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Flickr/IrishDefenceForces

Giving anti-malaria drug Lariam to Irish troops "beggars belief", says support group

Support group Action Lariam for Irish Soldiers has said that the official policy on the drug needs to change.

A SUPPORT GROUP that helps Defence Forces personnel deal with the side-effects of anti-malarial drug Lariam have been meeting TDs this afternoon.

The meeting comes as the group attempts to reduce the use of Lariam in the Irish Defence Forces and have it designated a “drug of last resort”.

Lariam, a brand name for mefloquine, is associated with severe side effects including depression, anxiety and hallucination but continues to be administered to Irish troops on overseas deployments.

Other anti-malarial drugs are also used but Lariam is prescribed to prevent particular strains of malaria, particularly to people who are visiting sub-Saharan Africa.

An inquiry by the UK’s Defence Select Committee earlier this year concluded that Lariam had a “high risk profile” and that it should only be prescribed to “those who are unable to take any of the available alternatives.”

Lariam has also been removed from sale in the Irish market.

Irish support group Action Lariam for Irish Soldiers argues that such alternatives are available and wants the Defence Forces to change its policy on the drug.

Andrew Bryce works with the support group having experienced side-effects that he claims came from taking Lariam prior to a honeymoon in Kenya 20 years ago.

He says that he’s heard from current members of the Defence Forces who are “terrified” by the prospect of taking the drug and about how it could affect them.

“The situation as it pertains can’t go on, it shouldn’t have gone on this long,” Bryce says.

And the fact that, particularly after the ruling by the UK’s Defence Select Committee, that the Irish Defence Forces are reiterating their completely outdated stance beggars belief.

Last month, Minister of State in the Department of Defence Paul Kehoe TD told the Dáil that he has been told by the Defence Forces that, “Lariam is the most suitable drug for members going abroad”.

Asked by Lisa Chambers TD to share the medical advice he received, Kehoe claimed that doing so would mean he would have to reveal the medical advice given to individual members of the Defence Forces.

Acknowledging the dangers of malaria and the need to prevent Defence Forces members from contracting it, Bryce says that the preventative nature of Lariam means that the risk assessment needs to be different:

All drugs have side-effects, but the vast majority of drugs you take you take when you’re already sick to make you better…But Lariam is a drug that you have prescribed to you when you’re completely healthy to keep you better.

Read: FactCheck: Was Willie O’Dea really not aware of concerns over Lariam, while he was Minister? >

Read: Shatter dismisses link between anti-malaria drug and soldiers’ suicides >

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31 Comments
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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Oct 19th 2016, 3:08 PM

    Sure, isn’t it perfectly logical to give a drug that causes depression to soldiers who are away from family and friends for an extended period of time risking their lives under horrible conditions. What could possibly go wrong with that combination?

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    Mute Catherine Mc
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    Oct 19th 2016, 3:13 PM

    Is Lariam given to civilians going abroad ? If the answer is no, why then are we treating army personnel as second class citizens, if the answer is yes we should all be worried.

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Oct 19th 2016, 5:41 PM

    @Catherine Mc: The article points out that its removed from the Irish market

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    Mute Catherine Mc
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    Oct 19th 2016, 5:51 PM

    Jonathan, that is what I thought I read, it leaves me to believe the government got it for free, before it was dumped. The defence forces have definitely gotten a case against the government in this case.

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    Mute David Murphey
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    Oct 19th 2016, 6:45 PM

    Got it for free?

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    Mute Tom the Bomb
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    Oct 19th 2016, 6:48 PM

    I was treated with it in 2001 when travelling in Africa. I think it has only just been removed from sale a couple of months ago in Ireland. When I was on it, my GP said to start it 1 month before so go so that if I got any anxiety/depression or psychosis, at least I’d be able to get help at home! Of course while I was away in Nairobi on September 11th, I happened to turn on the TV and watched two planes crash into the twin towers. I was convinced it was a psychotic delusion for half the day. Only it obviously wasn’t. I was lucky in that I got no side effects at all.

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    Mute Tom the Bomb
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    Oct 19th 2016, 6:49 PM

    (*1 month before I GO,)

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    Mute Catherine Mc
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    Oct 19th 2016, 6:59 PM

    Why else would a government department still allow a drug to be given to the defence forces if it was no longer available for the general public !

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    Mute Tom the Bomb
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    Oct 19th 2016, 8:37 PM

    @Catherine Mc: I presume they must be using up whatever old stocks they have. One thing I don’t understand is why they don’t use some of the alternatives, such as doxycycline

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    Mute Catherine Mc
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    Oct 19th 2016, 8:45 PM

    Tom, it’s shocking and very sad that our government choose to treat our defence forces in such a discriminatory fashion.

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    Mute David Lacey
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    Oct 19th 2016, 3:14 PM

    I took a loaded dose of what I think was this in Manila a few years ago. A loaded dose was 3 weeks worth in 3 days. I went crazy, couldn’t sleep for days. I was constantly in a state of irrational fear. I left my hotel room to try and sleep on the street outside one night, luckily the hotel staff brought me to the doctor at that point. It took a week to completely leave my system. I used to panic in the office and I would have to go down 30 levels to the ground in order to feel safe again. Anywhere outside felt safe. The weird thing is during all of this I was aware it made no sense and I was completely logical, one part of my brain just kept telling me I was in danger.

    I was told the US Marines stopped using the drug a few weeks after. Not everyone would be impacted like me for sure but I cant believe its still used.

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    Mute The Throwaway
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    Oct 19th 2016, 3:51 PM

    3 weeks worth of a prescribed drug taken in 3 days is sheer stupidity.

