People get Botox for a huge range of reasons. Maybe you have some frown lines you’d rather not see, or you’re dealing with migraines that won’t quit. Or maybe it helps you with bladder leakage. Whatever your reason, Botox is hugely popular with an estimated 11 million people around the world getting injections.
But while Botox is largely considered a safe procedure, there’s something people who get injections should be aware of. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health alert about counterfeit Botox, warning that people across the country have been hospitalized after receiving injections. According to the alert, 22 people in 11 states became sick after getting injections from unlicensed or untrained people or in non-healthcare settings, like homes or spas.
Of those, 11 have been hospitalized. The CDC notes that when botulinum toxin (aka Botox) spreads around the injection site, it can lead to “adverse effects,” including botulism.
In case you’re not familiar with it, botulism is the disease caused by botulinum toxin circulating in the blood. While it can be caused in rare cases by Botox injections, it can also happen after eating contaminated food, like home canned, preserved, or fermented foods, the CDC says.
Symptoms of botulism usually start with weakness of the muscles that control the eyes, face, mouth, and throat. That weakness can spread to the neck, arms, torso, and legs. It can also weaken the muscles involved in breathing, which can make it hard for a person to breathe. It can even be deadly.
The CDC notes in its health alert that there can be an overlap in symptoms of botulism and localized effects of a Botox injection, especially in the head and neck. “Clinicians and health departments should consider the possibility of adverse effects from botulinum toxin injections in patients presenting with localized paralysis,” the alert reads.
All of the people impacted were women between the ages of 25 and 59, the CDC says.
The CDC says that reactions have been reported in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. Symptoms reported in people who were given counterfeit Botox include:
- Blurry vision and double vision
- Drooping eyelids
- Difficulty swallowing
- Dry mouth
- Slurred speech
- Difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Generalized weakness
Six of these people were treated with botulism antitoxin because of concerns that the botulinum toxin could have spread beyond the injection site, the CDC says.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has detailed information online about what packages of this counterfeit Botox looks like. The FDA points out that AbbVie, which makes Botox brand botulinum toxin, makes its products in 50-, 100- and 200-unit doses. But counterfeit Botox has an outer carton and vial that says it has 150-unit doses, which is a dosage that isn’t made by AbbVie.
Fake Botox also has an outer carton and vial that contains the lot number C3709C3, along with the active ingredient listed as “Botulinum Toxin Type A.” (It should be “OnabotulinumtoxinA.”) There are photos of the counterfeit Botox online, too.
It’s important to point out that the CDC isn’t saying that people shouldn’t get Botox injections. Instead, the agency is recommending that you be safe about it. That means only getting Botox from licensed providers who use only recommended doses of FDA-approved botulinum toxin, “preferably in a licensed or accredited healthcare setting,” like a doctor’s office.
If you’re worried that you or someone you know might be having symptoms of botulism, the CDC recommends that you seek care immediately.