The FDA cautions against adverse reactions linked to counterfeit Botox injections

The CDC and the FDA US began a joint investigation to stop the distribution of counterfeit Botox which have caused about 19 adverse reactions among citizens in nine states. The authorities warn the laymen the hollowed injections might lead to the development of botulism the rare severe disease affecting the nervous system.
People who had been given these counterfeit injections of Botox reported feeling many different kinds of symptoms, like seeing things that wasn’t really there (blurred vision), having difficulties swallowing food, dry mouth, constipation, incontinence, shortness of breath, weakness, or being not able to carry out their head up. Along with those, we had and tiredness, down the thresholds, and the speech which was not clear. Unlike other diseases, botulism is a rare one but can put a life in a grave risk if the needful care is not handled in time; however, based on the CDC information, the survival rate from proper medical care is high.

With the government agencies such as FDA and CDC still on the investigation, they have neither found nor identified the source of these counterfeit products. Concuting with the health departments of individual states has also been part of their efforts to figure out where these lethal injections came from.
Botox has witnessed a surge in demand beyond its medical use for the FDA to approve it in 1989 as OnabotulinumtoxinA. This popularity was grasped by users in the cosmetic field to treat their wrinkles. On an average, a Botox injection costs about $530, and the amount will vary depending on the severity of the wrinkles some of which are on a deeper level or the amount of product used. It is very important to keep in mind that Botox is an acute by-product of a bacterium, and even although safe in low amounts, may be life-threatening in the excess. This way of action means that messengers which travel over nerves to cause muscle contractions and therefore wrinkles in the skin are blocked for a certain time period. Nevertheless, the consequences low; muscles lose their mobility within a period of 3-6 months while wrinkles reappear on the skin.
This recent probe has come in the line of precedent measures on unlicensed Botox injections and other cosmetic procedure as well. In the U.S. alone, authorities confiscated nearly 80 shipments of unauthorized injectable cosmetics, worth $175400 dollars, apart from many other countries e.g. China, Spain, Korea and Bulgaria among others. These shipments were en route for various states with a purpose to penetrate the market with counterfeit and non-compliant beauty goods.
In a notice, the FDA alerted medical experts and customers to the existence of such fake injectables of Botox for cosmetic purposes in a number of states in the US. Findings show that some of these inexperienced or unqualified persons carried out injections in places not approved by health authorities such as private homes or spas.

As of mid-April, 19 individuals from nine states have already reported severe side effects as a result of the use of falsified Botox injections. The states under consideration are Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, and Washington. The FDA’s inquiry continues at the moment. They are coordinating with AbbVie, the manufacturer of Botox, to locate and eliminate potential counterfeit products from the market. Currently there the pharma giant AbbVie did not make any comments on the matter.