The appearance and profile of moderate to severe submental fat (sometimes known as a “double chin”) can be improved with deoxycholic acid injections. A group of drugs known as cytolytic drugs includes deoxycholic acid injection. It operates by dissolving the cells in fatty tissue.

A doctor will provide deoxycholic acid injections subcutaneously (just under the skin) using a liquid form. To treat your disease, your doctor will determine the ideal location to inject the drug. A single therapy session may involve up to 50 shots. Depending on your health and response, your doctor may advise that you have up to 6 further treatment sessions, each spaced 1 month apart.

Before injecting deoxycholic acid, your doctor may numb your skin with a cold pack or an anaesthetic lotion.

Ask your doctor or chemist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before receiving deoxycholic acid injection,

• If you have an allergy to deoxycholic acid, any other drugs, or any of the ingredients in deoxycholic acid injection, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. Get a list of the ingredients from your chemist.
• Inform your doctor and chemist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Mention any anticoagulant, aspirin, or other blood-thinning medications you are taking, as well as any additional antiplatelet medications you may be taking. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• If the location where deoxycholic acid will be injected is swollen or showing other symptoms of infection, let your doctor know right once. The drug won’t be injected into an infection by your doctor.
• Inform your doctor if you’ve had cosmetic procedures or surgery on your face, neck, or chin, or if you’ve ever had or now have a neck ailment, bleeding issues, or trouble swallowing.
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you get pregnant while having deoxycholic acid injections.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

The injection of deoxycholic acid could have negative effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• You may have swelling, warmth, numbness, or bruising where you had the injection.
• The presence of hardness where you had the injection
• Hair loss in the area where the injection was administered
• Itching
• Headache
• Nausea

Some adverse effects may be severe. Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these signs:

• Having trouble swallowing
• Face or neck discomfort or stiffness
• Erratic smile
• Facial skeletal weakness
• Injection site discomfort, bruising, bleeding, sores, or drainage
• Itching, hives, and rash

Further negative effects from deoxycholic acid injection are possible. If you have any strange side effects while taking this medicine, call your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your doctor’s appointments.

Ask your chemist any queries you may have regarding the injection of deoxycholic acid.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.