Two people in Illinois were hospitalized with facial paralysis and difficulty breathing after being injected with potentially fake Botox.
Patients in LaSalle County presented to the hospital with symptoms including blurred or double vision, droopy 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.”
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 poisonous biological substances known to man.
Botulism is a neurotoxin that can cause paralysis, difficulty breathing, and even death if injected improperly or in too high a dose.
FDA-approved Botox is generally considered safe and complications are rare, but the state public health agency has hospitals warned to “be on high alert” for similar cases of botulism-like illness from botched injections.
It’s unclear how many people were injected with fake Botox by an unlicensed nurse, but the Illinois Department of Public Health has warned area hospitals to be on high alert for similar cases of botulism-like illness
Botox is usually safe, but complications can occur if injected improperly or in the wrong dose. Whitney Buha, 34, from Chicago, Illinois, is photographed with a drooping eyelid after Botox
Both patients in Illinois, whom the Illinois Department of Public Health has not identified, were injected by a registered nurse in the county who was not authorized to do so.
The injections were either botox or fake. The health authorities have not confirmed either.
If the injections were, in fact, real Botox, it is possible that the nurse injected too much of it, which can lead to excessive muscle weakness and symptoms consistent with botulism.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said, “Taking these treatments in unapproved settings can put you or your loved ones at serious risk for health problems.
“Please seek cosmetic services only under the care of licensed professionals who are trained to perform these procedures and use FDA-approved products.
“If you are experiencing health problems after a recent cosmetic treatment, contact your health care provider immediately for help and assistance.”
Megan Carlisle, 35, posted a video on TikTok showing the effects of Botox which left her chin ‘messy’ with a strange swelling and bulging appearance
Anything labeled Botox and not from the manufacturer Allergan should be viewed with suspicion.
Legitimate Botox also lists the ingredient OnabotulinumtoxinA, while fakes have previously listed Botulinum Toxin Type A.
And while the injections are quick and relatively painless, they can go horribly wrong, leaving one droopy eye or chin marked with bumps and dips, among other potential negative effects.
The news from Illinois comes just days after the Tennessee Department of Health announced his research to potentially counterfeit Botox, which caused severe botulism symptoms in four people and hospitalized two of them.
Tennessee officials said: “Similar botulism-like illnesses have been reported from several states. Ongoing investigation indicates that the product dispensed was counterfeit.
Anyone looking to go under the knife or be on the receiving end of a needle should see a qualified medical practitioner licensed to administer Botox in this condition.
In Illinois, where all of the botulism cases occurred, only doctors and nurses licensed and regulated by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation can administer Botox.
The US market for Botox injections is huge and is projected to grow from about $4.7 billion in 2023 to nearly $6.7 billion by 2030.
The popular procedure that takes a few minutes in a licensed practitioner’s office is usually very safe, with bruising and some pain at the injection site being the most common patient complaints.
Given the incredibly high toxicity of botulinum toxin, syringe doses are usually measured in trillions of a gram and are aimed at carefully selected points on the face to paralyze certain muscles without the substance going into the central nervous system.
But if Botox is injected incorrectly, it could spread to unwanted areas and cause symptoms associated with botulism, a rare but serious disease in which toxins produced by C. botulinum bacteria attack the body’s nerves.
