Can "Fake" Botox Be Safe?

A patient who was the recipient of fake botox (botulinum toxin type A product from Arizona-based Toxin Research International) told her local newspaper “I don’t think any harm’s done [from the TRI product] from a medical standpoint.” Is this the case, that fake Botox can be perfectly safe?

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14 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

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You should only use FDA approved Botox

Is this a serious question? You should only use FDA approved Botox - no ifs, ands, or buts. If someone is part of a clinical trial for a new version of Botox that is one thing, but if you are using black market Botox or Botox off the internet, then you are not using good judgement.

Fake Botox Safety

There is a huge difference between "no harm done" and "totally safe". Certainly, I would not use non-FDA approved botulinum Toxin A for cosmetic treatments of my patients and I am sure, most (all?) physicians would agree with this conservative approach to care.

Fake Botox is not safe

There are currently three botulinum products that are FDA-cleared in the U.S., Allergan's Botox (also BotoxCosmetic), Medicis Dysport., and one called Myobloc which is not used for cosmetic applications. These products have a long and extensive safety history. Keep in mind that these are toxins however so using anything else from any other source is playing with fire. You might get lucky but it just doesn't make sense.

No

Non-FDA approved substances are not proven to be safe, nor effective. All the horror stories you have heard about (remember the chiropracter in Florida who put himself and 2 others in the hospital?) were all from illegal toxins, not Botox. Take as much time making medical decisions as you make picking a digital camera or a car: get a safe and reliable procuct (BOTOX) injected by an expeirenced medical doctor, preferably one board certified in Dermatology, Opthalmology, or Plastic Surgery. more

Maybe Not In That Batch

If memory serves me right, that was the organization run by two so-called Naturapaths who distributed "fake" Botox to 200 unscrupulous physicians. One of these in South Florida sent himself and three patients to the ICU in respiratory failure. This quote sounds like the gurglings of a pretty stupid woman. Her attitude should have been gosh I was pretty lucky. Not, well if it didn't harm me, I see no harm in it.

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD

6 reviews

Virginia Beach Dermatologist

Safety of FAKE Botox

You MUST be joking! Would you take ANY fake Medicine? Botox is a type of Botulinum Toxin A produced by Allergan. Other Boutlinum A toxins are produced by different companies and some illegal entities in North Korea and China- Some are ineffective. Others are much more potent than regular Botox and have resulted in Botulism (as in the Arizona produced toxin cases in Pal Beach Florida, which was actively marketed to us doctors as "NOT FOR HUMAN USE". I guess the company spent... more

Steer Clear of Botox Knock-Offs

If you want to be safe about something you are putting into your body, use only FDA-approved Botox or Dysport. Botox should have the Botox logo, an Allergan hologram and a serial # and exp date on the bottle. Anything else is really, as you don't know what it is, the quality/purity, how safe it is. I would be highly skeptical of someone promoting such a product.

Four people ended up on ventilators for months from "fake" BOTOX

Dear RN2 Between 2002 and 2004, hundreds of persons were exposed to potentially fatal complications from the Arizona based company you are referring to. The owners of this company, Chad Livdahl, a microbiologist, and his girl friend Zarah Karim sold research grade botulinum toxin A to doctors as a "generic" alternative to legitimate FDA approved BOTOX. In total, it is estimated that approximately 219 doctors across the country purchase a total of 3,000 vials of this product. ... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

8 reviews

Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Fake Botox

Fake Botox could potentially cause real (serious) side effects. It is simply not worth the risk. At this time, your main options for injectable botulinum toxin for cosmetic indications are Botox (Allergan) and Dysport (Medicis). Good luck.

Can "Fake" Botox be Safe?

Hi RN2 (are you Nurse Jackie?), Ask the 4 people hospitalized for months in Florida after "fake" Botox. Ask the woman who died from respiratory arrest shortly after she received an "at home, discount" treatment. Ask the physicians who are serving sentences. Do not be injected with anything but FDA approved Botox Cosmetic, or now Dysport in the United States. In other countries there are many other sanctioned products. Stay away from the "fake" Botox from... more