The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an official health alert Tuesday warning of reports of fake Botox injections who brought some patients to the hospital.
Working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state and local health officials, the CDC said it is investigating a total of 22 cases in 11 states from November 2023 to March 2024.
Cases have so far been reported in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Washington – all affecting women between 25 and 59 years old.
WHAT EXACTLY IS BOTOX?
The women experienced “adverse effects” after receiving an injection of “counterfeit botulinum toxin,” the alert states.
The injections were all administered by “unlicensed or untrained individuals” or in “non-health care settings, such as homes or spas.”
The CDC issued an official health alert this week warning of fake Botox injections that have landed some patients in the hospital. (Getty)
Symptoms reported by women included Blurred visiondrooping eyelids, dry mouth, fatigue, slurred speech, general weakness and shortness of breath.
Of the 22 cases, 11 women were hospitalized.
None of the cases met the “botulism case definition,” the CDC noted.
No deaths have been reported.
What is botulism?
Botulism is a “serious and sometimes fatal” illness that occurs when a toxin attacks the body’s nerves, according to the CDC.
Early symptoms usually include muscle weakness around the eyes, face, mouth and throat, which can also spread to the neck, arms, torso and legs.
Other symptoms may include blurred or double vision, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, and difficulty moving the eyes.
It is possible that some people have some of these symptoms without having botulism.
“What is particularly worrying are the breathing problems that some experience,” Dr. Salar Hazany, a board-certified dermatologist and reconstructive surgeon at the Scar Healing Institute in Beverly Hills, told Fox News Digital.
“If the wrong patient starts having difficulty breathing, it could be fatal.”
The shots were all administered by “unlicensed or untrained individuals” or in “non-health care settings, such as homes or spas,” the CDC said in its alert. (iStock)
Dr. Craig Lehrman, director of plastic surgery of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, noted that fake Botox has been a problem since the early 2000s.
“Unfortunately, I treat several patients a year who have received unapproved injectables containing products that are said to be safe — which ends up having serious consequences,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“This was mainly linked to injections in contexts…
