Lariam: The Little White Pill
Our soldiers are routinely given vaccinations and pills when they are deployed, but are they doing more then preventing diseases?
So for all of you who aren’t military this doesn’t concern you directly but it is still always nice to know how your money is being spent. As we all know, because we have to have a foot in ever square inch of the world (*google US embassies around the world. It’s ridiculous!!) we also have to have soldiers there and the government gives them all the wonderful vaccines that they may need to fight off any of the third world illnesses that might infect them.
There are many to choose from and many to talk about. My husband was given 5 shots of anthrax in 3 years in case he was deployed. There hasn’t been any instances where anthrax was used in Iraq or Afghanistan.For now though lets look at Lariam or it’s medical name mefloquine hydrochloride. It is one of several different medications the military gives soldiers who are deployed in areas that are known to have the disease malaria in the country. Many of you probably don’t remember this but it was all over the news a couple years after the “war on terror” started, that the suicide rate in the military was sky rocketing. It may just be a coincidence but after they stopped giving soldiers in Iraq Lariam the suicide rate dropped. (Though last I heard they were still continuing to administer it to those in Afghanistan. Which that in itself is a question)
The government says there is not enough scientific study to show whether or not this drug is linked to the side affects that the drug company itself issued. the pharmaceutical company Roche, issued this warning ( which if anyone reading this has taken this drug before please let me know if they actually handed this sheet to you.) in a patient information sheet. “Mefloquine may cause psychiatric symptoms in a number of patients, ranging from anxiety, paranoia, and depression to hallucinations and psychotic behavior. On occasions, these symptoms have been reported to continue long after mefloquine has been stopped. Rare cases of suicidal ideation and suicide have been reported though no relationship to drug administration has been confirmed. To minimize the chances of these adverse events, mefloquine should not be taken for prophylaxis in patients with active depression or with a recent history of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, psychosis, or schizophrenia or other major psychiatric disorders. Lariam should be used with caution in patients with a previous history of depression.” Reports from the government say that they can’t confirm that Liriam was a culprit in the suicides our military experienced. Why is it not known if lariam was responsible?
There are some reports that the pentagon says that certain areas or groups of soldiers were not given this drug, but the troops themselves said they did. Another reason could be the fact that if you do feel any of these symptoms and tell a doctor it will immediately be in your military record. Every time you see a psychiatrist for any problems you might be having it goes on your record. Lets see, who are they going to keep in and promote. The “normal” soldier with no medical problems or the one who reports that he doesn’t know where he is in the morning, has bouts where he can’t stand straight, and thinks about killing himself. That is just a stupid argument for the government to use to support its use of this stuff.
The VA reports that in one year alone the military handed out 45,000 prescriptions for this stuff. They’ve actually lost count of who has taken it since the war started. So conveniently when people kill themselves or their spouses the military doesn’t know if they took this drug or not. Bottom line it’s something to think about if you get deployed and they hand you a little white pill to take for malaria.
End note it says in the pamphlet that they are supposed to be handing out to soldiers that if you have ever been “clinically depressed” (which again you may not have had it diagnosed for understandable reasons) or have history of any mental illness you are not supposed to take this drug as you are at a higher risk of developing the side affects. The affects from this drug have also been reported weeks months and even years after not taking it anymore. As always if you think I’m crazy google this drug name. There are several high profile cases of military suicides and homicides that are being investigated for links to this drug.
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