“You are not a cow” – FDA warns against using ivermectin to treat COVID
pharmafile | August 23, 2021 | News story | Sales and Marketing |
The FDA has had to issue a warning against taking ivermectin, the anti-parasitic drug designed for livestock, to treat or prevent COVID-19 following multiple reports of poisonings.
This warning has followed a surge in reports to the Mississippi Start Department of Health regarding cases in which people had been poisoned by ingesting the de-worming drug.
The FDA tweeted: “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”
The FDA said: “Given the number of deaths that have occurred from the disease, it’s perhaps not surprising that some consumers are looking at unconventional treatments, not approved or authorised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“There’s a lot of misinformation around, and you may have heard that it’s okay to take large doses of ivermectin. That is wrong.
“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.
“For one thing, animal drugs are often highly concentrated because they are used for large animals like horses and cows, which can weigh a lot more than we do – a ton or more. Such high doses can be highly toxic in humans.
“Moreover, 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 aren’t evaluated for use in people. Or they are included in much greater quantity than those used in people. In some cases, we don’t know how those inactive ingredients will affect how ivermectin is absorbed in the human body.”
Lilly Subbotin
