Three women in New York, Texas and Wisconsin were hospitalized this year after injecting themselves with botulinum toxin purchased online, according to a CDC report released Nov. 27 and shared by Guam Public Health officials. The women, ages 29, 50 and 59, had no medical training and did not meet state requirements to buy or administer the drug, which is typically considered safe only when injected by licensed professionals.
All three became seriously ill within days of self-injection, reporting symptoms including difficulty swallowing, blurred vision, slurred speech and muscle weakness. One patient required mechanical ventilation because of worsening breathing problems. Hospitals contacted their state health departments, which then alerted the CDC. Each woman received botulism antitoxin based on suspected exposure, though no circulating toxin was detected in laboratory tests — a finding the agency said is common in cosmetic botulism cases.
Investigators were unable to obtain the products for testing. The women told officials they purchased the toxin from online vendors outside the United States, including sellers on social media and messaging platforms. The CDC said the limited information suggested the products were not FDA-approved and might have been counterfeit or unsafe.
Health officials warned that botulinum toxin purchased from unauthorized sources can be contaminated, mislabeled or dangerously potent. The CDC urged consumers to avoid self-injection and to seek cosmetic treatment only from licensed providers using FDA-approved products, noting that improper use “can result in serious adverse health effects.”