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Three women developed neurological symptoms after receiving unapproved botulinum toxin injections at a Colorado medical spa, a new CDC report reveals. None of the patients knew the product wasn't FDA-approved. Investigators uncovered a string of safety violations at the facility, which has since been ordered to stop using unapproved products.
A Colorado medical spa is under scrutiny after three women experienced neurological side effects — including numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, blurred vision, and neck stiffness — following injections of an unapproved botulinum toxin product, according to a new report in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. All three received injections in the upper brow, glabella, or upper lip within a day of each other, and symptoms appeared the same day. Fortunately, symptoms resolved within days and none required medical treatment.
The case came to light when the first patient reported her symptoms to the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety center in January 2026. A subsequent investigation by Colorado public health officials, the CDC, and the FDA found both approved and unapproved products on-site, along with a troubling list of safety violations — including improper use of preservative-containing diluents, reuse of single-dose vials across multiple patients, and storage of unlabeled reconstituted product past its beyond-use date.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: This case is part of a growing pattern of counterfeit or mishandled botulinum toxin products entering the market through unregulated channels. Public health officials are urging patients and providers to ensure botulinum toxin is sourced from authorized distributors and administered only by licensed professionals.
