Three Colorado Women Developed Blurred Vision and Weakness After Unapproved Botulinum Toxin Shots at a Medical Spa

Ozempic and Zepbound Makers Report Slower Aging Clocks, but Unreviewed Data Do Not Prove Patients Age SlowerNovo Nordisk and Eli Lilly say GLP-1 drugs slowed aging clocks, but the data are early and unreviewed. Here is what patients should know. Had Gestational Diabetes or Postpartum Depression? Large Study Links Pregnancy History to Later Heart and Kidney RiskA study of 1.4 million women links pregnancy complications to later heart, diabetes, and kidney risk. What to tell your doctor at checkups. Dementia Patients Overweight or Obese at Diagnosis Had Up to 27% Lower Death Risk, Raising Caregiver Nutrition QuestionsA national study of 4,523 U.S. adults with dementia linked higher weight at diagnosis to longer survival. Here is what it means for caregivers. Nonprofit Hospitals Charging $5,500 or More for Longevity Checkups Face Questions Over Tax Breaks and Charity CareTax-exempt hospitals now sell longevity programs from $5,500 to as much as $45,000 a year. Here’s what’s included, what insurance covers, and what critics ask. Mental Health Veterans’ PTSD and Depression Relief After Ibogaine Largely Held for a Year in Small Stanford Study of 30Most veterans in a small Stanford ibogaine study kept their PTSD gains at 12 months, but the study had no control group, and heart risks remain. Hymns and Childhood Songs Topped the Phantom Music 81 Patients Heard, and Hearing Loss Was Often Not the CauseA Dutch study of people who hear music that isn’t playing found that half had no documented hearing loss, and most found the music a burden. Childhood Abuse Linked to Brain Structure Differences in 3,711 Brain Scans, with Stronger Patterns Seen in Young WomenA UCLA-led study of 3,711 brain scans links childhood abuse to brain structure differences. It shows an association, not a cause, and needs follow-up. She Loved the Smell of Bricks So Much She Started Eating Them, and Severe Iron Deficiency May Be WhyA 56-year-old woman in Portugal ground bricks into powder and ate them after their smell became irresistible. Doctors suspect low iron. Innovation Two Baby Molars Hid a Sneaky Third Root That Dentists Usually Find in Adult TeethPediatric dentists in India describe baby molars with a rare extra root usually seen in permanent teeth, a hidden variant that can derail root canals. Mismatched Extra Chest Muscles Formed an X in a 70-Year-Old Donor, a Variant That Can Pose as a Breast MassAnatomists found two mismatched sternalis muscles forming an X in a 70-year-old donor, a rare variant that can be mistaken for a breast mass. A 23-Year-Old’s Ear Scan Found Both Optic Nerves Suspended in Her Sinuses, a Rare Trap for SurgeonsA CT scan for a young woman’s ear problem showed both optic nerves running freely through her sphenoid sinus, a rare setup that raises surgical risk. NIH Tells HIV and Tuberculosis Trial Networks to Delay New Studies as Funding Renewal Notices Stall at HHSNIH told four HIV clinical trial networks to hold off on some new studies as funding renewal notices stall at HHS. Here is what it means for patients. Healthy Living Senators Give Kennedy Until Oct. 15 to Explain Task Force Shake-Up Behind Free Cancer and Blood Pressure ScreeningsSeventeen senators want HHS Secretary Kennedy to explain his overhaul of the panel behind free preventive screenings by Oct. 15. Here is what is at stake. Three in Four Louisiana SNAP Closures Were Procedural, and Families Cut Over Paperwork Can Reapply for BenefitsState data show that 75% of Louisiana SNAP losses from July 2025 to June 2026 were procedural. Here is how families can reapply and find food now. Only About 27% of Pregnant Americans Got the Maternal RSV Vaccine in Its First Year as Season NearsA new review estimates that only about 27% of pregnant Americans got the RSV vaccine in their first year. Here is how parents can protect a newborn this season. One in 16 Pet Cat Stool Samples Tested Positive for Giardia, and About 18% Carried Human-Capable StrainsA study of 157,616 cat stool samples found Giardia in 6.3% of samples, with the highest rates in kittens, Midwest cats, and during winter. Here is what cat owners should know. Covid – 19 FDA Proposes Requiring Companies to Report Food Additives That Now Reach Grocery Shelves Without Federal ReviewFDA has released its proposed GRAS rule requiring companies to notify the agency about food additives. Here is what the proposal does and does not do. Federal Regulators Warn Some Hair Dryer Brushes Lack the Part That Stops ElectrocutionCPSC warns hair dryer brushes sold on Walmart.com and TikTok Shop lack immersion protection. The seller has not agreed to a recall or refund. A Recalled Teething Toy Broke the Pattern Parents Were Told to Look ForA newly recalled pull-string teething toy has a different model number and design from earlier recalls, and one choking incident has been reported. Trying to Lower Blood Sugar, Cholesterol or Blood Pressure? Different Workouts Suited Different MarkersA pooled analysis of 53 trials found that different exercise types helped different metabolic markers. Most of the evidence was low certainty. PATRICK LIN | AFP via Getty Images Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pocket Three women in Colorado developed symptoms such as blurred vision, headaches, voice changes, and weakness within a day of receiving cosmetic injections of an unapproved botulinum toxin product at a medical spa, according to a federal report published Thursday. All three recovered, and investigators could not confirm exactly what caused their symptoms.

