Botox Complications
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved Botox in 1989, for the treatment of eye muscle spasms. Its popularity has since soared---parallel to its controversy---as a cosmetic anti-aging solution. As of 2009, Botox is most commonly associated with correcting and preventing the visible signs of aging, usually fine lines and wrinkles, against which its injections act like "fillers." Botox treatments, however, present the risk of complications. Does this Spark an idea?
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Botox in Scientific Terms
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Technically referred to as botulinum toxin, Botox is a powerful poison derived from rare, toxic bacteria. The bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, can grow and multiply in undercooked or inadequately refrigerated food, infected wounds or infants' intestines, with the potential fatal or near-fatal illness. The toxin blocks the nerves that control the glands and muscles, causing a complete halt in secretion and---more alarmingly---total muscle paralysis.
Uses of Botox
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Botox's common cosmetic use is a clear-gel injection into facial areas with unwanted lines and creases. However, it is also used to treat medical conditions, such as excessive sweating (or hyperhidrosis), since Botox can stop secretion from the sweat glands. This paralysis function, says CosmeticSurgery.com, makes it a treatment for bladder disorders and for children with cerebral palsy, who have difficulty controlling the sudden contraction of their muscles. Also, although the reasons are unknown and the discovery was accidental, Botox relieves the pain of migraine headaches, the website says.
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Complications
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Requests to make wrinkles "disappear" have skyrocketed since Botox's aesthetic FDA approval in 2002. When a qualified doctor or surgeon performs the procedure, the complications should be few. However, reported complications, according to ABoardCertifiedPlasticSurgeon.com, include flu syndrome, headache, respiratory infection and nausea, which may last from a few hours to a week or two after treatment. Patients who receive Botox to treat crow's-feet near the eyes have also reported a "drooping" eye, meaning that they cannot move the lower lid, and therefore can't close their eyes properly.
FDA Warnings
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A 2008 ConsumerAffairs.com article, "FDA Issues Botox Warning," by D.O. Valente, reported that the soaring number of Botox procedures performed after its 2002 FDA approval was cause for concern, as the FDA feared high demand might lead to abuse and illegal administration. Then the focus turned to the toxin's potential to affect respiratory muscles, leading to a warning to doctors and patients.
The director of the FDA's division of neurology products, Russell Katz, said that the biggest danger of Botox is the possibility that it could spread from where it's injected to the muscles that affect breathing. The consumer group Public Citizen filed a petition with the FDA on the safety of Botox after releasing a report that found 16 deaths associated with its use. The FDA has not verified this report as of 2009, but it continues to investigate.
Illegal Administration
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Botox treatments, according to ABoardCertifiedPlasticSurgeonResource.com, cost between $300 and $500 per session, and should only be performed by a dermatologist, plastic surgeon or other specialized physician to avoid risk and complications. The high demand of Botox in the United States has led to an emergence of illegal Botox administration and counterfeit Botox products, the website warns, and consumers must be wary of too-good-to-be-true prices for injections and treatments offered by non-medical practitioners.
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