The Tox of Botox
By now, we all know someone who has tried Botox®. It’s been widely reported that Kim Kardashian, the fast-aging 38-year-old reality star, has been receiving Botox injections during her pregnancy! It’s no wonder why Botox has become America’s most widely used cosmetic treatment. Here’s everything you need to know after having botox injection injuries.
Anyone injured after receiving Botox injections, as well as families of deceased Botox patients, will likely be entitled to a settlement for their injuries and losses.
Now, we’re certainly not dispensing medical advice in this article. Yet, as a lawyer, I can advise you of some of the published side effects of Botox treatment and the ensuing wave of litigation related to it.
Botox is a drug produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum (the same toxin that causes botulism, a life-threatening food poison). Botox injections work by blocking certain nerves or by weakening/paralyzing certain muscles. These temporary effects can last about three to four months. Side effects can include pain at the injection site, flu-like symptoms, headache, and upset stomach. Doctors use Botox in small doses in a variety of medical and cosmetic procedures, often causing botox injection injuries.
Although it has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to be used in very small doses for cosmetic treatment or to treat temporary removal of facial wrinkles, severe underarm sweating, cervical dystonia, migraine headaches, dystonia, painful muscle spasms, and overactive bladder.
Some Botox Treatments Aren’t FDA Approved
Botox has also been used in treatments not approved by the FDA. Such non-approved treatments include treatments such as treatment of limb spasticity of cerebral palsy or for use in any condition in children less than 12 years of age.
In practice, Botox has been associated with a number of adverse reactions in both FDA approved and non-approved usage. This is often the result of neurotoxins spreading away from the intended or injection site, which can produce a number of adverse effects in patients. The FDA is not advising health care professionals to discontinue prescribing these products as they have not fully completed their investigation. However, the FDA has authorized several changes regarding the prescription, risks, warnings, and use of Botox.
The FDA’s public notification came after severe, adverse reactions were found in both FDA-approved and non-FDA-approved usages. The most severe reactions were found in children after the treatment of limb spasticity of cerebral palsy. These adverse reactions are occurring after the toxin spreads in areas away from the injection site.
Some Botox patients have experienced a wide range of side-effects, including a decrease in vision, allergic reactions, and muscle weakness. Botox reactions cause symptoms similar to botulism, including difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, weakness and numbness of the lower extremities, and respiratory distress. The most serious side effect is the inability to swallow, which can lead to an inability to eat or even breathe. Adverse reactions reported after use of Botox can also include bruising and/or tenderness at the injection site, localized pain, paralysis of the wrong muscle group, skin rash, weakness of muscle group beneath the injection site.
Ultimately, victims who prevail in a Botox lawsuit can win compensation for past hospital bills, ongoing treatment costs, lost wages, permanent disabilities, future costs of living (should permanent disabilities prevent patients from earning a living), pain and suffering, and funeral and burial costs (should a Botox death occur). Anyone injured after receiving Botox injections, as well as families of deceased Botox patients, will likely be entitled to a settlement for their injuries and losses.
Contact Pride Legal
If you or a loved one has been injured due to Botox injections, we invite you to contact us at Pride Legal for legal counseling or any further questions. To protect your rights, hire someone who understands them.
