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Antibiotics and botox: Know the risks!

By Dr Giulia D’Anna, BDSc, MRACDS, FIADFE, Grad. Dip. Derm. Ther Cert IV TAE, Grad. Cert laser, Email: giulia@dermaldistinction.com.au M any dental practitioners are using botulinumtoxin in theirmanagement

Dr Giulia D’Anna

Antibiotics contraindicated for cosmetic toxin treatments When taking your patient’s medical history, keep an eye out for antibiotics that are contraindicated. Aminoglycosides A group of antibiotics called aminogly cosides is known to exhibit neuromuscular blocking e ects. ese include gentamycin, neomycin, and streptomycin. eir usage in conjunction with botulinum toxin treatments can potentiate the muscle relaxant e ects. is can lead toan increased risk of muscular weakness or paralysis by strengthening the e ects of the toxin. Fluoroquinolones Another class of antibiotics that may pose contraindications are the uoroquinolones. ese include cipro oxacin, levo oxacin, andmoxi oxacin. Neuromuscular blocking e ects of uoroquinolones are generally considered to be minimal. at said, there have been rare reports of muscle weakness or respiratory distress in patients who received botox injections while taking these antibiotics. Amoxicillin is not contraindicated for botox Amoxicillin is not contraindicated for botox injections. is is a frequent query as it’s commonly prescribed in the Australia to treat conditions such as chest infections and dental infections.

As always, however, investigate why your patient is taking this. Also check the most up-to-date patient information before con rming their suitability for treatment. Ultimately, botulinum toxin is not a need, it’s a want. If a patient is unwell, delaying treatment is always an option. For example, if the patient has an infection that’s causing them to run a high temperature, they are systemically unwell. is could have a negative e ect on their toxin treatment. As such, postponing until they are well is in their best interests. Potential interaction between botox and antibiotics e potential for interaction between botox and antibiotics may vary depending on such factors as: 1. Speci c antibiotic 2. Dosage 3. Duration of treatment 4. Individual patient characteristics 5. Indication for treatment. A thorough assessment of your patient’s medical history and current medication regimen is crucial before permitting treatment. How long to wait between completing a course of contraindicated antibiotics and toxin treatment If your patient is completing a course of contraindicated antibiotics, explain the issue to them. Assuming they’re otherwise suitable, you can o er to delay their treatment until they’ve completed the course. You should allow a period of about a week once they’ve nished the course before their botulinum toxin appointment. is is to ensure the medication is out of their system. It’s also to allow time for them to recover from their illness. is helps to assure the safety and e cacy of both treatments. Always consult appropriate guidelines and refer to the latest research, in such cases. You’ll also need to consider individual patient factors when making decisions regarding whether they’re taking antibiotics contraindicated for toxin treatments.

of patients. Some may use Botulinum toxin purely for therapeutic management of clenching and grinding. Others use Botulinum toxin to manage cosmetic treatment for their patients, bringing out the best results in their smile. When using botulinum toxin, it is important that we understand when to use Botulinum toxin, but also when we should reconsider this treatment based on the patient medical history. It is important to consider medical conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, heart conditions and so on, but the medication that the patient is taking is also just as important. In this article, we will take a look into common medications and antibiotics to highlight the most important contra-indications and risks for the patient when we are thinking of using botulinum toxin for our patients. Antibiotics contraindicated for toxin treatments As a medical professionals it’s important to understand the antibiotics contraindicated for toxin treatments. Certain antibiotics are contraindicated as they are known to interfere with neuromuscular transmission. ese medications could potentially interact with the toxin’s mechanism of action. is primarily involves blocking the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction.

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