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Botulism and Clostridium botulinumBotulism is caused when a person is infected by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium Botulinum - one of the most poisonous substances in the world, but is the first bacterial toxin to be used as a medicine to relax muscles.
There are eight serologically distinct botulinum neurotoxins - designated as:
With the type "A" being used for cosmetic and medical purposes. The initial application of this toxin was as a muscle relaxant to treat muscle disorders such as uncontrolled blinking. The material is used today in cosmetic applications and is injected into the facial muscles to bind with the nerve endings and blocking the release of acetylcholine which otherwise would signal the muscle to contract. There could be some side effects with this type of treatment which may include headaches, localized swelling and redness, mild pain, bruising and temporary drooping of the eye - if used around the eye area. HistoryThe first publication on botulism was in 1817 by the physician Justinum Kerner which noted the effect of botulism in Stuttgart due to the economic and hygiene decline related to the Napoleonic wars and was referred to as "sausage poisoning" since spoiled sausages were a good breeding ground for this bacterium. Botulism is derived from the Latin word "botulus" which means sausage, and when tainted food is ingested it has an incubation period of between 16 - 36 hours. Although Kerner hypothesized the possible therapeutic use of the neurotoxin it was only in 1895 that the microbiologist Emile-Pierre van Ermengen discovered the association. Infant botulism has been linked to the ingestion of honey and microbiologic surveys have identified clostridial spores in a large variety of honey products. In 1946 the Botulinum toxin type A was produced in crystalline form for the first time with the help of Schantz and in the 1970s Scott experimented with it on monkeys for the treatment of strabismus and in 1977 - 1978 performed trials on human patients with strabismus. During the mid 1980s he treated a patient with Botulinum for cosmetic reasons. Although the FDA approves the use of Botulinum neurotoxin, it is approved for disorders such as strabismus, hemifacial spasms, focal dystonias, spasticity, tics etc and is as such not approved for cosmetic use. The cosmetic use of Botox is considered an "off-label" use. Patients that are considering this type of treatment should not take any platelet inhibitors for 7 to 14 days before an injection. This will include aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. People that wish to use this type of injection for cosmetic use are warned to only have it administered by experienced medical professionals such as dermatologists or plastic surgeons and it must be performed in a clinical environment. Although there has been an upsurge of "injection parties" where the Botulinum neurotoxin is injected by non-medical, non-professional people, people should stay clear of this environment and rather consult a trained professional medical person. An alternative to BotoxCréme de Vie does not contain Botulinum neurotoxin, but is a non-toxin hexapeptide which interferes the formation of wrinkles. To read more about the clinical data and the way in which it works on the skin, and the way in which it prevents the formation of wrinkles, please click here. Other articles of interest |
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