Is Botox poisonous?

I have heard that in order to kill a small person, you would have to inject 200 I.U.'s of Botox directly into a persons heart. Yes, Botox can paralyze a muscle and the heart is a really important muscle.
So why do we do it?
1- no one injects it into the heart.
2- As soon as you inject it into a muscle it binds the muscle and travels no further.
3- We never use a dose that high
Most importantly, It has been used for more than twenty years without the untoward effects we are discussing here.

Consider this... Have you ever thought "Hmm, I'm about to drink poison" when you have a glass of wine before dinner? Or when you eat a cupcake sprinkled with nutmeg? Probably not! And yet, ethanol (the alcohol in wine and other drinks) will certainly poison you if taken beyond your body's capacity to metabolize it. (Ever had a hangover?)

And the cyanide in the nutmeg on your cupcake? Well, you'd probably need to eat a truckload of cupcakes to have a problem! Your body is fully capable of handling these "poisons" or "toxins" at normal amounts, as it does with therapeutic doses of Botox.

They don't accumulate in your body. They are fundamentally different than some other toxins or heavy metals, which even at small doses are bad because they acculumate, as your body has little or no means to get rid of them. Things that come to mind are the carcinogens in cigarette smoke or the mercury in fish.

Botox ,in the quantities and techniques used for cosmetic applications, is considered very safe and has a long history of safety in millions of treatments across the world.

Botox relaxes the muscle only where injected and there doesnt seem to be any systemic effects.

Like most medicines if taken in large quantities it could be considered a poison.

Even common medicines like tylenol or aspirin ,if taken in very large quantities can act like a poison.

The hippocratic oath that doctors swear by states, "do no harm!" So, why are we injecting poisonous Botox into people on a daily basis?! The simple answer is that while yes, Botox is indeed a poison, at the tiny dosage that is injected for Botox Cosmetic purposes it is quite safe. At the wrong dosage, the poisonous material could lead to disaster. Botox is used by thousands of patients daily in America and nationally is the most common cosmetic procedure performed. Allergan, the company that manufactures Botox Cosmetic goes to great lengths to make sure that the dosage is safe and predictable. Horror stories on the internet usually stem from fake Botox or counterfeits. If you have any doubt about what you are buying, you can always ask to see the vial of Botox, which should have a miniature Botox hologram and be clearly labeled as Allergan Botox Cosmetic. To find a physician you can always go to the Botox website to find a physician in your area! Good luck!

Your question is interesting and many people ask it.  The common understanding of a poison is that it itself is deadly, dangerous, or fatal in any quantity if it comes into contact with you. 

In the case of Botox is Botulinum toxin A , it is one of eight toxins produced by Clostridium bolulinum, an organism found in the soil, and is everywhere around us.  Under the right conditions this bacterium can grow, multiply, and produce the eight toxins, and if you eat them, or if they grow inside you, can harm or kill you.  Botox is pure toxin type A, does NOT contain the bacterium, nor does it contain the other seven toxins. It cannot infect you, or give you botulism infection.  If misused by the practitioner,  Botox can have untoward, unwanted, or dangerous results, however, properly used, it is safe, versatile, and helpful both cosmetically and therapeutically.

I disagree that only plastic surgeons are qualified to administer Botox.  A practitioner trained to give Botox properly and who has experience and a good "track record" is qualified to administer Botox.

Well the answer is yes and no! Yes, Botox is a toxin derived from a bacteria, but only in very large quantities. Medical applications of Botox use very low concentrations that are diluted.

Botox is used for both medical conditions like for spastic eyelids as well as for cosmetic treatments. At the doses that are used for cosmetic therapy, Botox is very safe.

Not any more than aspirin, tylenol, decongestants and many other over-the-counter medications are toxic and could be even fatal if taken in an excessive amount.

Botulinum toxin, or Botox Cosmetic, inhibits the muscle movement to make skin lines diminish. The amount of units used for this purpose is extremely small and not anywhere close to the toxic level.

I respect the opinions of the surgeons that have answered this question.

From a purely scientific point of view, Botox is just a small component of the complex protein that is Botulinum toxin. This neurotoxin is probably one of the most potent toxins in the biologic world. Of course, Allergan (and other companies that will soon release a similar but longer-lasting product) takes great efforts to assure that Botox is safe.

If you are considering Botox therapy, schedule a consultation with a plastic surgeon trained to use the product, and make sure the product that is being used is actually Botox. There have been recent reports in the media describing the use of 'copy cat' neurotoxins for cosmetic use with disastrous results.

Most Kindly,
Scott C. Sattler MD FACS

If you drink too much water, you will die of water intoxication. Does that make water "poisonous"?? I would say no. The same can be said for antibiotics, food, sunshine, etc.

Botox is extremely potent. Allergan, (the company that sells Botox) goes to a great deal of trouble to make sure that there are exactly 100 units of Botox in every vial. Doctors can then administer the correct amount to create a very nice cosmetic result, stop migraines, stop excessive sweating, etc.

So... to answer you question, is Botox poisonous? From the "wrinkle's point of view" I guess so!

Michael Sinclair, MD