Botox: Blockbuster Cosmetic Drug Blamed for User Deaths, Severe Health Complications
Botox and other similar drugs such as Myoblic and Dysport are purified forms of botulinum toxin that work by temporarily paralyzing muscles to prevent wrinkles from forming in the skin. The Food and Drug Administration also has approved Botox to treat the following conditions:
- Crossed eyes
- Eye and facial spasms
- Cervical dystonia (muscle spasms in the neck, also called wry neck)
- Equinus foot in cerebral palsy patients
- Excessive sweating
'Off-Label' Uses Blamed for Problems
Botox also is widely used by physicians for unapproved, "off-label" treatment of muscle spasticity in adults and children with cerebral palsy. Extremely high doses of Botox are injected into the bodies of cerebral palsy patients to control the involuntary muscle movements and rigidity associated with the disorder.
These large doses of the drug can quickly spread inside the body from the injection site to the lungs and throat, where Botox can interfere with or stop breathing, swallowing, and other vital bodily functions. Some cerebral palsy patients, particularly young children, have died or suffered life-threatening complications after Botox injections spread through their bodies and caused respiratory failure.
In April 2009, the Food and Drug Administration ordered the makers of Botox and similar drugs to issue stronger warnings about the risk of respiratory failure and death when the drug spreads through the body.
If you or a loved one has died or been injured as a result of Botox treatments, we encourage you to seek legal help as soon as possible to determine and evaluate your possible legal rights to financial compensation.
SOURCE: and lawsuit form