There is a significant risk of using this drug without a prescription including ingesting ivermectin that is meant for external use, or using ivermectin-containing products intended for use in animals.
Michael S. Calderwood, MD, MPHThere have been many reports in the news about the use of the antiparasitic drug, ivermectin, as a treatment option for COVID-19. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of ivermectin to treat infections caused by parasites—such as worms and head lice in humans—it has not been approved for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.
According to Michael S. Calderwood, MD, MPH, chief quality officer for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), “The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel has determined that there is insufficient data to recommend ivermectin for treatment of COVID-19, the Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends against ivermectin outside of a clinical trial and the U.S. FDA is very clear about not using this drug to treat COVID-19. Using ivermectin not as it was intended can cause a variety of health risks, including serious harm.” Calderwood also points out that there has been a significant rise in the number of calls to poison control centers as a result of misuse or overdose of the drug.
“There is a significant risk of using this drug without a prescription including ingesting ivermectin that is meant for external use, or using ivermectin-containing products intended for use in animals."
If you or someone you know has taken ivermectin or ivermectin-containing products and are experience symptoms of ivermectin poisoning such as gastrointestinal issues (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea), headache, blurred vision, dizziness, tachycardia (fast heart rate), hypotension (low blood pressure), visual hallucinations, altered mental status, confusion, loss of coordination and balance, central nervous system depression or seizures, call the poison control center hotline at 1-800-222-1222.