15.10.2026 18:36
In Antalya, 16 people who showed symptoms of poisoning after botox application in the last 3 months were taken into treatment at Akdeniz University Hospital, and new patients with similar complaints also applied. B.J., 35, who presented with difficulty swallowing and shortness of breath, claimed that she had the procedure performed at a doctor's home and said she thought the products were fake. Experts, noting that there are only 2 licensed botulinum toxins in Turkey, warned against backstreet procedures.
After 16 people who showed symptoms of poisoning following botox application in ANTALYA were taken for treatment at Akdeniz University (AU) Hospital, new patients with similar complaints also applied. One of the people who came to the hospital, B.J. (35), claiming that she had botox for the first time and that the procedure was performed at the doctor's house, said, "I think the products used are fake."
In Antalya, after 16 people who fell ill following botox applications in the last 3 months were taken for treatment at AU Hospital, there were also new applications with similar symptoms. B.J., who experienced complaints of drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, and shortness of breath, claimed that she had the botox procedure performed at the home of a doctor she had met before. B.J., who applied to different hospitals due to her complaints that started 3 days after the procedure, said that when she saw patients experiencing the same symptoms as herself in the news, she came to AU Hospital and was taken for treatment.
SHE HAD THE PROCEDURE DONE AT THE DOCTOR'S HOUSE
B.J., who stated that she had the botox procedure done at the home of a doctor she had met in the clinical group where she had previously worked, said, "I met a doctor at the place where I worked before. He had come from Istanbul and had started working in Antalya about 2 months ago. First, I had several sessions of hair mesotherapy. The doctor said we could also do the procedures at home. I had both hair mesotherapy and botox. Three days after the procedure, drooping in my eyelid, hoarseness, and difficulty swallowing began."
B.J. said, "I saw in the news that there were other women experiencing the same problems as me. Upon this, I applied to the emergency department and my treatment was started. I asked the doctor who performed the procedure. He told me they had made an agreement with a new product company. I think the products used are fake. I want the Ministry of Health to investigate these products."
MOST OF THOSE USED IN BACKSTREET PRACTICES ARE FAKE
Neurology Specialist Prof. Dr. Babür Dora from AU Hospital said, "Botulinum toxin is used very commonly. We also use it a lot in neurology. We see these poisonings mostly in people who have undergone cosmetic applications. Generally, this situation is related to the person performing the procedure and the brand of botulinum toxin used. There are two botulinum toxins licensed by the Ministry of Health in Turkey. Even if any doctor currently wants to go to a pharmacy and buy botulinum toxin, they cannot get it. Therefore, most of the botulinum toxins used in backstreet practices are fake."
Stating that botulinum toxin is the strongest poison in the world, Prof. Dr. Babür Dora said, "A doctor can administer more than the unit they normally intend to administer. In this case, botulinum toxin poisoning occurs. Botulinum toxin applications should primarily be performed by physicians. Neurology specialists, plastic surgeons, and dermatologists who have received training in this can perform them. It is also used in other medical branches such as urology and physical therapy. Physical therapy specialists can administer it for muscle contraction. There are beauty centers everywhere, and we see botulinum toxin applications being done there like hotcakes. Legal regulation is needed to prevent such poisoning cases."
IT HAS BECOME A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM
Drawing attention to the increase in the number of cases, Neurology Specialist Prof. Dr. Ebru Apaydın Doğan from AU Hospital said, "We see that new cases have also come to the emergency department. One of them was again a patient in critical condition, and we had to hospitalize the patient. Our patient had difficulty swallowing and speaking. In fact, this is not a simple beauty product or an ordinary cream. It is a neurotoxin administered under the skin that negatively affects the neuromuscular junction, disrupts transmission, and paralyzes muscles. This situation has become a public health problem. We learned that there were similar cases in other hospitals as well. Such applications should be performed only by expert people, with products of known origin, and in a controlled manner."
Prof. Dr. Aslıhan Yürüktümen Ünal, Faculty Member of the Department of Emergency Medicine, who stated that first intervention is performed in emergency departments, also used the following expressions: "The patients who apply come with difficulty swallowing and shortness of breath. There can be drooping in one eyelid. We are not very afraid of muscle weakness in areas close to the unilateral application. This is already the expected result. But its progression over time, becoming symmetrical, and affecting muscles far from the application area are the things we are concerned about."
Internal Medicine Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözel, drawing attention to patient safety, said, "From the perspective of practicing physicians, having the necessary training and certification, and performing the procedure with the correct indication and under appropriate conditions are among the fundamental responsibilities. In addition, timely recognition and appropriate management of complications that may develop after the procedure are also of great importance."