Botox Shots

Meredith & Mark- Courtney spent 24 plus hours in ICU at Children's Hospital and than another night and day on a regular floor. On May 13th, Courtney received BOTOX shots in her legs to loosen her muscles. She received three shots in each leg. The shot is FDA approved, etc. Courtney grew three inches and because of the growth spurt was getting very tight in her legs and having possible contractors. So, after reading the material, listening to her orthopedics, and speaking with others that have used the shot we figured we would try it to prevent possible surgery. On May 20th, one week after receiving the injections, Courtney started to become somewhat floppy. As the week went on, the condition became worse. By Thursday, she had lost the majority of her head and neck control and was now choking on food and her own secretions.

On Friday, the 24th, we went into Brighton to see her team of doctors for an emergency visit. Needless to say, they were scared and shocked. There have been no reported cases of Botox having this affect. Also, with her SMA condition, you just don't loose excellent head and neck control. They had us taken out by ambulance with one doctor and two nurses from Children's, along with the EMS crew. She was then admitted to ICU. Courtney was at her worst on Friday. We couldn't believe what was happen to her. She was having a very hard time breathing, swallowing and was choking. If Courtney had not of improved, the next step was going to have to be intubation; and with her condition, intubation sometimes means there will be no extubation because of how weak her respiratory system is. The doctors were baffled. Her chest was clear, her O2 levels remained 99 and 100, her bloods were fine and all of her vitals were great. The doctors did agree that it could be from the Botox but said that there was no way of proving it or getting the deadly bacteria out of her body. The Botox injection is just to loosen the muscle that it is injected into. On Saturday, her condition improved. She was eating and not choking and her swallowing seemed to have improved. She was still not a 100% as far a strength, etc. but there had been improvement. We were then moved up to a regular floor at dinnertime. The team of doctors up on the regular floor all agreed to she had Botox toxicity. It peaks from 10-21 days after an injection. She peaked from 8-12 days, Thursday and Friday being her worst. Her immune system was too weak to fight to injection and caused the injection to take over her body. They say she will only improve and will not worsen again and that we are out of the danger zone. There is no way to prove that it was the Botox, but it is the only new thing in her life and the only logical explanation for what happened. One doctor found a reported case of a man that had the same problem as Courtney.

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