Falsehoods or scare stories about Botulinum Toxin?

In the media there have been several scare stories or falsehoods put forward about Botulinum toxin. On the whole these stories have no substance and are scientifically incorrect. However, as they are scary to many people, they hold the reader's interest and therefore sell papers or magazines. As such rumours or stories continue to be put about.

As so many people either use Botulinum toxin or are offered Botulinum toxin, it is important that people have access to honest facts about Botulinum toxin and are not given falsehoods or are scared from the possible benefits of it by false stories or rumours.

"Botulinum toxin accumulates in the body."

There have been stories saying that Botulinum toxin accumulates in the body as if having repeated Botulinum toxin treatments might cause some sort of Botulinum toxin poisoning.

There is no evidence that Botulinum toxin accumulates at all - certainly not in the doses used by clinicians.

Previously in this website the action of Botulinum toxin was discussed. It permanently binds to the tissues in the end of the motor neurone destroying this area and interrupting the nerve to muscle or gland communication. In this process the Botulinum toxin is bound into that nerve and is not free to go elsewhere in the body nor to "accumulate."

When the body grows new ends for the motor neurones, these attach to the muscle glands giving the appearance that the Botulinum toxin has worn off. Further Botulinum toxin injections bind to these, repeating the effect, but do not cause accumulation of Botulinum toxin elsewhere in the body.

"Toxins are poisonous and should not be injected into the body."

Botulinum toxin certainly is a toxin and certainly does have a toxic effect in the body. However there are many things used in medicine or used clinically that in the wrong dose or in the wrong place are toxic. Many drugs that are given to patients to help their hearts, or keep them alive, would kill those patients if taken in overdose.

As such, although Botulinum toxin is called a toxin, and although it certainly has a toxic effect, by being given in the right areas in the right doses by the right people who have been specifically trained, the effects can be beneficial and predictable.