Two poisoning cases involving Ivermectin reported

PETALING JAYA: Two poisoning cases involving the use of Ivermectin were recently reported to the National Poison Centre in Malaysia.

It said the first case involved a 35-year-old who took one Ivermectin pill and later experienced shortness of breath for five days after doing so.

The second case involved a senior citizen who was found unconscious after allegedly taking 15 pills of Ivermectin at one go.

The National Poison Centre also clarified that there is no specific antidote or treatment for such cases of poisoning.

“As such, avoid taking Ivermectin for ‘self-medication’,” it said in a Facebook post yesterday.

It reminded Malaysians that the use of Ivermectin in the treatment or prevention of Covid-19 in Malaysia has not been approved.

“Nonetheless, there have been illegitimate sales of this drug taking place.

“Taking Ivermectin without further study and in inappropriate doses can result in poisoning.

“Ivermectin can lead to adverse side effects such as vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain and dizziness.

“Severe side effects include low blood pressure, shortness of breath, lung damage and even death,” it said.

Currently, the Health Ministry said the use of Ivermectin as a treatment for Covid-19 is only allowed in the context of clinical trials, which is aligned with recommendations by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The usage of Ivermectin to treat Covid-19 is still controversial, with some touting it as a “miracle cure”, but scientists largely agree that present data and evidence for this is still inconclusive.

Universiti Malaya Department of Social and Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine’s Prof Dr Moy Foong Ming stressed that selfprescribing Ivermectin may lead to overdose or poisoning.

“On social media, there are too many videos advocating the use of Ivermectin, which may have caused the public to believe its effectiveness, but there is no evidence supporting its use in preventing or treating Covid-19.

“Although Ivermectin is not sold in local pharmacies, the public has resorted to online purchase from countries like India or the Philippines.

“The public should not purchase Ivermectin from other countries or through online means, as it is not approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency and they may not be able to get any parties to take responsibility if toxicity or poisoning happens,” she said.

She added that there could also be cases of poisoning admitted to private hospitals which are not reported to the authorities, and there may also be some companies providing their employees with the drug.

Universiti Malaya professor of epidemiology and public health Prof Dr Sanjay Rampal said there is “no medical indication” for taking Ivermectin to prevent or cure Covid-19.

“I advise the public to refrain from self-prescribing as all drugs have side effects,” he said.