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Humans use ivermectin, a paste used to deworm horses, in a failed attempt to treat COVID-19.
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Although it may be safe for humans in some forms, people use horse-riding doses, reports ABC.
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Ivermectin can be toxic to humans and cause seizures, breathing problems and heart problems.
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People try to treat and prevent COVID-19 by taking ivermectin, a medication commonly used to deworm horses – and poison themselves in the process.
ABC News reports an increase in calls to drug control centers linked to the drug. The poison center in Missouri alone saw an increase of 40 to 50 calls in the usual amount of messages they would receive the day before the pandemic.
Experts urge people to avoid the lure of false ‘cures’, which can cause health problems as worse or worse than a COVID-19 infection.
Instead of waiting to get the drug through the right channels, people get horse-rich prescriptions from their veterinarians and use their horse-sized doses on themselves, Julie Weber, president of the American Poison Centers Association, told ABC News.
“We just had a case of someone using a veterinary source of ivermectin, an equine medication that contains a significantly higher dose of the drug,” Weber told ABC News.
Ivermectin is not a drug, treatment or preventative medicine for COVID-19, but it is one of the many unproven and unsafe hacks promoted on the internet.
Other dangerous hacks promoted online include drinking bleach to poison themselves with detergents, and taking the lime hydroxychloroquine – a drug promoted by former President Donald Trump, despite warnings that it is ineffective and harmful be.
Ivermectin can be tolerated in small doses, but can poison an adult in large quantities
Ivermectin is commonly used as an anti-parasitic cream in dogs, cats and horses. It can eliminate lice, scabies and worms in mammals.
Although smaller doses of medicine can be tolerated by humans, with few side effects other than nausea, rash, and increased heart rate, poisoning can be a dose of ivermectin intended for an animal the size of a compact car.
According to the Missouri Poison Center, severe overdoses of ivermectin can cause seizures, coma, lung problems and heart problems.
The Poison Center in Missouri recommends that people do not take the medicine of their pets and rather wait to get one of the COVID-19 vaccines or to seek medical help if they believe they are infected with the coronavirus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the number of people who accidentally poisoned themselves with household cleaners trying to disinfect their homes has risen by 20% since the start of the pandemic.
If you believe you or a loved one has taken a large dose of ivermectin, call your local Poison Center or call 911.
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