Also called: Also called: Botulinum toxin type A
Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It's the same toxin that causes a life-threatening type of food poisoning called botulism. Doctors use it in small doses to treat health problems, including
- Temporary removal of facial wrinkles
- Severe underarm sweating
- Cervical dystonia - a neurological disorder that causes severe neck and shoulder muscle contractions
- Blepharospasm - uncontrollable blinking
- Strabismus - misaligned eyes
Botox injections work by weakening or paralyzing certain muscles or by blocking certain nerves. The effects last about three to four months. Side effects can include pain at the injection site, flu-like symptoms, headache and upset stomach. Injections in the face may also cause temporary drooping eyelids. You should not use Botox if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
Food and Drug Administration
-
Botox(Food and Drug Administration, Office of Women's Health) - http://www.fda.gov/womens/getthefacts/botox.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.fda.gov/womens/getthefacts/Spanish/botox-Spanish.html
- Botulinum Toxin(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/cosmetic_botulinum.html
- FDA Law Enforcers Crack Down on Illegal Botox Scammers(08/13/2008, Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/botox081308.html
- Treatment of Pediatric Movement Disorders: Medication: Botulinum and Other Toxins(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/pediatric_treatment/medication_bot.html
- Botox (Medical)(Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology) - http://www.eyecareamerica.org/eyecare/treatment/botox/
- Botox and Facial Fillers(American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) - Links to PDF - http://www.asoprs.org/files/public/New.InfoBotox.pdf
- Botulinum Toxin Injections(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/botulinum_toxin_injections/124.php
-
Botulinum Toxin Injections: A Treatment for Muscle Spasms(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/017.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/articles/017.printerview.html
- Botulinum Toxin Type A (BTX-A) for Dystonia(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/dys/dys_bota.html
- FDA Approves Botox to Treat Severe Underarm Sweating(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/answers/2004/ANS01301.html
- Fibromyalgia Treatment: Can Botox Injections Relieve Pain?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/fibromyalgia/AN00540/METHOD=print
- Botox Injections(American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) - http://www.aafprs.org/media/media_resources/fact_botox.html
- Reimbursement Resources(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/reimbursement/130.php
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Botulinum Toxins
(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=botulinum+toxin
- Risks of Erasing Wrinkles: Buyer Beware!(American Academy of Neurology) - http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/full/67/10/E17
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot trial of botulinum toxin A in restless... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18794499&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Injection of botulinum toxin into external laryngeal muscles in pediatric... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18771080&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Is electrical stimulation beneficial for improving the paralytic effect of... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18729296&tool=MedlinePlus
- Botox -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=botulinum+toxin+type+a/tu[mh]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Academy of Dermatology - http://www.aad.org/
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons - http://www.plasticsurgery.org/
- We Move - http://www.wemove.org/
- Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/plasticandcosmeticsurgery.html
- Skin, Hair and Nails - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinhairandnails.html