There has been some recent speculation about the safety of botox injections (as used by former presidential candidate John Kerry). Apparently, some doctors are seeing allergic reactions in some patients. Now, we know that allergic reactions vary-you can be totally immune to 10 bee stings…but on the 11th, you can become sensitized and experience a very serious reaction, including anaphalactic shock.
Can the same thing happen with the botox? Perhaps a constant use of these injections might provoke a allergic reaction, as in the case of the bee venom.
Anyway, I’m mystified…the public gets all worked up over a few deaths from some prescription drug, and calmly accepts the injection of the most dangerous poison known to man (i.e. botulism toxin), so you can remove a few facial wrinkles!
And, how is it that humans build up a tolerance to certain poisons? This is well documented (in the case of strychnine)-a person can gradually build up a tolerance o it, and eventually tolerate a fatal does of the stuff (fatal to one who hasn’t built up the tolerance)?
The body can produce antibodies to some toxins in the same way that it protects against disease, these antibodies will destroy any toxin in circulation. Of course this is exactly the type of response that will produce an allergic reaction.
If the body is exposed to small doses of some toxins over a short period of time it will adjust it’s metabolic processes (enzymes produced etc) to oppose the undesired effect, for example this is what happens to drug users who develop a tolerance.
The botox used in cosmetic applications will be at a very low concentration. I’ve no idea about the possibility of an allergic reaction to the stuff, but I’d probably be more worried about the possibility of permenent damage to the nerves and muscles in the face.
I’m waiting for the day when they discover some sort of horrible long-term side effect that results from the use of Botox. I can imagine millions of older Americans whose faces are permanently paralyzed (or somesuch horror) who are suing because they never imagined that injecting themselves with a lethal toxic substance might not be a smart thing to do.
One interesting way is through the production of induced hepatic enzymes. For instance, there is an alcohol dehydrogenase (IIRC) present in low background levels. If you expose the liver to ethanol via beer/wine/etc ingestion, the liver becomes more efficient at producing this enzyme to break down the alcohol. This creates tolerance to alcohol, and more is needed for the desired effect. Hic