Cheap, counterfeit Botox given by people not trained to do facial injections, in places without a doctor on standby , became a dangerous combination that landed more than a dozen women in the hospital. In at least one case, a woman became so ill that she had to be placed on a ventilator to help her breathe. Seventeen women in nine states have experienced symptoms ranging from blurry vision to trouble swallowing and breathing after receiving what they thought were Botox injections to smooth fine lines and wrinkles.
Thirteen were hospitalized, and several needed treatment in the intensive care unit. A report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided alarming details of patients in New York City and Tennessee. One woman from Kentucky was admitted to the hospital in Tennessee.
The women ranged in ages between 26 and 55. Four women attended a gathering at a relative’s home in Tennessee to get Botox injected into their faces, including the lines between their eyebrows, about three days before their symptoms began. An investigation later showed the injected product was counterfeit and given by a person who was not licensed.
“In some cases, providers were concerned about patients’ breathing to the point where they were admitting them to intensive care units to be able to monitor them more closely,” said Dr. Christine Thomas, a medical director at the Tennessee Department of Health and lead author of the new report. Thomas, who was an epidem.
