I wrote this post on my personal blog, but the more I think about it, the more I think it belongs here. If you are looking for an anti-malarial, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into.Almost a year ago, I went into a doctor to be put on an anti-malarial medication before going to Ghana. He insisted that I go on a drug called Larium (Mefloquine). Having heard various horror stories associated with the drug, I questioned him and proposed the various less risky drugs (Doxycycline, etc). Again he claimed that Larium was the better option. I was not too convinced, but I went with it.
The side effects were almost immediate. From the ridiculously long list of possible problems, I was subject to extremely vivid dreams, mood swings, thoughts about death, "bizarre behavior," and once, a hallucination. Considering the rest of them, I lucked out.
What I did not know? That the drug is going to stick with me. Sure I cannot give blood for 10 years, but will I have nightmares for the same amount of time? Why didn't I know about this?
Confused by why I am still not sleeping without riding dinosaurs, hashing out failed relationships, fighting the Hindu goddess Kali, or escaping genocide, I decided to look up some reviews. Here is a less than comforting list of some of the comments:
Do not take this drug. It is poison.
I took it in 1998 for a trip to South America. Started having sleepless nights, memory loss and getting terrifying hallucinations but didn't even consider it to be conneceted because I wasn't warned about any side effects by the doctor. Then developed depression and spent hours lying in a dark room feeling like killing myself. Was prescribed Prozac, but the doctor still didn't mention any connection to Larium. It wasn't until I mentioned to a friend who told me about Larium that I checked on the web and started ticking off the side effects that I realised what had happened. Larium nearly destroyed my marriage. If I owned a gun I would be dead by now. The serious side effects lasted at leats six or seven years but I still get the odd hallucination and my short term memory is still affected. DON'T TAKE IT. USE SOMETHING ELSE
Do not take this drug. It is poison.
Read more at http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=19591&name=LARIAM&ktrack=kcplink
I took it in 1998 for a trip to South America. Started having sleepless nights, memory loss and getting terrifying hallucinations but didn't even consider it to be conneceted because I wasn't warned about any side effects by the doctor. Then developed depression and spent hours lying in a dark room feeling like killing myself. Was prescribed Prozac, but the doctor still didn't mention any connection to Larium. It wasn't until I mentioned to a friend who told me about Larium that I checked on the web and started ticking off the side effects that I realised what had happened. Larium nearly destroyed my marriage. If I owned a gun I would be dead by now. The serious side effects lasted at leats six or seven years but I still get the odd hallucination and my short term memory is still affected. DON'T TAKE IT. USE SOMETHING ELSE
Read more at http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=19591&name=LARIAM&ktrack=kcplink
No question it can help prevent malaria but it may also destroy your life. Roche Pharmacueticles updated the drug literature 4 times since I took this drug. Little too late.....
