Botox fears overblown, says expert

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While recent research has prompted fears about the safety of Botox, one of the product’s pioneers has spoken out, claiming that the product remains safe when used for cosmetic indications, as directed. 
Recent years have seen a spate of negative publicity, including unexpected results in rats injected with the toxin and advocacy group Public Citizen’s charge that Botox caused the death of a patient in 2004. 
Also in 2004, an unlicensed South Florida osteopath injected four people – himself included – with so much Botox that he and his patents suffered life-threatening cases of botulism. 
Speaking of the incident, Jean D. Carruthers, M.D., clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, said: “The best product we’ve had for treating so many cosmetic issues was suddenly being tarred. This had a profound negative effect on the number of Botox treatments booked in Florida and adjacent states for some time afterwards.”
Dr Carruthers and her husband ran a long-term safety study as a result of the incident, retrospectively reviewing 851 treatment sessions in 50 subjects. They found three mild cases of brow ptosis and one of eyelid ptosis. 
Dr Carruthers commented: “The message is that Botox is a very powerful drug that we should have great respect for. And when we see reports of adverse events, let’s find out if it was caused by Botox or some other unapproved product.”
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