2 people sent to hospital after fake Botox injections in Louisiana, health officials say

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is warning residents to avoid Botox injections from unlicensed providers and non-medical places after two people were hospitalized due to severe illnesses from unsafe injections.

According to LDH, the unrelated cases were reported in September. One person bought an unlicensed botulinum toxin online. Another received injections from someone with unknown credentials in a non-medical place. Both developed botulism-like symptoms and required hospitalization.

Botulism is a rare but serious illness. It affects the nervous system and can be fatal. Symptoms include muscle weakness, trouble breathing, and paralysis. LDH said that counterfeit or mishandled botulinum toxin has led to hospitalizations nationwide and often involves products purchased from online or social media vendors.

Health officials ask residents to:

• Only receive injections from licensed and trained medical professionals.
• Ensure the product is FDA-approved and obtained from a licensed supplier.
• Never buy or self-inject botulinum toxin bought online or through social media.
• Seek medical help immediately if symptoms such as blurred vision, slurred speech, or difficulty breathing occur.

You can report suspected counterfeit Botox products or any bad reactions to the FDA by calling 800-551-3989 or filling out an online report.

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