# Army units ordered to stop taking anti malarial drug linked to brain damage



## digrar (Jul 22, 2015)

Army units ordered to stop taking anti-malarial drug linked to brain damage



> Army units ordered to stop taking anti-malarial drug linked to brain damage
> Published September 19, 2013
> Associated Press
> Facebook Twitter livefyre Email
> ...



After hearing so many horror stories, this is good news.


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## AWP (Jul 23, 2015)

That stuff is the devil.


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## Florida173 (Jul 23, 2015)

I didn't mind the mefloquine monday dreams.. gave quite a bit of entertainment.


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## Ranger Psych (Jul 23, 2015)

I still think that shit is what fucked me up, moreso than anything else.


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## AWP (Jul 23, 2015)

Consider that aircrew weren't issued Lariam, but doxycycline. The DoD knew enough about Lariam to keep it away from aircrew (and positions like air traffic controllers), but handed it out to most other career fields.

But for years we were told there was nothing wrong with the drug.


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## CQB (Jul 23, 2015)

Just like Agent Orange


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## 8654Maine (Jul 23, 2015)

Freefalling said:


> Consider that aircrew weren't issued Lariam, but doxycycline. The DoD knew enough about Lariam to keep it away from aircrew (and positions like air traffic controllers), but handed it out to most other career fields.
> 
> But for years we were told there was nothing wrong with the drug.



Interesting.

I don't remember what I took for prophylaxis in the 80's.  I don't think it worked.

I took a course in Tropical Med in '01/'02 from experts in Malaria. 

They kept saying Lariam was good except for the side effects.  They said if you have folks who have any mental issues, don't give it to 'em.

Yeah, cause military and wars never have any mental health issues.


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## AWP (Jul 23, 2015)

8654Maine said:


> Interesting.
> 
> I don't remember what I took for prophylaxis in the 80's.  I don't think it worked.
> 
> ...



I was told SOF stopped issuing it, but I'll leave that for others to comment since they have first-hand knowledge. I do know that as early as summer of 2004 aircrew and ATC folks weren't allowed to take the stuff.

I stopped taking it after an incident and decided I'd rather have malaria than go through that again. I took doxy for a few years before switching to Malarone.


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## DA SWO (Jul 23, 2015)

Let's see how the VA handles this now.


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## racing_kitty (Jul 23, 2015)

DA SWO said:


> Let's see how the VA handles this now.



Probably by waiting on those who experienced the bad side effects to go ahead and finish the job.


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## Brill (Jul 23, 2015)

Love me some Doxy!  That shit in Africa kept me from getting...well, the shits!  I could eat anything!!!  When feeling a little rumbly in the tumbly, pop another.  GTG.

Never got malaria either.


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## Florida173 (Jul 23, 2015)

lindy said:


> Love me some Doxy!  That shit in Africa kept me from getting...well, the shits!  I could eat anything!!!  When feeling a little rumbly in the tumbly, pop another.  GTG.
> 
> Never got malaria either.



I had no issues by just drinking shots of scotch and bourbon with my meals.


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## Viper1 (Jul 23, 2015)

Freefalling said:


> I was told SOF stopped issuing it, but I'll leave that for others to comment since they have first-hand knowledge. I do know that as early as summer of 2004 aircrew and ATC folks weren't allowed to take the stuff.
> 
> I stopped taking it after an incident and decided I'd rather have malaria than go through that again. I took doxy for a few years before switching to Malarone.



You are correct good Sir. Doxycycline is the anti-malarial of choice now. Too many mefloquine horror stories to count. I know decisions should be backed by science and data but there were so many anecdotal stories, it should have been taken out of circulation.


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## pardus (Jul 26, 2015)

Ranger Psych said:


> I still think that shit is what fucked me up, moreso than anything else.



Do you have anything in with the VA about it?

I'm very curious to see what they do with it now for everyone.


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## policemedic (Jul 26, 2015)

When I was faculty for the USUHS culmination exercise a few years ago, they were using doxy as malarial prophylaxis. Smart choice; think they knew something? :-" Tasty too, since the exercise substitute for real doxy was Skittles. 

Taking mefloquine is bad mojo.


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## x SF med (Jul 27, 2015)

the Brits did it right in India....  2 Gin and Tonics a day, because most people do not realize anymore that the other name for Tonic is Quinine water.  The gin was just to make it palatable, and entice the men to 'take their medication' ...real Quinine water tastes horrible.


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