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    Mute David Lacey
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    Oct 19th 2016, 4:07 PM

    @The Throwaway:
    It was for emergency travel and was recommended in the paperwork. I was traveling to an island further south. I didn’t need it for Manila itself. Thats why I followed instructions for the “loaded dose” approach. What was foolish was the amount of research I did into the drug at the time.

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    Mute king Tut
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    Oct 19th 2016, 4:46 PM

    @David Lacey: and have you ever asked your CIA bosses why they prescribed Larium to you?

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    Mute David Lacey
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    Oct 19th 2016, 4:49 PM

    @king Tut: They really dropped the ball

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    Mute John Ó'Ríordán
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    Oct 19th 2016, 3:26 PM

    “he would have to reveal the medical advice given to individual members of the Defence Forces.” – Just remove their names and identifying details from the report? What a weird excuse.

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    Mute Get Lost Eircodes
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    Oct 19th 2016, 3:53 PM

    @John Ó’Ríordán: It is exactly that…an excuse, that’s what politicians rely on…excuses.

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    Mute Michael Reilly
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    Oct 19th 2016, 3:56 PM

    The Army culture of compo is back big time.

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    Mute king Tut
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    Oct 19th 2016, 4:57 PM

    @Michael Reilly: are the army not entitled to the same level of protection to their health as civilians would be expecting? And if they are put in harm’s way, with substandard equipment, and suffer I’ll health as a consequence, are they not entitled to compensation? More likely a culture of poor leadership and penny pinching from the Govt departments.

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    Mute Karl Sullivan
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    Oct 19th 2016, 5:02 PM

    @Michael Reilly: You mean the culture of the government going for the cheapest option even though it endangered lives.

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    Mute Richie Costello
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    Oct 19th 2016, 5:37 PM

    @Michael Reilly: shut your stupid mouth. Soldiers have died after taking this drug dye to severe side effects. I took this drug. I was a soldier. I have no claim in. Idiot.

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    Mute Dave O'Shea
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    Oct 19th 2016, 5:48 PM

    @Michael Reilly: A sweeping statement Michael, if you just knew what this drug has done to us you would changed your mind… its destroyed our lives as we knew it and sadly some decided that living was not an option, Have a little look at international veterans mefloquine alliance and read the testimonials.

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    Mute Mark O'Sullivan
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    Oct 20th 2016, 1:19 AM

    @Michael Reilly:@Michael Reilly:Obviously Don’t know about International Countries enquiries including British Secretary for Defence apology to their soldiers. Some lazy punch drunk comment about Defence Forces compo culture. I’d suggest some cultured educated comments based on facts why these problems happen despite decades old medical facts.

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    Mute Conor Murphy
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    Oct 19th 2016, 5:54 PM

    I worked in West Africa from ’96 to ’99. I gave up on Lariam after 2 months. While some of the side effects such as hallucenogenic dreams were kinda trippy, others such as Depression and Paranoia were more dangerous. One day when visiting a Royal Navy frigate, the medical officer on board told me that as “there is a 1 in 150 chance of a full blown psychotic attack when taking Lariam and there is 170 crew on board…the navy reckons THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA” so it wasn’t allowed on board. If this was standard practice with UK forces 20 years ago, it should have caught on with our lot by now.

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    Mute Tierney IP
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    Oct 19th 2016, 7:05 PM

    Was in Africa a number of years back and certainly can relate to vivid dreams. The thing about Lariam is that it is perhaps the most effective in delaying the onset of malaria. To my knowledge, there is no prophylactic which gives 100% protection against malaria. All they can do is to delay the onset of malaria until you get medical treatment. Lariam should certainly not be given to anybody with a history of mental illness or depression. For me, it was a choice between full blown malaria or a few vivid dreams. I chose the latter because I was not satisfied that the other alternatives would provide the necessary protection in such a remote location.

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    Mute David Murphey
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    Oct 19th 2016, 3:40 PM

    I took Lariam some years ago when I lived in a Malaria zone.

    The only side effect was occasional interrupted sleep.

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    Mute Brian Lenehan
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    Oct 19th 2016, 4:56 PM

    Well good for you. I’ve seen it have an awful effect on others sixteen years ago in Zambia. There were doubts back then about its side-effects so I’m surprised it’s still in use today. There’s no excuse for it. Troops are always treated as guinea pigs, it’s disgusting.

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    Mute B Skwernuik
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    Oct 19th 2016, 5:24 PM

    @David Murphey: yes, lucky for you that you are part of the 2 out of 3 that does ok. One of 3 does terrible, sometimes frank psyhosis. All with PERMANENT side effects depending on length of dose. Having 2 of 3 do well, does not excuse the fact that one third is adversely effected and should some how “live with the bad luck consequences”. AND THIS IS THE PROBLEM….each for themselves and too bad for you.

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    Mute meltyface
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    Oct 19th 2016, 6:40 PM

    I met a fella who later commited suicide after having taken it on deployment.
    Lovely lad, his family were feckin gutted :-(

    Hoping for some justice here….

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    Mute rockmast
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    Oct 19th 2016, 7:51 PM

    Other Countries stopped using this drug years ago for good reasons. But then again other Countries don’t put fluoride in the drinking water of their citizens. Banana Republic alright.

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    Mute Child Rights
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    Oct 19th 2016, 8:14 PM

    Took it for years working for a charity. No side effects whatsoever. But you should start it a few weeks before traveling to see if there are any side effects. If there are, you stop. That was made very clear to me by Travel Health and Tropical Medical Bureau. It’s the most practical as it is once a week and works out cheaper. If that information wasn’t given to soldiers then that is wrong.

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    Mute Natural Habitats Detroit
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    Oct 19th 2016, 5:02 PM

    Uk select defence comittee? LOL

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