Botox Injections Linked to Death

Botox has long been used as a cosmetic enhancer to fight wrinkles and aging. However, the Food and Drug Administration has put a new warning on the drug, saying that it can cause serious side effects, including death.

Botox works because of a chemical called botulinum toxin. This toxin causes the nerves surrounding the site where it was injected to relax, which is used to minimize wrinkles. Their investigation is revealing that the botulinum toxin can spread to places outside of the injection site. As this toxin spreads, breathing and swallowing can become difficult, resulting in death in some cases.

Aside from fighting wrinkles, Botox is also used to treat conditions like cerebral palsy, severe neck spasms or other conditions with muscle spasms. The deaths the Food and Drug Administration are currently investigating all involve children being treated for disorders such as those. The Food and Drug Administration never gave Botox a formal approval for use in children as a muscle spasm treatment, but in certain countries outside of the United States it has been approved.

Although the main focus of their investigation is in children, the Food and Drug Administration says that Botox can pose as a threat to people of all ages. There is another reported case of an elderly woman being hospitalized after receiving Botox injections in her forehead.

The current number of cases being investigated is not known, however it must be fairly significant for the Food and Drug Administration to publicly announce the dangers of Botox. The Public Citizen Organization petitioned the Food and Drug Administration for a stronger warning on Botox, claiming there have been 180 people hospitalized after injections and 16 deaths.

In a response, the Food and Drug Administration announced that anyone who receives Botox injections, regardless of if it's for medical or cosmetic purposes, should seek immediate medical care if they feel any symptoms of botulism: difficulty breathing, swallowing, slurred speech and muscle weakness.

Many advocates for the Public Citizen Organization are not satisfied with this response. Doctor Sidney Wolfe stated that this warning was much too mild for a drug that can have such serious consequences, and asks that the Food and Drug Administration issue a black-box warning for Botox; the strongest warning the offer.