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Feb 8, 2008 6:56 pm US/Eastern

Expert: Don't Let Botox Investigation Scare You

Fatal Cases Found In Children Treated For Cerebral Palsy

CBS News Interactive: Healthwatch

By STEVE FINK, WCBSTV.COM

NEW YORK (CBS) ―

A government-issued warning to doctors Friday suggests patients injected with Botox or a similar drug, Myobloc, should be aware of serious side effects that could result in death.

The warning revealed that the side effects, including respiratory problems or difficulty swallowing, similar to those of botulism, are caused by two types of the botulinum toxin found in the drugs that could spread to areas beyond the injection site.

But experts say potential cosmetic patients should do exactly what their muscles will do following proper usage: relax.

Dr. Stephen Greenberg, a board certified plastic surgeon in Manhattan and on Long Island, tells WCBSTV.com that the warning shouldn't trouble those considering undergoing cosmetic treatment with the anti-wrinkle drug.

"The problems that have been reported come from cases where Botox is not used in proper dosing and in proper FDA fashion," he says. "Botox is a very safe and effective drug we give, proven over hundreds of thousands of injections over a fair amount of time."

The most adverse effects listed in the report were found in children with cerebral palsy, who use the drug to treat spasticity associated with the disorder. Those children are typically injected with much larger doses than those used in cosmetic procedures.

Treatment for spasticity is not approved in the United States, however, despite its successful use in other countries.

Greenberg says side effects from the drug, when administered properly, are rare, and include redness around the injection site, occasional black and blue spots, or a slight headache.

"I don't think patients should worry. As long as they're not getting too much and are injected properly, it's a very safe drug," he says.

He adds he's hasn't come across a patient experiencing the severe side effects found in the investigation and stresses that the rare cases of those effects found in FDA-approved cases usually come when the drug isn't administered properly.

"It's important to make sure you go to a specialist who does this, a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist who does this frequently and knows how to utilize the medication," he says. "Botox is a drug and has to be used in trained hands. It's scary that Botox is being used by untrained people."