Lots of women and men get regular BOTOX injections, to remove skin wrinkles. My question: botox is derived from botulism bacteria-and is one of the most poisonous substances known to man. Is there any evidence that repeated injections of this stuff can be bad for you?
I wonder if we will read of the tragic death of some hollywood star-traced to over use of botox! :smack:
Begin WAG
Because Botox is essentially a “killed” weakened version of the virus that has the toxin, but not the ability to replicate, if anything I would guess it may increase the bodies resistance to full bore botulism (if contracted) by acting like a vaccine.
End WAG
No, it isn’t. Botox is purified botulinum toxin, a protein produced by clostridium botulinum, a soil bacterium. While antibodies do form against it, I can’t see that there’s been any indication that this happens in a clinically significant manner with Botox. Antibodies are used in the antitoxin for botulism poisoning.
I had Botox for neurological treatment. It becomes less effective each time you receive the treatment. The first treatment was a miracle. The rest fell way short of the first. This is a common problem for people that receive it for medical reasons.
I seem to recall hearing about some very bad reactions - the sort where you wind up on a respirator in intensive care - from people who inadvertently WAY overdosed on botox, but not anyone dying from it. The case in question, if I remember it right, involved a clandestine operator who neglected to properly dilute the toxin prior to going after those forehead wrinkles. In theory you could kill someone, if you could pump enough into them, but normal precautions make it extremely unlikely. Normally, the worst that happens is a temporary droop in affected muscles.
Minor nitpick: while there are a couple of antitoxins used in the treatment of botulism poisoning, most treatment consists of removal of toxin containing substances (for foodborne poisoning) and support. Botox and related treatments like Dysport and Neuronox are highly diluted and shouldn’t result in systematic poisoning, though adverse reactions can rarely be serious; however, epidural treatment with botulism toxin is, well, toxic, and the effects do damage to the intramuscular nervous system by blocking the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Most if not all reports of life-threatening adverse reactions come from theraputic rather than cosmetic usage.
Stranger
It’s been linked to 16 deaths. However, it sounds like it a good portion of the deaths followed off-label use in children for muscle spasms, not just adults using it for cosmetic reasons.
Well, I’ll consider my information updated, then. I was going off unclear memories anyhow (as I mentioned).