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Metallic taste: an unusual reaction to botulinum toxin A
Christian Murray1, Nowell Solish
1University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. christian.murray@utoronto.ca
Background:
Botulinum neurotoxin formulations are safe and effective agents for the treatment of facial rhytides.
Objectives:
A patient is described who complained of metallic taste after each treatment with botulinum toxin A (BTX-A).
Results:
The sensation of metallic taste diminished after successive treatments with BTX-A, despite adequate dosing for cosmetic purposes.
Conclusion:
Metallic taste is associated with the use of numerous medications; however, the pathogenesis remains unclear. Alteration in zinc metabolism, which may occur with BTX-A administration, has been suggested as a possible mechanism. Although this is the first known report of dysgeusia after BTX-A, physicians and patients may be reassured that the taste alteration was self-limited and was not significantly problematic for the patient in our case.