NYC resident among 10 people hospitalized with ‘severe’ illness after rogue injections of Botox bought off social media
At least one New York City resident was among 10 people in the US who ended up hospitalized over a rogue Botox injection, health officials said Monday. Mihail – stock.adobe.com
At least one New York City resident was among 10 people hospitalized in the U.S. this year with severe illness after injecting Botox purchased from unlicensed sources on social media, officials said Monday.
The patients, hospitalized between May and August, were treated with botulism antitoxin after using unsafe, counterfeit products, according to New York City and state health authorities. Three of the patients required intubation and ventilator support, the advisory to medical providers said.
No deaths have been reported. Some of the illegal Botox was marketed on platforms including TikTok, WhatsApp, and international online stores. Many products were sold as unlabeled white powder, with no instructions or safety warnings.
“Some of the symptomatic individuals reported seeing advertisements for vendors selling botulinum toxin products on social media, including on TikTok,” the advisory states. “None of the people injecting these products reportedly met state requirements for purchasing or administering botulinum toxin products.”
Under New York law, Botox is only available through trained, licensed professionals. Despite this, at-home kits with unregulated ingredients have circulated for more than a decade, leading to increasing reports of infection and life-threatening botulism.
In one TikTok comment under a Botox self-injection tutorial, a user wrote, “I’m doing my own [injection]. I just ordered my Korean Botox. Tired of paying ridiculous amount of money when the neurotixin [sic] itself is under 100 [dollars] for a 100 unit bottle.”
Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by toxins produced by bacteria, which attack the body’s nerves. Symptoms can include headache, muscle weakness, facial paralysis, and difficulty speaking. The patients reported by New York officials began experiencing symptoms about three days after injection, including shortness of breath and weakness in their limbs.
The city’s Health Department issued an alert in April 2024 after botulism-like illnesses were reported in New Yorkers who received botulinum toxin from unlicensed providers or unverified products. Officials say the latest surge represents a troubling shift as more individuals are injecting themselves.
New Yorkers with suspected botulism or botulism-like symptoms can contact the NYC Health Department Provider Access Line at 866-692-3641. Those outside the city can reach the state Health Department Bureau of Communicable Disease Control at 518-473-4439 during business hours or 866-881-2809 after hours.
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