Dear Dr. Roach: I accidently was injected with 1 cc of 80% alcohol into my deltoid muscle, and developed strong burning. Are there any long-term consequences? I am worried about developing neurological problems. — R.V.

Answer: That sort of accident, if by a medical professional, is hard for me to understand or forgive. Alcohol is not stored in any kind of container that would make it seem like it should be injected in normal circumstances. I should also note that I am assuming you are talking about ethanol: methanol and isopropyl alcohol are much more toxic. An urgent call to poison control should be your first action in an accidental injection or ingestion (1-800-222-1222 in the U.S.; 1-855-776-4766 in Ontario or your local Provincial Poison Centre).

Ethyl alcohol HAS been used for intramuscular injections. Before botulinum toxin (Botox and others) became available, alcohol was used to temporarily reduce tone in muscles with severe spasm. The studies I read on this older technique noticed no long-term effects. Your symptoms should go away in time.