Lariam article in "Sunday Business Post"

gizmo555

Yesterday's (10/04/11) Sunday Business Post carried a lengthy feature piece on the use by the army of the anti-malarial drug Lariam on missions to Liberia and Chad and the serious adverse effects this may have had on some of the personnel concerned.

http://www.sbpost.ie/agenda/collateral-damage-55542.html

I wondered particularly at the fact that despite the US army's having withdrawn Lariam from use for its soldiers since 2009, the Irish army continues to use it. I'm curious to know if any forum members who have direct experience of the issues would care to comment.

PatsytheNazi

gizmo555 wrote: »

Yesterday's (10/04/11) Sunday Business Post carried a lengthy feature piece on the use by the army of the anti-malarial drug Lariam on missions to Liberia and Chad and the serious adverse effects this may have had on some of the personnel concerned.

http://www.sbpost.ie/agenda/collateral-damage-55542.html

I wondered particularly at the fact that despite the US army's having withdrawn Lariam from use for its soldiers since 2009, the Irish army continues to use it. I'm curious to know if any forum members who have direct experience of the issues would care to comment.

Oh God no, are we in for another debacle like the army deafness claims :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Irish_Army01

PatsytheNazi wrote: »

Oh God no, are we in for another debacle like the army deafness claims :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Ah ignorance is bliss???? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Do a bit of research on larium before you make stupid comments

Manic Moran

gizmo555 wrote: »

Yesterday's (10/04/11) Sunday Business Post carried a lengthy feature piece on the use by the army of the anti-malarial drug Lariam on missions to Liberia and Chad and the serious adverse effects this may have had on some of the personnel concerned.

http://www.sbpost.ie/agenda/collateral-damage-55542.html

I wondered particularly at the fact that despite the US army's having withdrawn Lariam from use for its soldiers since 2009, the Irish army continues to use it. I'm curious to know if any forum members who have direct experience of the issues would care to comment.

The article seems fairly well researched, I can't add to the enlightenment. Especially since the thrust of the article isn't "Lariam is bad and should not be issued" as much as "Certain people should not be issued the stuff, and the DF didn't do a good job in figuring out who."

It is important to note that while Lariam is no longer the primary anti-malarial in use in the US military, it is still the preferred back-up in cases where the replacement, Doxycycline, cannot be issued. It has not been banned just fallen out of favour and the risks are considered better than getting malaria.

NTM

ChunkyLover_53

I took Lariam for 6 months before, during & after a trip overseas. Had some mental dreams and my short term memory was in a heap for the duration. I'd make a claim if I could remember to I had/have no serious side affects to the best of my knowledge.

Anyone who was unhappy with taking Lariam could go see the Doc & get put on the Doxies, there was no problem with that. Everyone had to do a repatriation medical before going home and wether they realise it or not the Doc asked them if they were suffering any side affects from the Lariam and had to sign a statement either saying yes or no. That was the procedure 2009-2010.

Poccington

I've heard of some fairly serious cases of people losing the plot while on Larium, which included lads in Chad waking up to find one of the lads, in his sleep in the middle of a night terror, trying to open his soldier's box to get to his rifle.

gizmo555

Manic Moran wrote: »

The article seems fairly well researched, I can't add to the enlightenment. Especially since the thrust of the article isn't "Lariam is bad and should not be issued" as much as "Certain people should not be issued the stuff, and the DF didn't do a good job in figuring out who."

It is important to note that while Lariam is no longer the primary anti-malarial in use in the US military, it is still the preferred back-up in cases where the replacement, Doxycycline, cannot be issued.

What I took from it was that even with the best will in the world, it's very hard to figure out definitively who shouldn't be given the drug, and that's precisely why it's no longer the primary anti-malarial in the US military.

dodgydes

I stopped taking it a few weeks into a trip to Eritrea, It was having a really bad effect on me. The malaria threat was low in Asmara where we were based so I took a chance (I wasn't the only one).

I can't reliably attribute it to any long term effects, but sometimes I think I haven't been 100% since that trip.

It seems to me that these guys are just looking for the Dept of Defence to acknowledge the dangers of Larium and stop giving it to troops, its not the same as the hearing claim debacle.

goldie fish

Some experts are saying Larium is fine for use unless the taker is exposed to strong direct sunlight.
The DF position is it is fine for use in some countries where there is a risk of Malaria, but not others(I.e Sub Saharan Africa)

BigDuffman

Poccington wrote: »

trying to open his soldier's box .

*childish snigger*

I'd be pissed off if I woke up finding someone trying to do that too.

Spartacus1052

I took lariam for almost 9 months straight, before I deployed to Chad with the IEF. I was told that the danger of not taking it far outweighed the danger of taking it for an excessive period. While I took it I experienced bouts of paranoia, rage and anger on a regular basis (perfectly normal in my case anyway!!!!). Part of the problem with the drug is that it is not suitable for everyone, I was reluctant to take it for such a long period and while it did affect me I did not contract Malaria. Some units may have had the option to opt for doxys if they had an issue with lariam, in my case and in many others this simply was not an option. In hindsight, If the doc in the DFTC said I couldnt take Larium I probably would have been knocked off the trip- so as far as I was concerned taking it was a risk worth taking. As for the rage and anger issues - thats whats gets me through working with bottom feeders!! Will I be putting in a claim against the DF/DOD? Will I fxxk! I got to see a part of the world I always wanted to see, the medication may not have been suitable for everyone, but it did for me. But I did see how some people got very depressed,angry and exceptionally paranoid while taking it, In my opinion its use should be discontinued, particularly when there are safer options available.