# Accidental Botox poisoning

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidental-botox-poisoning/571064
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 11, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidental-botox-poisoning/571064 "2011-02-11T21:53:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidental-botox-poisoning/571064/1 "2011-02-11T21:53:49Z")

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Would it be possible for a surgeon to poison a patient undergoing a Botox procedure by accidentally dripping some of the solution in the syringe into the patient’s mouth or something?

Thanks,  
Rob

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### Author: ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidental-botox-poisoning/571064/2 "2011-02-11T22:26:00Z")

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[It happens](http://www.wsbtv.com/health/4166244/detail.html):

> [@](#):
>
> Federal investigators say the Kaplans were injected with a mixture of botulism toxin 10 times stronger than Botox.
> 
> Eric Kaplan says the toxin made it difficult for he and his wife to breathe, walk and speak.
> 
> …
> 
> The couple soon began losing their vision, speech, felt extreme flu-like symptoms and complained that they felt like their bodies weighed a few tons.
> 
> …
> 
> McComb faces criminal prosecution for practicing medicine after his osteopathic license was suspended. He created the excessively stronger solution by diluting powdered botulism intended for animal research with saline, federal investigators said.

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### Author: ![enigmatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@enigmatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigmatic)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidental-botox-poisoning/571064/3 "2011-02-11T23:48:22Z")

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Wow, I must admit I’d wandered who does the dilution on that stuff, they must be getting near homeopathic territory to use it safely.

So this guy was taking the DIY approach? :eek: