Meet your new favorite natural beauty guru, Jamie McGuire – aka @JamieAnneAesthetics. She’s not your typical aesthetician from Los Angeles – she follows an animal-based diet, finds the root cause of her clients’ skin concerns through detailed labs, and she’ll even convince you that meat cereal is a thing you need to try (her recipe is still viral for a reason.)
And unlike other influencers online, Jamie doesn’t gate keep any of the beauty treatments she’s done in the past. Botox, filler – she’s completely transparent about her aesthetic procedures to her following. And recently, she shared her not-so-pleasant experience with Botox.
After weeks of debilitating symptoms post-injection, she was diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) – a rare condition that causes random and recurring episodes of severe autoimmune and allergic reactions throughout the body.
After seeing Jamie talk about it on Instagram, I did some research on Botox poisoning and side effects. I’ve personally gotten Botox in the past (back before I got pregnant) and never in a million years did I consider the potential side effects. I mean everyone does it, so it’s gotta be safe, right?
To my surprise, I immediately came across dozens of support groups filled with testimonies of people’s adverse reactions from Botox and other brand names. Botulism, MCAS, blurry vision, trouble swallowing and chewing, panic attacks, dizziness, complete facial and limb paralysis just to list a few. For many of these patients, these symptoms have lasted for months. Months. And some of them are still experiencing the adverse effects years later.
I immediately reached out to Jamie to see if she’d be willing to share her story and shed the light on this topic. Jamie and I both agree – we’re not here to tell you to not get Botox. But having informed decision making – and knowing all the risks and real-life experiences – should always be a part of any medical treatment.
In this Q+A, Jamie and I talk about how it happened, what her symptoms were and what natural treatments she’s doing in her routine moving forward.
Prior to this past Botox experience, what were your thoughts on Botox as an aesthetician?
Jamie: I have to be open and honest, I loved it. It absolutely played a preventative role and I have to give credit where credit is due. I was getting Botox for almost 10 years, and in the recent years I started slowly getting it less often. I was trying to push it to 4 months and cut back on the amount of units. And as an aesthetician, I always had a very realistic approach with my clients whose main skincare goals were to “get rid of wrinkles”.
The truth is, there is no miracle cream or magic facial that will get rid of a wrinkle. You can slow it down and temporarily soften lines, but Botox was something that I was an advocate for when it came to what would truly “get rid of a wrinkle”. With all that being said, that is not where I stand with Botox today.
What were the first symptoms you noticed after your Botox treatment that made you suspect something was wrong?
Jamie: Intense panic attacks and dissociation. I felt like I wasn’t in my body. I didn’t leave my house once for 14 days. I would have to be laying down most of the time because it was too exhausting to stand. My eyes were strained and dry so it was hard to focus on something for a long period of time. My tongue was so swollen, white and would push against my teeth to a painful point. I had debilitating brain fog and fatigue. My breasts were so swollen and painfully sore for weeks. It was hard for me to talk for any length of time, I would get a hoarse voice and felt like I couldn’t swallow. It was hard to take a deep breath and I would sometimes struggle to breathe.
I thought I needed to go to the emergency room at least 2 times a day because “something was wrong”. I had such low blood pressure and I was so weak that parts of my body would feel like they were going numb. When I would try to fall asleep I felt like I was blacking out which would cause me to go into a panic. There were nights when I was genuinely scared that I was going to die in my sleep. I got to a point when with my panic attacks that I started to accept the thought of dying. I would tell myself, “If this is how I die then this is what was meant to happen.” I know that sounds dark, but that is how out of control and scary my thoughts were and what my body was going through. I thought this was going to be how I would feel forever.
How did you come to the conclusion you were suffering symptoms of MCAS?
Jamie: Since I wasn’t able to do anything besides lay in bed all day, my sweet boyfriend did a ton of research on my symptoms and botox poisoning. He found a few facebook groups and websites that talk all about botox poisoning & MCAS, and all with similar or worse symptoms to mine. We did a deep dive into MCAS itself and it was everything I had been experiencing – and soooo many of my symptoms were being triggered because of certain histamine responses I was having. Although I eat extremely healthy, I was eating some foods that were high in histamines and what were triggering some of these intense reactions. We looked at some of the treatments others were recommending to manage MCAS symptoms – some of which were over the counter allergy meds. I hate taking medications, but I was desperate. They did help and I was only taking them in worst case scenarios when needed.
