Amid a rise in calls to poison control centers and emergency room visits, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a press release Wednesday urging resident not to take the drug Ivermectin unless prescribed by a physician and taken exactly as it is prescribed.
They warn that the drug is neither approved nor authorized by the FDA to treat or prevent COVID-19. Ivermectin is approved in humans to treat specific skin conditions such as rosacea, head lice, and some parasitic worms.
Ivermectin is used in livestock as an anti-parasite medicine and can be found in livestock supply centers. Livestock drugs are highly concentrated for large animals and can be dangerously toxic for humans.
KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman says “Kansans should avoid taking medications that are intended for animals and should only take Ivermectin as prescribed by their physician. These highly concentrated doses can cause severe illness and even death in humans. The COVID-19 vaccine remains the most effective way to prevent COVID-19.”
An Ivermectin overdose includes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Overdoses are associated with hypertension and neurological effects such as decreased consciousness, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, coma, and death. Ivermectin may intensify the effects of other drugs that cause central nervous system depression, such as benzodiazepines and barbiturates.
The KDHE stresses that the COVID-19 vaccine is the safest and most effective way to prevent getting sick and protect against severe illness and death from the Novel Coronavirus, including the Delta Variant.
