Animal dewormer not advised for humans
August 18, 2021
Sheila Harris
While many area residents have either taken a COVID-19 vaccine or are planning to do so, others are ingesting a horse dewormer.
Ivermectin, a medication sometimes prescribed by physicians to treat pinworms in humans, has been taken up as a treatment for COVID-19 by some who believe it has anti-viral qualities in addition to its known anti-parasitical applications.
Misti Bradford, manager of Farm Pro in Monett, a feed and animal supply store with additional locations in Longview and Neosho, says sales of Ivermectin preparations for livestock, including horses, are up 75 percent above what they were a year ago. There’s no need to guess what’s driving the leap in sales, she says.
“People tell me they’re using it in an attempt to prevent or treat COVID-19,” Bradford says. “I had one lady tell me she was going to give it to her 15-year-old son.”
It’s a trend that concerns Bradford, and one that can be seen locally as well as on a broader scale, according to many news sources.
“Our Ivermectin preparations are made for 1,000 pound animals,” Bradford said. “People even buy our horse paste formulation for their own use.
“There’s no way to properly dose a human with what we sell here,” she said.
Bradford says she can’t refuse to sell the equine Ivermectin products to anyone, but she’s worried about its toxicity when taken in doses intended for large animals.
Nick Bluel, a pharmacist at Old Town Pharmacy in Monett, has the same concerns.
“It’s impossible to arrive at a proper dose for humans when you buy something made for a large animal,” he said
Bluell says all Ivermectin preparations for humans are sold by prescription only.
Dr. Lisa Roark, of Roark Family Health in Cassville, once prescribed Ivermectin for COVID patients when initial experimental studies early in the course of the virus showed promise. However, she no longer does so, since the results of a randomized clinical JAMA trial were published on March 4, 2021. Those results show there is no notable difference between the time to resolution of symptoms in COVID patients for those who take Ivermectin and those who don’t.
The details of the trial may be found at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2777389?fbclid=IwAR3CTK27_nHFhUENzxVOHn6bwOX3N-6mUspQBpxvjuuSO48UBmNMPpg_vzA.
“The CDC is now recommending against ivermectin treatment, and even citing that it can cause harm,” Roark said, “in part because patients may delay treatment in favor of self-dosing.”
Roark says when people buy an animal medication that isn’t FDA-tested for humans, they’re endangering their health.
“The list of potential adverse effects from ivermectin include: seizures, Steven Johnson syndrome, and hepatitis, among many others,” Roark said.
“We have to critically analyze data as it becomes available,” she added. “I do not now recommend nor prescribe Ivermectin.”
Sheila Harris
While many area residents have either taken a COVID-19 vaccine or are planning to do so, others are ingesting a horse dewormer.
Ivermectin, a medication sometimes prescribed by physicians to treat pinworms in humans, has been taken up as a treatment for COVID-19 by some who believe it has anti-viral qualities in addition to its known anti-parasitical applications.
Misti Bradford, manager of Farm Pro in Monett, a feed and animal supply store with additional locations in Longview and Neosho, says sales of Ivermectin preparations for livestock, including horses, are up 75 percent above what they were a year ago. There’s no need to guess what’s driving the leap in sales, she says.
“People tell me they’re using it in an attempt to prevent or treat COVID-19,” Bradford says. “I had one lady tell me she was going to give it to her 15-year-old son.”
It’s a trend that concerns Bradford, and one that can be seen locally as well as on a broader scale, according to many news sources.
“Our Ivermectin preparations are made for 1,000 pound animals,” Bradford said. “People even buy our horse paste formulation for their own use.
“There’s no way to properly dose a human with what we sell here,” she said.
Bradford says she can’t refuse to sell the equine Ivermectin products to anyone, but she’s worried about its toxicity when taken in doses intended for large animals.
Nick Bluel, a pharmacist at Old Town Pharmacy in Monett, has the same concerns.
“It’s impossible to arrive at a proper dose for humans when you buy something made for a large animal,” he said
Bluell says all Ivermectin preparations for humans are sold by prescription only.
Dr. Lisa Roark, of Roark Family Health in Cassville, once prescribed Ivermectin for COVID patients when initial experimental studies early in the course of the virus showed promise. However, she no longer does so, since the results of a randomized clinical JAMA trial were published on March 4, 2021. Those results show there is no notable difference between the time to resolution of symptoms in COVID patients for those who take Ivermectin and those who don’t.
The details of the trial may be found at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2777389?fbclid=IwAR3CTK27_nHFhUENzxVOHn6bwOX3N-6mUspQBpxvjuuSO48UBmNMPpg_vzA.
“The CDC is now recommending against ivermectin treatment, and even citing that it can cause harm,” Roark said, “in part because patients may delay treatment in favor of self-dosing.”
Roark says when people buy an animal medication that isn’t FDA-tested for humans, they’re endangering their health.
“The list of potential adverse effects from ivermectin include: seizures, Steven Johnson syndrome, and hepatitis, among many others,” Roark said.
“We have to critically analyze data as it becomes available,” she added. “I do not now recommend nor prescribe Ivermectin.”
