Jump to content

Anti Malaria Drug Larium - Has anyone gone crazy after taking it?


Recommended Posts

Just wondered if anybody had taken this particular medication. as it is one of the drugs suggested to me by my nurse, and whether they were OK with it.

 

The possible side effects include:

 

sickness, dizziness, vertigo, loss of balance, headaches, sleep problems, diarrhoea and stomach ache

 

More worrying side effects are:

 

Mood change, worry, anxiety, depression, feelings of persecution,crying aggression, restlessness, forgetfulness, forgetfulness, forgetfulness, agitation, confusion, panic and hallucinations.

 

Oh, and suicidal tendancies.

 

Sounds a right laugh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A colleague of my neighbour in Mexborough is stil suffereing, years after taking this drug. He sais "He's loopy". We met people on our RTW trip who had experienced horrendous things too.

 

Side effects I had were really really vivid, but not unpleasant, dreams, but DH was unaffected by it. I think :huh:

 

Cover up as much as possible early evening, wear as natural an insect repellent as possible and wear light, or white clothes. Oh, and keep your feet pristine clean, apparently mozzers are drawn to the 'cheesy' smell of feet. Bleeeeeeeeee :gag:

 

Where ya goin'? :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Avoid it. I travel to alot of Malarial zones and Larium is horrid. I haven't suffered but i have met many that have.

 

If you can afford it and your GP says its OK try Malarone. You don't take it as long (1 day before, 1 a day while your there and 3 days after) it has few side effects and it's one a day. Its also good in areas where other drugs have stoppped being useful.

 

The down side is it's not so cheap (about £3 a tablet i think) and it is only licensed for use up to 28 days (althought i have taken it a bit longer) so it's no use on long trips.

 

I would say DON'T go without anti malarial treatment. I've had malaria and you really really want to avoid it. However bad you think the anti malarials make you feel is nothing compared to the disease. High dose Quinine based remedies also gives you tintinus just in case you didn't feel bad enough.

 

Good luck. Where are you off to

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd echo the advice not to go without antimalarials- but there are usually alternatives to Larium available.

 

The other things you can do is to take effective protection to make sure that you don't get bitten in the first place.

 

Hammocks with mosquito nets around are really inexpensive, and wearing tightly woven light coloured garments that fit down to the wrist and ankle remove the opportunity for the little blighters to have a munch on you while you're out and about.

 

Vaporisers, window screens and the like can also reduce the possible numbers that can bite you enormously (and if you have a bad reaction to bites anyway will make you a lot more comfortable), but it still only takes one bite to infect you with malaria.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You didn't say it was larium that you were going to be taking :roll: .

 

Lariam can have rather interesting side-effects, but not everyone who takes it experiences them, thank God.

 

Have a look at these:

 

Link 1 (Direct link to a pdf file).

 

Link 2

 

Well, if you must go off on these exotic jaunts, you've got to expect some downside. Bet you didn't anticipate potential psychosis though, did you? :hihi:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers all

 

I'm off to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda and I have been given the option of Malarone, but as you say it is expensive.

 

Better to part with the cash I expect than to suffer mental traumas

 

Lizz - Personal Nurse? I wish ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.