ABOUT CHILDREN: There is a lot of confusion about the drug Ivermectin – Wooster Daily Record

Posted: September 4, 2021 at 5:56 am

Beverly Theil| Columnist

With courts in at least two different states ordering hospitals to administer Ivermectin to patients there is increasing confusion about the drug.

More: ABOUT CHILDREN: Ways to make sure online health information is medically correct

It should be noted that the cases where the courts were asked to intervene involved people so ill from COVID-19 that they were not expected to live.

Going to court was a last ditch effort on the part of family members to save a loved one.

Parents with children too young for a vaccination are wondering if this could be an alternative treatment for their children or an alternative medication for adults.

Fear for children is understandable. There is no current vaccine and children as young as infants are contracting the Delta variant of COVID-19, with some dying.

It should be noted that Ivermectin is a medication primarily used in veterinary medicine, NOT humans. The FDA has approved limited use in humans for people with intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis, two conditions caused by parasitic worms. In addition, some topical (on the skin) forms of Ivermectin are approved to treat external parasites like head lice and for skin conditions such as rosacea.

Even the levels of Ivermectin for approved uses can interact with other medications, like blood-thinners. You can also overdose on Ivermectin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension (low blood pressure), allergic reactions (itching and hives), dizziness, ataxia (problems with balance), seizures, coma and even death.

Ivermectin products for animals are different from Ivermectin products for people. Animal drugs are often highly concentrated because they are used for large animals (horses and cows), weighing in most cases a ton or more, and a lot more than humans. These high doses can be toxic in humans.

The FDA reviews drugs not just for safety and effectiveness of the active ingredients, but also for the inactive ingredients. Many inactive ingredients found in animal products are not evaluated for use in people or are included in a much greater amount than those used in people. In some cases, we dont know how these inactive ingredients will affect Ivermectin absorption in the human body or interact with human medications.

The FDA has received multiple reports of patients who have required medical support and been hospitalized after self-medicating with Ivermectin intended for horses. Poison Control Centers are reporting a sharp uptake in calls from people who have taken Ivermectin and had serious, even life threatening, side effects.

Currently there is a lot of information on the internet regarding the use of Ivermectin.

Unfortunately, much of it is incorrect. As with any internet information check the source carefully. Not only are not all sources equal, some fall into the snake-oil salesman category.

Use recognized internet sources, The Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, the FDA, the CDC or any major teaching hospital. Best of all, talk with your own primary physician or nurse practitioner.

This is my last column. For almost 20 years I have written About Children. It has been my privilege to do so. I have appreciated your feedback and learned much from our interactions. Please, take care of yourselves and your children.

With sincere regards, Beverly V Theil

Beverly Theilis a child advocate who lives in Wooster. She can be contacted at BeverlyVT@aol.com.

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ABOUT CHILDREN: There is a lot of confusion about the drug Ivermectin - Wooster Daily Record

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