The CDC is investigating botched Botox injections that have hospitalized women in several states.
The agency received reports of 19 women across the United States who received counterfeit injections of botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, by unlicensed or untrained individuals in non-health care settings, such as homes and spas.
Nine patients were hospitalized and four were treated with botulism antitoxin because their symptoms were “consistent with possible spread of toxins.”
The key ingredient in Botox injections, prized for their ability to paralyze facial muscles and smooth wrinkles, is botulinum toxin, one of the most poisonous biological substances known to man.
Botulism is a neurotoxin that can cause paralysis, difficulty breathing, and even death if injected incorrectly or in too high doses.
The women reported blurred vision, drooping eyelids, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, general weakness, and difficulty breathing.
Nine patients have been hospitalized and four were treated with botulist antitoxin because their symptoms were “consistent with possible spread of toxins.”
Botox is generally safe, but complications can occur if it is injected incorrectly or at the wrong dose. Whitney Buha, 34, from Chicago, Illinois, is pictured with her eyelid drooping after receiving Botox.
States reporting reactions are Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and Washington.
The key ingredient in Botox injections, prized for their ability to paralyze facial muscles and smooth wrinkles, is botulinum toxin, one of the most poisonous biological substances known to man.
The CDC, FDA, and state and local health departments are working together to investigate these reactions.
So far no deaths have been reported.
The patients ranged in age from 25 to 59, with a mean age of 39. All but one of the women were receiving Botox injections for cosmetic reasons.
Medical conditions that can be treated with Botox include excessive sweating, eyelid spasms, overactive bladder, and chronic migraines.
If you are considering Botox for medical or cosmetic reasons, you should verify that your provider is licensed and trained to administer the injection, and that the product is FDA-approved and obtained from a trusted source.
“If in doubt, don’t get the shot,” he added.
To begin with, the CDC was only investigating cases in Illinois and Tennessee, but recently expanded its investigation after receiving more reports.
Last week, youtwo people in Illinois They were hospitalized with facial paralysis and difficulty breathing after being injected with potentially fake substances. botox.
LaSalle County patients came to the hospital with symptoms including blurred or double vision, drooping face, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and a hoarse voice, after being shot by a nurse “who was performing work outside of her authority”.
FDA-approved Botox is generally considered safe and complications are rare, but the state public health agency has hospitals warned “be on high alert” for similar cases of a botulism-like illness caused by 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 have not confirmed this either.
If the injections were, in fact, real Botox, the nurse may have injected too much, which can cause excessive muscle weakness and symptoms consistent with botulism.
Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said, “Receiving these treatments in unlicensed and unapproved settings can put you or your loved ones at serious risk for health problems.”
‘Please only seek cosmetic services under the care of licensed professionals trained to perform these procedures and using FDA-approved products.
“If you have any health concerns after recent cosmetic treatment, please contact your healthcare provider immediately for help and assistance.”
Anything labeled Botox that doesn’t come from the manufacturer Allergan should be met with suspicion.
Legitimate Botox also includes the ingredient OnabotulinumtoxinA, while counterfeits in the past said Botulinum Toxin Type A.
And while the injections are quick and relatively painless, they can go horribly wrong, causing a droopy eye or a bumpy, sunken chin, among other possible negative effects.
The news from Illinois comes just days after the Tennessee Department of Health announced his investigation in potentially counterfeit Botox, which caused severe botulism symptoms in four people and hospitalized two of them.