The FDA reminds Americans that they are not cattle, amid an increase in poison control calls from people suffering from side effects after taking a dewormer from horses and cows to allegedly treat COVID-19.
“You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, everyone. Stop it, ”the Federal Food and Drug Administration he tweeted Saturday along with a link to an article titled “Why You Shouldn’t Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19”?
Ivermectin is approved for both humans and animals, but animal drugs are concentrated at levels that can be highly toxic to humans. The FDA has no data to demonstrate the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID, according to the article.
The Mississippi Poison Control Center reported Friday a “growing number of calls” from people taking ivermectin for animals and ending up with symptoms such as rashes, nausea and vomiting.
At least 70 percent of calls to the state poison control center were from people who had ingested ivermectin from livestock supply centers, officials said in a state alert.
“There are approved uses for ivermectin in both humans and animals,” state epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said in a statement. “Patients should be advised not to take any medication intended for the treatment of animals and should be instructed to take only ivermectin as prescribed by their doctor.”
Of the people who did control the poison, 85% experienced mild symptoms, although one was told to ask for evaluation because of the amount of medicine consumed.
State officials had not reported hospitalizations for ivermectin toxicity.