What Are Symptoms of Silicone Poisoning from Breast Implants?

To date, there is no proof of anything called silicone poisoning from breast implants. If silicone was found in your blood, it got there through another route. Older implants should be changed though since they have something called a "bleed" which is an oily fluid that comes out of them. The newer implants do not have this.

Silicone poisoning? I have never heard of this phrase before. As far as I know, silicone is an inert substance that is found in a lot of different products besides breast implants.

Silicone breast implants do not cause silicone "poisoning". Silicone in various forms are ubiquitous, being present in foods, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, etc. and is found in trace amounts in our bodies. You should, however, always be vigilant about the possibility of rupture or leakage of your implants implanted for more than 10 years even though this by itself may not and usually does not cause systemic illnesses.

If your implants are silicone from about 20 years ago, it is likely that they should be removed and either replaced with newer implants or left out. No studies have shown that there is a condition of "silicone poisoning". Silicone is a naturally existing substance that is non reactive. Silicone is present in the syringe and needle that drew your blood as well as in orange juice and many other substance and foods you ingest. I would suggest getting a work up from a good Internal... more

There is really no such thing as “poisoning” from silicone. Over the years there have been extensive studies and research done by respectable universities that show medical grade silicone is nontoxic. This was following intense debate on the risks associated with silicone and silicone implants, and as a result the topic has been thoroughly examined and the fears proven to be unfounded. Another thing to remember is that silicone is actually found in the body in small amounts, and... more

First, a couple of things you need to know: studies have conclusively shown that medical grade silicone is nontoxic. This was a topic of intense interest about 15 years ago and there is probably no medical device that has been studied more thoroughly as a result. Additionally, everyone in a modern society has silicone in their system, as it is ubiquitous in our environment in a number of consumer products. If you have ever had an IV, you have silicone from the lubricant on the needle. A... more

Hi there, There are a few things you should understand, and that I think will help you feel better that your implants are not the cause of your illness. Even when your implants were new, your system was exposed to a small amount of silicone on the surface of the implants. As they aged, this "gel bleed" more than likely increased over time. In fact, with your implants being almost 20 years old, it is very likely that you have had exposure for some time; meaning that if you were to... more

Pfeffer, Do you know if your implants are silicone gel filled? Gel filled implants were not available in the U.S. for first time breast augmentation patients ten years ago. They were re-approved for this use by the FDA in 2006 after 14 years of research confirming that essentially there is no such thing as silicone poisoning and no cause and effect between silicone gel implants and disease. Pursue the issue further with your doctor, who may refer you on to a rheumatologist for further... more

You should be looking for other causes of your problems. It is normal to have very low levels of silicone in your blood, if you have silicone breast implants and there is no evidence that this is dangerous.

It is unlikely that your symptoms are in anyway related to the implants but I would suggest that you go to the website breastimplantsafety.org At this site you will find numerous links to the safety of implants and the solid research behind these devices. I am not sure what your doctor found on your blood study. Hope that you feel better.

To pfeffer10, Hi. I am so sorry that you are not well. All I can do is reassure you that it is not your implants that are making you sick. Silicone is everywhere (including maybe a little bit in your blood) and it is harmless. I know the research on silicone implants really well. They don't cause ANY illness. All the bad publicity from years ago was "junk science" paid for by lawyers who made many millions of dollars by scaring women and driving Dow Corning (which manufactured... more

Although silicone may be detected in your body, that does not mean that it is causing your disease. Many studies have been performed out of respective university centers that have shown no link between silicone implants and what had been called in the past: human adjuvant disease. Many rheumatologists have developed a battery of tests that can document the presence of silicone antibodies and elevated blood levels of different markers in women with breast implants; the clinical significance... more

Many studies have been done regarding silicone gel filled implants and toxicity. None has linked silicone with any specific diseases. It is interesting that you have had the implants for 19 years and are now getting sick. The time line does not really compute. You should look for all sources of illness, and don't just focus on the implants. You wouldn't want to miss something.