The sudden craze among COVID-19 vaccine skeptics to take Ivermectin — an anti-parasitical treatment commonly used in horses and other farm animals — has caused nearly a dozen people to seek treatment for overdosing on the drug across Oklahoma.
“Since the beginning of May, we’ve received reports of 11 people being exposed to ivermectin,” said Scott Schaeffer, managing director of the Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information. “Most developed relatively minor symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness, though there’s the potential for more serious effects including low blood pressure and seizures with an overdose, as well as interactions with medications such as blood thinners.”
Ivermectin treats heartworms in animals. The Food and Drug Administration has only approved the use of the drug in humans specifically for external parasites including head lice and other skin conditions such as rosacea, according to KFOR.
That hasn’t stopped people from taking the tablet version of the deworming drug.
“Never use medications intended for animals on yourself. Many animal drugs are available in different concentrations than those used for humans, and are often available in much larger quantities because they are intended for use in large animals like horses and cows. As a result, there is the potential for an excessive dose to cause toxic effects,” Schaeffer said.
Favorability toward Ivermectin grew due to false claims that were made online and posted on social media sites like Facebook. It also gained traction due to comments made by Sen. Rand Paul who said that “The hatred for Trump deranged these people so much, that they’re unwilling to objectively study it. So someone like me that’s in the middle on it, I can’t tell you because they will not study ivermectin. They will not study hydroxychloroquine without the taint of their hatred for Donald Trump.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the number of people overdosing on Ivermectin.
