11 women with severe complaints ended up in hospital after cosmetic procedures with Botulinum toxin product

Eleven women are now suffering from severe complications after receiving injections of unlicensed botulinum toxin product at one and the same studio. Five of them are currently being treated at Pirogov emergency hospital with the last two being admitted on February 2, the hospital told BNT.

On February 1, the Medical Suprevision agency ordered an inspection, and a meeting with the Minister of Health is scheduled for February 3.

• Doctors saved the life of a woman, who was at risk following injections with product containing Botulinum toxin

All 11 women who suffered complications visited the same aesthetic studio, said Neli Georgieva, vice president of the Association of Aesthetic Medicine Patients, in an interview with BNT News. The procedure with Botulinum toxin product was carried out by the same woman—a foreigner with no medical training. Days after receiving the injections containing Botulinum toxin product, the patients began experiencing neurological issues.

“These issues include blurred and double vision, one woman even lost vision in one eye. They have neurological problems, muscle pain, extreme fatigue, they are unable to drive or go to work, and they have speech difficulties and concentration problems,” explained Neli Georgieva.

It wasn’t just the significant promotion advertised on social media that led the women to visit the particular studio.

“Some of them were misled by very good referrals from their acquaintances, whose effect after procedure with botulinum toxin containing product lasted much longer than expected. They were so satisfied that they recommended it,” Nelli Georgieva said.

The most severely affected patient was extremely fortunate, as "Pirogov" was able to urgently provide and administer a life-saving botulinum antitoxin serum, which is generally not available in Bulgaria. It was found only at the Military Medical Academy (VMA).

“It was truly a great stroke of luck that this happened,” said Assoc. Prof. Maria Dimitrova, head of the Neurology Clinic at "Pirogov."

The woman was admitted during the night shift.

“She had drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing, which progressed within a few days before she arrived. The most alarming issue for her, and the reason she sought medical help so urgently, was the muscle weakness in all four limbs and severe difficulty moving. She was admitted as an emergency,” Prof. Dimitrova further explained.

The diagnosis was severe—iatrogenic botulism. The patient had previously received treatments with Botulinum toxin contaning product but had never encountered complications before.

A check by BNT News revealed that the woman posing as a dermatologist had erased the information about her online, though her promotion is still visible, along with a TikTok video featuring the procedures she offered.

The woman saved at "Pirogov" hospital has already filed a police report.

The Association recommends:

“Ask for a passport showing exactly what was injected; there should be a sticker with a batch number,” emphasised Neli Georgieva.

This was something the affected women did not receive, despite being assured that the studio was using a licensed product in Bulgaria.