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

[digrar]

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
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The top doctor for Green Berets and other elite Army commandos has told troops to immediately stop taking mefloquine, an anti-malaria drug found to cause permanent brain damage in rare cases.

The ban among special operations forces is the latest development in a long-running controversy over mefloquine. The drug was developed by the Army in the 1970s and has been taken by millions of travelers and people in the military over the years. As alternatives were developed, it fell out of favor as the front-line defense against malaria, a mosquito-borne disease that international health officials say kills roughly 600,000 people a year.

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

 

[AWP]

That stuff is the devil.

 

[Florida173]

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

 

[Ranger Psych]

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

 

[AWP]

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.

 

[CQB]

Just like Agent Orange

 

[8654Maine]

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.

 

[AWP]

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 has any mental health issues.

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.

 

[DA SWO]

Let's see how the VA handles this now.

 

[racing_kitty]

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.

 

[Brill]

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.

 

[Florida173]

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.

 

[Viper1]

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.

 

[pardus]

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.

 

[policemedic]

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.

 

[x SF med]

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.