9/08/08
Officials at the London-based European Medicines Agency said last week that botulinum toxin Type A can have negative side effects, according to the German news weekly Focus. The announcement comes months after warnings against the wrinkle-smoothing injections were issued in the United States
The agency reported it found more than 600 cases of negative side-effects with a potential link to Botox, and that in 28 of the cases, the Botox users died. Some 210 cases with a presumed link to the injection—five of them lethal—were reported by the Federal Institute for Medication and Medical Products in Germany.
Authorities have said that striking the wrong muscle can be potentially dangerous, potentially even leading to death. Other side effects can include difficulty breathing or swallowing.
The FDA in February warned of the potential danger of Botox, but stopped short of banning it. At the time, it stressed that none of the fatalities were patients who had received the injections for cosmetic purposes.
[Source: European Medicines Agency]
