Hi Jamie,The difficulty breathing you are describing is typically associated with AB being that, since the vocal folds are generally too far about when they are supposed to abduct (come together), the botox partially paralyzes the muscles that close the vocal folds thereby allowing them to be closer together, and so now that your folds are closer together it doesn't allow for as much of an airspace. They just don't open as far during breathing. This is why many doctors are hesitant to inject both sides of the windpipe (bilateral injection) at the same appointment, due to the potential difficulties in breathing.
Anyway, what you are experiencing is a common side effect associated with botox injections for AB and usually goes away after a few days. You should be receiving a benefit if you are having the breathing issues. When I started getting shots, my voice usually improved 4-5 days post-injection; however, lately it's been a longer wait - this past injection it took closer to 2 weeks until I noticed an improvement. And, I had no side effects at all. Treating for AB is more difficult than for AD, and also individual response from person to person can vary and be inconsistent at times as well. The dosage and placement of botox into the muscle is certainly critical to the results achieved. I hope this helps....best of luck with your voice. Hang in there.
Regards,
Keith
