kids and her husband, Josh, 39.
“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,” Wolaver told the Mirror.
Building awareness
After two years and “no promise that [she] will be 100% back to normal,” she is turning her ordeal into a warning for others.
“I want my experience to educate others about botulinum toxins. I learned the cost of beauty the hard way. Now I want to create more awareness about the dangers of botulinum neurotoxins. Hopefully, I can help prevent this from happening to others.”
This harrowing case underscores a sobering truth: even routine beauty treatments can carry serious risks. While Botox-like injections are widely used and generally safe when administered properly, Wolaver’s story is a reminder to always stay informed, ask questions, and never ignore your body’s warning signs.
Have you, or someone you know, experienced any horrifying side effects from cosmetic procedures? Please let us know in the comment section below ,and then share this story so you can help raise awareness!
