Missouri Poison Center Receives Slight Increase in Calls Regarding Ivermectin Use

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – The Missouri Poison Center has said it has received an increase in calls about ivermectin consumption resulting in dangerous side effects.

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

“It is used in humans, for different types of pinworms and worms, but also for other purposes, such as a skin condition 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 being prescribed by a health care provider. More recently, many people across Missouri and the United States have started 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 is not safe to take treatments recommended by people who may not be medical experts,” said Dr Nancy Yoon, chief medical officer of the Springfield-Greene County Department of Health. “We definitely caution against drugs that are not approved for humans, which are in fact only given for experimental purposes.”

However, many have always self-prescribed. Experts say the biggest problem is that many often use the animal form of ivermectin.

“Veterinary products are much more dangerous because of their resistance,” Weber said. “There are recommended doses for humans that are in microgram amounts. But when we look at formulations for animals, it’s a milligram. It is therefore a much larger dose.

Weber said these high doses can lead to very serious side effects, including organ damage, hallucinations, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

“The most serious effects we see are that it can lead to seizures or even coma when larger amounts are ingested in the veterinary product,” she said.

Most of the calls to the Missouri Poison Center were not from those who had been prescribed the drug.

“The majority of those cases we’ve had, this month in particular, have been intentional misuse of a product,” Weber said. “And without a referral from a health care provider.”

There have been 39 cases and exposures reported this year, with a major peak in July. The reported cases are more than triple from last year. And while that number may not seem very high, Weber said there were some important implications.

“People don’t have to go to the poison control center,” she said. “So these are just passive reports of people crying out for help. The incidence could therefore be much higher.

A spokesperson for Mercy Springfield made 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 ivermectin for this purpose – a topic that has surfaced due to the spread of misinformation. We cannot stress enough: do not take such medicines without consulting your doctor and do not take any medicine intended for animals. Your best defense against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.

A spokesperson for CoxHealth said doctors at the hospital had seen a considerable number of cases where people had fallen ill from the drug. The hospital spokesperson said doctors have frequently seen patients using ivermectin and are still hospitalized for COVID-19.

Many local farm supply and veterinary supply stores told KY3 that they have seen their sales increase. Many stores have said that they are warning customers that the drug is not intended for humans, but ultimately cannot control what the customer 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 typo, please send an email [email protected]

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