Botulinum Toxin Type A
Also known as: Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Jeuveau, onabotulinumtoxinA
Status
FDA-approved. Multiple products approved for cosmetic and therapeutic indications. All carry a boxed warning about distant spread of toxin effect, which can cause swallowing and breathing difficulties. These are prescription products administered by trained injectors; the anatomy involved is why.
What it is
A purified neurotoxin injected to relax specific muscles, dosed in units that differ between brands.
What published research measured
Blocks acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction, so the treated muscle cannot contract until new nerve terminals form over roughly three to four months. The evidence base for both cosmetic and therapeutic indications is extensive. An important practical point: units are not interchangeable between brands. A unit of Botox and a unit of Dysport are different quantities of activity, and converting between them by assuming parity is a well-documented source of harm.
Source
Diener HC et al. 2010 — OnabotulinumtoxinA for treatment of chronic migraine: results from the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled p… · Dodick DW et al. 2010 — OnabotulinumtoxinA for treatment of chronic migraine: pooled results from the double-blind, randomized, placebo-contr… · Cui M et al. 2004 — Subcutaneous administration of botulinum toxin A reduces formalin-induced pain
Sources
No linked primary source is on file for this entry yet.
Educational use only, never medical advice. No doses.