‘It’s extremely heartbreaking’: Amarillo injectors respond to counterfeit Botox injections

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Counterfeit Botox is circulating across the country, including Texas, and it’s putting patients in the hospital.

According to the CDC, a total of 22 people from 11 states have reported harmful reactions after receiving botulinum toxin injections from unlicensed or untrained individuals or in non-healthcare settings, such as homes and spas.

Over half of those patients were hospitalized.

With millions of injections every year, Botox is one of the most common non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

“We have a market of this product where the price is climbing, it is becoming more popular and you have more people doing it. So we are all competing for clients and the only way you’ll make money off of it is if you can get it cheaper, which is okay as long as you are not risking your patient’s safety,” said Dr. Whitney Dowd, nurse practitioner.

Some injectors are risking safety by using fake versions of Botox called botulinum toxin.

Amber Wray, a nurse practitioner in Amarillo, says this is becoming an increasing problem in the state of Texas due to the fact that anyone can do these injections and a license is not required.

“Untrained people just don’t have the training to recognize adverse events, and you can easily get these fake products from overseas or another country and it’s obviously at a very discounted price,” said Wray.

Both Wray and Dowd say they receive emails and social media messages daily from these companies trying to sell fake Botox.

Before scheduling an injection, it is important to do your research.

“If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure that you just kind of have a conversation with the person that you are trusting to put a needle in your face,” said Dr. Dowd.

You should also pay attention to pricing.

“If you’re price shopping and everybody charges a set price and you find that one price that is substantially less, that’s going to be your red flag,” said Wray.

You can also ask the injector if the product they are using is approved by the FDA.

Some of the symptoms of the fake Botox people have reported experiencing include:

• Blurry vision and double vision
• Drooping eyelids
• Difficulty swallowing
• Dry mouth
• Slurred speech
• Difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Generalized weakness

If you have any of these symptoms, you should see your healthcare provider or go to the emergency room immediately.

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