Collagen injections

  I had a  collagen injection approx. 6 months ago for incontinence.
  Since then I have had a problem with muscle and skin aches sort of like chronic fatigue.  My doctor says this is not related.
   The injection made some improvement, but I am concerned about getting more treatments.  I can't find any info on whether my problem with muscle aches is related to the collagen. Can this be a side effect?  Thank you very much

[hfhs M.D.-AK]

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Dear Marnie,
The ideal material for periurethral injection is one that is easy to inject, is biocompatible, and causes little or no inflammatory reaction.  Also, there should be no immunologic response as well(this would cause your muscles aches and joint aches).  The three main materials that are used today are (PTFE) polytetrfluoroethylene paste, cross-linked with bovine collegen, and autologous fat.
PTFE paste stimulates growth of fibroblasts at the injection site, eventually becoming encapsulated and producing a perminant bolstering effect.
Collagen is both compatible and biodegradable.  A minimal inflammatory response has been associated with collagen, but no granuloma formation is present.  Collagen begins to degrade at around 12 weeks.  In this time , however, neovascularization and deposition of fibroblasts and collagen produce the longer term effects.  The injected collagen completely degrades in 19months.  There are no reports of particle migration.
Autologous fat is a bulking agent with several advantages.  It is readily available, biocompatible, and is reasonably easy to obtained.  Autologous fat is significantly reabsorbed but the inflammatory response replaces it with fibroblasts  and connective tissue there-by producing a bulking agent.  The high degree of reabsorption is the major drawback with 50-70 percent involvement
If you really feel the collagen caused your problems don