POSTED UNDER Sculptra REVIEWS
Bad Sculptra Experience
ORIGINAL POST
Had Sculptra to fill in fat loss in cheeks and...
bjt27February 13, 2012
$2,100
Had Sculptra to fill in fat loss in cheeks and temples due to age and exercise. I have never had an allergic reaction to anything except poison ivy as a child but 5 months after the last Sculptra session(I had 3 and always followed the 5/5/5/rules) I now have nodules & large hard lumps under my skin and swelling of the face. I also used a board cert, plastic surgeon with much experience injecting Sculptra and other fillers. One never knows what reaction you will have with sculptra. I was put on a Methylpred pak which resolved it as long as I was taking it, I mean totally reversed the problem, no swelling or nodules or hard lumps but as soon as I finished the 6 day rx the problem came right back. Face very swollen/hard lumps and nodules. I am now on 100 mg Doxycycline 2X day to see if that helps. If not it will be cortisone injections into the area to hopefully dissolve it. No, this is definately not worth it. Should have used a reversible injection but was told that Sculptra was very safe now due to proper way of injection technique and dilution. I researched it a long time and can't believe I am one of the few with this problem. I am very healthy and a normal weight so I look ridiculous with this swollen face. I am devastated by this whole experience and will be lucky to ever have this resolved with a good outcome.
Replies (20)
February 19, 2012
It might be that the doctor overfilled you , Sculptra takes time to work and the final results are not instant like with other fillers, that's why its better to have just 1 syringe at first and give it time to work and after about 6 weeks if you feel you need any more you can go back and have another one done.
February 20, 2012
Thanks for your comment. I only had 1 vial at a time and each session was several weeks apart so this was not an overfill situation. My face was extremely swollen and red. The doctor took pictures and sent them to the sculptra manufacturer. They told my Dr. that they had seen only one other person with the same reaction. It was suggested to put me on Doxycycline 100mg 2X a day. It has been one week and the swelling has gone way down. Hopefully it will stay this way. All the very hard lumps are softening up also but are still there.
April 13, 2012
Sanofi lies about their numbers. Look on the Maude Data base and you can see thousands of reports for sculptra, granulomas, inflammatory cellulitis, necrosis, nerve damage, systemic disease, triggers autoimmune disease you may have never otherwise gotten. be sure to look at the date range as it defaults to the current year and the tabs at the top list 10 Adverse Events per tab. If they say they have only ever seen it in one other situation that must be because they are using a strict definition of laid their personal eyes on. This is why they dumped Dermik in 2011. The hard nodules do not soften and magically go away. You get temporary relief from flares of inflammation that is all.
April 14, 2012
Thanks SculptraJunk for the info in the Maude Data base. I had never heard of this site. I saw there were 1680 cases of problems with Sculptra if I was looking at this correctly. Now I'm really worried!!! Why are all these high profile board certified Doctors promoting this stuff. Oh, I forgot, its the easy money. I'm a ticking time bomb for future medical problems.
January 23, 2013
I am in the same noat as uou, except my doctor is not taking any accountability. Above note is correct about sanofi, they are really sneaky. They do sell the doctors, but the doctors are well aware of it, one plastic surgeon told me we are all guineau pigs helping sanofi with the research unknowingly. It is true inflamation comes and goes, for me i am trying figure out the behavior / characteristics. I.e., high carbs have a reaction, potassium does something, exercise induces inflamation, heat and cold a reaction. Please keep me posted.
February 20, 2012
I am very sorry that this happened to you and i hope the swelling won't return, it might just be that you are allergic to the product, some people are but they don't know about it obviously until they have the procedure done. I wish you all the best in the future!
March 31, 2012
I'm glad you posted. I have been considering Sculptra for a couple of years. I have been happy with other fillers, but Sculptra seems to give volume in places other fillers can't go. But, what happened to you certainly could happen to anyone. It's not worth the risk to me. Thanks again for posting, hope the worst is over for you.
April 1, 2012
Update on my Sculptra experience: My face is now back to normal. I can still feel the lumps and nodules somewhat under the skin but am hopeful the swelling won't come back. I consulted with a facial plastic surgeon and he informed me that I would never be rid of the lumps and nodules unless I had them removed which would leave me disfigured. He says Sculptra should never be used in the face and that the "new and improved way of injecting Sculptra" is just a bunch of nonsense. He is disgusted with all the false advertisement. I hope you decide against Sculptra and don't let anyone talk you into it!
April 13, 2012
bjt27 your physician is correct. Sculptra is very dangerous and people are getting bumps 3 years after injections. My question is what is causing this delayed onset?
May 7, 2013
Hi,
How are you today? I have swelling and my Dr. refuses to acknowledge. I had 2 vials, one treatment very thin face, 6.5 weeks ago.
I see a board certified dermatologist today to see if he will give me Doxycycline. Did it help you?
thank you.
April 20, 2018
I have been told by several plastic surgeons in Los Angeles to stay away from Sculptra. Some very prominent. What you get is unpredictable and can cause lumps and nodules even after 2 years. So say everything is ok right now... and then BAM!!! A lump! Also your face shape can change dramatically and you can’t control it! It’s just not worth it. Especially for many of us who are still young and have many more years to go. Stick with the filler family. I’ve never had issues with those
I am so sorry to hear about the bad reaction you have had to deal with. You mentioned the 5/5/5 rule. What is that?
Ah, ok - thanks for filling me in!
Please keep us updated on how things go for you.