The report, published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found the spa had been using a product that is approved in other countries but not in the United States. None of the women knew the product lacked FDA approval when they received it.

For the many adults who get wrinkle-relaxing injections, the findings point to an important question to ask before treatment: is the product FDA-approved, and where did it come from?

According to the MMWR report, the investigation began in January 2026, when Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety alerted public health officials about a patient who developed symptoms the same day she received an injection from a licensed provider at a Colorado medical spa. Her symptoms began about five days before the poison center was contacted.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment led the investigation with CDC, FDA and the local public health agency. The report does not name the spa or the city or county where it operates.

State health officials sent text messages to 52 patients who had received botulinum toxin at the spa in December 2025 and January 2026, and 27 responded. That outreach identified two more women with symptoms. All three had received the same lot of the unapproved product, with injections in the upper brow, between the eyebrows, or the upper lip.

Symptoms started in less than 24 hours for each woman. The first patient had numbness and tingling in her arms and legs, neck stiffness, a hoarse or weak voice, headache, and blurred vision. The second had voice changes, headache, and blurred vision. The third had shortness of breath, headache, and weakness in her arms and legs.

Doses were small, ranging from 3 to 24 units. Botulinum toxin works by blocking nerve signals to muscles, which is why effects beyond the injection site can show up as vision, voice or breathing problems.

No one was hospitalized. The first patient saw her primary care provider, who decided treatment was not needed, and the other two recovered without seeking medical care.

Investigators found several problems at the spa beyond the unapproved product. Both approved and unapproved products were kept on site, single-dose vials were used for more than one patient, temperature monitoring was inadequate, and some reconstituted, unlabeled product was stored and used past its safe-use date. Staff also used a diluent that contained a preservative.

The provider told investigators the unapproved products were bought from an online supplier. The exact lot given to the three women was not available for testing. CDC tested a different lot from the spa and found active botulinum toxin type A, with no elevated toxin level and no contaminants.

That leaves the cause unconfirmed. The report authors listed possibilities including unknown product strength, contamination, improper preparation and improper storage or administration. The report did not label the product counterfeit, though it noted that products from unauthorized suppliers might be.

A public health order told the provider to stop using the unapproved products, and the provider reported doing so. A complaint was also filed with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, which oversees professional licenses. The report notes that in Colorado, giving non-FDA-approved products can be grounds for disciplinary action.

“Use of counterfeit or unapproved botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) can result in serious illness,” the report authors wrote.

The Colorado cases echo a larger national investigation. In 2023 and 2024, CDC tracked 17 people in nine states, including one in Colorado, who had harmful reactions after injections of counterfeit or mishandled botulinum toxin. Thirteen were hospitalized, and six were treated with botulism antitoxin. All were women ages 25 to 67.

CDC closed that investigation but said it continued to receive reports of similar cases. Its advice was direct: “If in doubt, don’t get the injection.”

The FDA warned that counterfeit Botox had been found in multiple states, with warning signs including non-English text on the carton and the active ingredient listed as “Botulinum Toxin Type A” instead of “OnabotulinumtoxinA.” MedicalDaily has also reported that counterfeit Botox injections sent people to hospitals this year.

Women seeking cosmetic treatments have made up all reported cases in these investigations. Risk appears greatest when a clinic’s product sourcing is unclear, as it was at the Colorado spa.

Patients can ask the injector which brand they are using, whether it is FDA-approved, and whether it was bought directly from the manufacturer or an authorized distributor. Asking to see the vial and packaging before treatment is reasonable. A price far below local rates can be a warning sign.

The report authors said people should be encouraged to seek treatment only from licensed providers using FDA-approved products. They also urged providers not to buy products from unauthorized sources.

Anyone who develops symptoms after an injection should contact a clinician and mention the treatment. The CDC lists botulism warning signs such as trouble swallowing, muscle weakness, double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, and difficulty breathing. Botulism is a medical emergency, and trouble breathing or swallowing needs emergency care right away.

Reactions can also be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch program and to the national Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. The report shows that unapproved products can still reach licensed clinics, so checking the source remains a patient’s best protection.

What happened to the three Colorado women?

They developed symptoms such as blurred vision, headache, voice changes and weakness within 24 hours of injections of an unapproved botulinum toxin product at a medical spa.

Yes. All three recovered, and none was hospitalized.

The report describes it as unapproved, meaning it is approved abroad but not by the FDA. It was not shown to be counterfeit, and the cause of the symptoms remains unconfirmed.

It began in January 2026 after a poison center alert. The CDC report was published on October 8, 2026.

What symptoms should people watch for after an injection?

Watch for blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, trouble swallowing or speaking, muscle weakness, and breathing problems. Trouble breathing needs emergency care.

How can I tell if my injector uses an approved product?

Ask for the brand name, ask whether it came from the manufacturer or an authorized distributor, and ask to see the packaging.

A public health order told the provider to stop using unapproved products, and a complaint was filed with Colorado’s licensing agency.