From chin injection to whole body paralysis
The 34-year-old female patient was vaccinated with botulinum through an advertisement on social media to "make chin gray and remove forehead wrinkles". Two days later, she had symptoms of difficulty swallowing, weak limbs, and quickly became weak in all four limbs, unable to sit up on her own. Electromechanical results determined that nerve - muscle damage is characterized by botulinum poisoning. The patient had to use a ventilator for more than two months and underwent intensive treatment to gradually recover.
Similarly, a 38-year-old woman in Hung Yen self-injected with many types of botulinum purchased online, after the injection she had difficulty speaking, double-eyed vision, pimples, and difficulty swallowing. When admitted to the hospital, the patient was quadriplegic and at risk of respiratory failure, but fortunately was discovered early and treated promptly.
Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen - Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital - said that recently, the Poison Control Center has received many patients with severe botulinum poisoning after being injected with beauty treatments at home or at unlicensed facilities.
Beauty medicine - a double-edged sword
Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen added that botulinum is one of the most powerful toxins in the world, just 0.09 micrograms of vein injection can cause death for adults weighing 70kg. In medicine, this substance is used in extremely small doses, as prescribed, to treat muscle stiffness, chronic headaches or remove wrinkles in cosmetics.
"Alarm of irreversible botulinum nerve damage. The body has to regenerate new neurotransmitters, like a tree cut down in the middle of the trunk and have to wait for the branches to replant, a process that lasts 2 to 4 months or more. When injected for beauty purposes, but because people do not have deep medical expertise, it is easy to cause botulinum poisoning, leading to whole body paralysis, intestinal paralysis, bloating, and arrhythmia. While waiting for the body to recover on its own, the patient is at high risk of death from respiratory failure, pneumonia, ulcers due to prolonged sleep, intestinal obstruction, and hospital infections," Dr. Nguyen warned.
He also reiterated that since 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a strict warning about severe paralysis complications caused by botulinum, requiring cosmetic facilities to provide clear advice on the risks and benefits and only use licensed products.
From actual treatment, Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen recommends: Do not vaccinate with botulinum at home or at an unlicensed cosmetic facility; Only use a product licensed by the Ministry of Health, by a doctor trained in the procedures.
If after the vaccination, you have muscle weakness, ptosis, difficulty swallowing, or fatigue, you should go to a large medical facility immediately for timely diagnosis and emergency care.
