Both products work by using the notorious botulin bacteria to paralyze muscles. Most commonly, for cosmetic reasons, to reduce sweating or remove wrinkles. And less commonly to help relieve severe muscle spasms (not an FDA approved use).

Botulinic toxin is one of the most powerful known toxins—a single microgram (that's one thousandth of a gram) is lethal to humans. So it's really no wonder that Botox injections using this very toxin have, on occasion, lead to cases of botulism.

Botulin toxin is produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. Infection with the bacteria comes most commonly from poorly handled food, or when it lands, inadvertently, on an open wound...or when it's purposely injected into the body for any reason.

Treatment, even when caught in the earliest stages, requires several weeks of medical attention. Initial symptoms usually include dry mouth, double and/or blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, drooping eyelids, difficult breathing, slurred speech, vomiting, urinary incontinence and sometimes diarrhea.

So, a conversation over dinner, about one's newly acquired youthful appearance, may very well be followed shortly thereafter by a bout of soup falling from the mouth.

From there, without immediate medical attention, the toxin causes progressive paralysis that eventually reaches the lungs and/or heart...ending in death.

The warning was announced about two weeks after consumer advocacy group, Public Citizen, petitioned the FDA to strengthen the warnings on botulin-based products. Among other reports in the petition, there were 180 cases of fluid in the lungs and at least 16 deaths.

While Public Citizen is pushing for a black box warning, the FDA chief of neurology, Dr. Russell Katz, considers this simply something, "People should be on the lookout for..." With the caveat that they're still in the early stages of their investigation.

Such objectivity.

It might interest you to know that there were far fewer ephedra-related deaths (and even fewer that could be directly linked to the herb) when it was pulled from the shelves.

And to-date, there isn't a single adverse event (much less a death) that can be linked to the use of the bioidentical hormone estriol. And yet it too has been pulled from public reach.

That's not to imply that Botox needs to be banned. But patients should be made very aware of the inherent risks.

In my own opinion, however, do yourself a favor and forgo the Botox. Your best bet for winning the war against Father Time, over the long term, is a diet high in EFAs and antioxidants. Low in saturated fat, processed foods and the like. And if you're a smoker...kicking the habit will work wonders for your appearance as well.

Yours in good health,

Allan Spreen, M.D.

Chief Research Advisor

NorthStar Nutritional

From:  ikmcclure@hotmail.com