What treatments, diet, or lifestyle changes have you made to help manage your MCAS?
Jamie: Luckily my diet was already very good, but now I had to avoid high histamine foods. For over 3 months I would eat the same foods and I believe that to have been what truly healed me. It was a very strict animal based diet that consisted of: grass-fed finished meat, pasture raised corn and soy free eggs, organic apples, grass fed butter, salt and some organic dijon mustard. And before you ask, no, nothing else. No drink other than water, no other foods, nothing other than those foods. Towards the end of doing this diet for 3 months I started to slowly add in some pecans (¼ cup), macadamia nuts (¼ cup), garlic, onion, and some seasonal fruit like zucchini and peaches. Today I am still introducing more foods and so far I have been fine with no reactions which is very exciting because I love food and love to cook so I can’t wait to get back on my usual meal plan.
As far as the rest of my lifestyle adjustments, I had to make changes there as well. When this all happened we were in the middle of a move from Los Angeles – Oklahoma, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time/best time. Worst timing because trying to move when you feel like a zombie and having panic attacks left and right is not ideal to be moving across the country. But best timing because I needed to get out of toxic LA and heal my body. I had to detoxify and get down to the bare minimum. I didn’t wear makeup for months, didn’t wear deodorant, got rid of my gel nails and polish & didn’t have my hair colored. I have also taken a ton of different tests, supplements, and health recovery treatments like; EESystem, Ozone Therapy, PEMF daily, Hyperbaric, Acupuncture, Magnesphere, Peptides, etc – all to help boost my immune system and reduce inflammation which are the most important things to focus on when trying to heal, but also for overall optimal health.
How has this experience with Botox and MCAS changed your approach to wellness and beauty treatments?
Jamie: As someone who already considered themselves extremely healthy, this was a very scary and frustrating circumstance that literally changed my life. And there are so many out there that have it so much worse than I did and I can not imagine. How can you take care of your kids like this? How can you get up and go into work everyday? People who don’t have a spouse or partner left alone with these thoughts of “I am dying” and having to go to the emergency room over and over to get no answers and not know how to fix or heal yourself.
I think it’s safe to say that I am done with toxic injectables. That’s not to say that I won’t consider a face lift one day! But until then, I am experimenting with non toxic treatments. I recently tried face taping and after getting annoyed with it the first few times, I really like it now. I have also tried cosmetic acupuncture and have been doing a lot of gua sha and face massage at home. I also have realized that it is exhausting trying to fight age, and I’m over it. I’m 42, and it’s not going to be the same as it was even a year ago. I want to get comfortable with aging and the changes that come with it without driving myself crazy trying to fight the natural progression.
What advice would you give to others considering Botox, especially in light of your experience with MCAS?
Jamie: It’s not worth it. As I mentioned before, I can not imagine the people out there who have dealt with worse experiences than me – I had it mild compared to what I have heard and seen from others. If I knew then what I know now, I would have started face tapping and doing face massage in my 20’s, ate red meat and drank raw milk everyday, used less toxic products, not have had 2 breast augmentations, avoided all seed oils and processed foods, and focused a lot more on my health early on as a way to slow down aging. That is what I would recommend to anyone else out there who is considering getting botox or stopping it. It is absolutely not worth it, and with how toxic our world is today, it’s not a matter of IF you will get botox poisoning, it’s a matter of WHEN.
About Jamie
As a licensed esthetician and gut health nutrition specialist, Jamie’s philosophy on the skin is centered on the idea that achieving radiant and youthful-looking skin starts from within. She believes that the key to achieving healthy skin is by connecting beauty, environment, and well-being. Her unique approach to skincare includes an emphasis on gut health, food, and eating habits.
Combining her personal passion for wellness with her professional experience at Los Angeles’ finest medical aesthetics establishments, Jamie has developed a unique approach to skincare that nurtures from within.
Since 2013 Jamie has taken over the esthetics industry. Over the years Jamie has worked with dozens of celebrities to get them red carpet ready. She has developed a unique approach to skincare, believing that obtaining amazing skin starts from the inside. Using her in-depth personal knowledge of health and wellness, she has created a one-of-a-kind experience to help her clients achieve real results. Her treatments are not your average spa facial, they are focused on correcting, treating, and preventing. From start to finish she works with each client, curating and customizing every detail, from your diet to your at-home skin care products and protocols.
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