Missouri Poison Center receives an increase in calls about ivermectin use

SPRINGFIELD, Mo (KY3) – The Missouri Poison Center says it has received an increase in calls about ivermectin use, which has caused some dangerous side effects.

Medication is often used to prevent and treat parasites in large animals, such as horses or cows. However, it can be prescribed to humans in certain cases.

“It’s used in humans, for different types of worms and worms, but also for other purposes, such as a dermal disease called rosacea,” said Julie Weber, director of the Missouri Poison Center.

Weber said the problem now is that many people have started using it without a health care provider prescribing it. More recently, many people in Missouri and the United States have begun using it to help treat and prevent COVID-19.

But local doctors and the FDA have said the drug is not antiviral and is not approved to help treat COVID-19. Local doctors say there has been a lot of misinformation about COVID-19 and treatment methods.

“It’s not safe to take medications recommended by people who may not be medical experts,” said Dr. Nancy Yoon, medical director of the Springfield-Greene County Department of Health. “We certainly take caution against drugs that are not approved for humans, which are really only being administered experimentally.”

However, many have yet he self-prescribed it. Experts say the most important problem is that many often use the animal form of ivermectin.

“Veterinary products are much more dangerous by force,” Weber said. “There are recommended doses for humans in microgram amounts. But when we examine animal formulations, it’s a milligram amount. Therefore, it is a much larger dose.

Weber said these high doses can cause very serious side effects, such as organ damage, hallucinations, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

“The most serious effects we see is that it can cause seizures or even coma when larger amounts are ingested into the veterinary product,” he said.

Most calls to the Missouri Poison Center have not been from prescriptions to drugs.

“Most of these cases we’ve had, especially this month, have been a misuse of a product,” Weber said. “And without the recommendation of a health care provider.”

This year there have been 39 cases and exhibitions, with a significant increase in July. The reported cases are more than triple that of last year. And while that number may not seem very large, Weber said there are some important implications.

“People are not required to show up at the poison center,” he said. “Therefore, they are only passive reports of people asking for help. Therefore, the incidence could be much higher.

A Mercy Springfield spokesman issued the following statement:

The FDA has not approved Ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. Mercy does not promote the use of any form of vermectin for this purpose, an issue that has arisen due to the spread of misinformation. We can’t stress ourselves enough – don’t take medications like these without consulting your doctor, and please don’t take any medications intended for animals. Your best defense against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.

A CoxHealth spokesman said hospital doctors have seen a considerable number of cases in which people had become ill with the drug. The hospital spokesman said doctors have frequently seen patients use ivermectin and continue to be hospitalized for COVID-19.

Many local agricultural and veterinary supply stores told KY3 that they had seen an increase in sales. Many stores said they warn customers that the drug is not intended for humans, but ultimately cannot control what it does with it.

If you have been exposed to a toxic substance and need to report a case, you can reach the Missouri Poison Center at (800) 222-1222.

To report a correction or a typo, send an email [email protected]

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