PPublic health officials are warning about the dangers of counterfeit Botox products, which have been circulating and causing illness in several U.S. states.
On Friday, April 18, 22 people in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Washington reported adverse reactions to a counterfeit version of Botox (botulinum toxin). All individuals are female, aged between 25 and 59 years.
Symptoms of fake Botox include blurred or double vision, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, constipation, incontinence, shortness of breath, weakness, and difficulty lifting the head after injecting these products. The symptoms are similar to those seen when botulisma rare and serious disease caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves and spreads to other parts of the body.
Eleven of the affected individuals were hospitalized and six were treated with botulism antitoxin due to concerns that the counterfeit botulinum toxin had spread beyond the injection site. All but one of the individuals received the treatment for cosmetic purposes, and all of the victims reported receiving these injections from unlicensed or untrained individuals or in non-health care settings.
The issue is two-fold, says Scot Bradley Glasberg, president of The Plastic Surgery Foundation – low-cost products produced on the counterfeit market lack regulation and oversight and often end up in the hands of individuals who are not properly trained to administer them. “This doesn’t just apply to a product like Botox,” Glasberg tells TIME.
He adds that many counterfeit drugs are manufactured abroad and smuggled into the U.S., an issue the Federal Drug Administration is addressing. working to neutralize. (The CDC, FDA, and several state and local health departments are investigating the origin of counterfeit Botox, but say they appear to have been purchased from unlicensed sources and may be “misbranded, adulterated, counterfeit, contaminated, improperly stored and transported, ineffective and/or unsafe.”)
“This is a health issue. As the cost of medicines has increased, there is a natural tendency to try to get them cheaper, and the way to make them cheaper is to get them abroad,” says Glasberg.
The reported illnesses highlight the need to treat Botox as seriously as any other medical procedure and ensure you are working with a reputable provider.
“Everyone thinks Botox is such an easy procedure, but everything has some risks. You want to know it’s in the right hands,” he says.
Even Botox injections performed by a professional – and with the appropriate medication – have their risks.
“Just injecting Botox in the wrong place also has associated complications,” says Glasberg, who notes that complications can include paralysis of the muscles if Botox is injected in the wrong place.
The CDC recommends that individuals considering Botox injections confirm that a provider is licensed and trained to administer the injection and that the product is FDA-approved and obtained from a reputable source. The American Academy of Dermatology has a search tool to help patients find a certified provider near them.
“You shouldn’t just look for someone you see an ad for online,” says Glasberg.
He adds that deals that seem too good to be true could be that. “[If] you want to save a little and save money on your car, or something like that, that’s fine, but this is your life. This is your body. It’s not an area to try to save a lot of money.”
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
