The procedure of injecting botox into stomach muscles to slow digestion and make the body feel fuller for longer has been linked to a recent outbreak of botulism, a serious neurological condition.
- Patients who allegedly received intragastric injections of botulinum neurotoxin (Botox) for the treatment of obesity in Turkey have developed botulism.
- Botulism is a serious neuroparalytic disease caused primarily by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
- This practice of botox injection for weight loss is strongly discouraged by medical experts and authorities in the European Union
Botulinum neurotoxin (botox) was known to reduce wrinkles, but another lesser-known use has been popularized: botox for weight loss. And this practice is not without danger.
Botox for weight loss has caused cases of botulism
Controversial, and not approved by the US Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the injection of botox into the muscles of the stomach would reduce the feeling of hunger.
This practice is widespread in Turkey, the Mecca of cosmetic procedures at low cost, and has been the subject of an alert.
Indeed, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has linked the procedure to an outbreak of botulism in Europe, a disease caused by a toxin that attacks the nerves, leading to breathing difficulties, muscle paralysis and, in some cases, death.
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At the end of March 2023, the Center thus established a link between 87 cases of botulism and the intragastric injection of Botox.
“The interventions took place between February 3 and March 1, 2023 in Turkey. The patients reportedly received intragastric injections of botulinum neurotoxin for the treatment of obesity at two private hospitals: one in Istanbul and the other in Izmir”, details the Center. The relevant departments of the two hospitals have seen their activities suspended and investigations have been opened against the parties involved.
The patients’ symptoms – fatigue, weakness, blurred vision and difficulty swallowing and breathing, ranged from mild to severe and several required hospitalization for intensive hospital care and administration of botulinum antitoxin .
Even when these treatments are available, full recovery usually takes weeks or even months, writes the ECDC which encourages EU citizens to avoid weight loss treatments in Turkey.
