CDC is investigating botched Botox injections that hospitalized women in multiple states
The CDC is investigating botched Botox injections that hospitalized women in multiple states.
The agency received reports of 19 women in the U.S. receiving false or mishandled injections of botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, by unlicensed or untrained individuals in non-healthcare settings such as homes and spas.
Nine patients were hospitalized and four were treated with botulism antitoxin because their symptoms were “consistent with the possible spread of toxins.”
The key ingredient in Botox injections, widely loved for their ability to paralyze facial muscles and smooth wrinkles, is botulinum toxin, one of the most toxic biological substances known to man.
Botulism is a neurotoxin that can cause paralysis, breathing difficulties and even death if injected incorrectly or in too high a dose.
The women reported blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, general weakness and difficulty breathing.
Nine patients were hospitalized and four were treated with botulism antitoxin because their symptoms were ‘consistent with the possible spread of toxins’
Botox is generally safe, but complications can arise if it is injected incorrectly or in the wrong dose. Whitney Buha, 34, from Chicago, Illinois, is pictured with a droopy eyelid after getting Botox
States reporting the reactions include Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and Washington.
The key ingredient in Botox injections, widely loved for their ability to paralyze facial muscles and smooth wrinkles, is botulinum toxin, one of the most toxic biological substances known to man.
The CDC, the FDA, and state and local health departments are working together to investigate these reactions.
No deaths have been reported so far.
The patients were between 25 and 59 years old, with a mean age of 39 years. All but one of the women received Botox injections for cosmetic reasons.
Medical conditions that can be treated with Botox include excessive sweating, twitching eyelids, overactive bladder, and chronic migraines.
If you are considering Botox for medical or cosmetic reasons, make sure your provider is licensed and trained to give the injection, and that the product is FDA-approved and comes from a reputable source.
“If in doubt, do not receive the injection,” it added.
To start, the CDC only investigated cases in Illinois and Tennessee, but recently expanded their investigation after receiving further reports.
Last week Ttwo people inside Illinois were hospitalized with facial paralysis and difficulty breathing after being injected with possibly fake Botox.
The LaSalle County patients presented to the hospital with symptoms including blurred or double vision, facial drooping, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and hoarse voice after receiving shots from a nurse “performing work outside her authority.”
FDA-approved Botox is generally considered safe and complications are rare, but the state health department has warned hospitals to ‘be on heightened alert’ for similar cases of a botulism-like illness due to botched injections.
Both patients in Illinois, whom the Illinois Department of Public Health has not identified, were injected by a nurse licensed to practice in the county but not authorized to do so.
The injections were Botox or fake. Health officials haven’t confirmed it either.
If the injections were indeed real Botox, it is possible that the nurse injected too much of it, which could lead to excessive muscle weakness and symptoms consistent with botulism.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said, “Receiving these treatments in an unsanctioned, unsanctioned setting could put you or your loved ones at serious risk for health problems.
“Only seek cosmetic services under the care of licensed professionals trained to perform these procedures and who use FDA-approved products.
‘If you are experiencing health concerns after a recent cosmetic treatment, please contact your healthcare provider immediately for help and assistance.’
Anything labeled Botox that does not come from manufacturer Allergan should be viewed with suspicion.
Legitimate Botox also lists the ingredient OnabotulinumtoxinA, while counterfeits have historically listed Botulinum Toxin Type A.
And while the injections are quick and relatively painless, they can go terribly wrong, resulting in a droopy eye or a chin with bumps and bumps, among other possible negative effects.
The news from Illinois comes just a few days after the Tennessee Department of Health announced his research to possible counterfeit Botox, which caused severe botulism symptoms in four people and landed two of them in hospital.