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AN RTÉ INVESTIGATION into the use of Lariam as an anti-malarial by the Irish Defence Forces found a “plausible link” between the drug and a number of suicides of soldiers.
Two of the world’s leading authorities on the medication said the results of the probe require urgent investigation.
The Prime Time programme revealed new research showing a higher risk of suicide among members of the army who had taken Larium during their deployments overseas than those who didn’t.
“These figures are consistent with Lariam causing symptoms of mental illness including anxiety and depression, and are also consistent with the known association of these conditions with a strongly increased risk of suicide. These figures also indicate evidence of more serious events, such as psychosis, potentially leading to more sudden and impulsive suicides,” said Dr Remington Nevin, an epidemiologist and former US Army major.
Overall, these figures are the strongest evidence yet of a powerful causal association between Lariam exposure and suicide.
RTÉ’s reporter Rita O’Reilly examined 28 suicides within the Defence Forces, 11 of whom had taken Lariam. Four of those had taken their lives within a year of returning home from overseas duty.
Dr Nevin describes Lariam as a “horror movie in a pill”. The US military no longer uses Lariam as the drug of choice and the FDA in America has launched a full neurological review of the medicine. The Irish Medicines Board first highlighted the risk of neuropsychiatric side effects in its drug safety newsletter in May 1996. Information leaflets were also updated in 2003 with details of reported suicide and suicide ideation related to the use of the medication. However, the Defence Forces and the Minister for Justice says there are no plans as yet to discontinue its use.
Alternatives have been ruled out because of other side-effects, including sensitivity to the sun, and not being viable for long-term stints. Until recently, Malerone was only authorised for periods of 28 days. There are also prohibitive costs involved (Malerone is €4 per day).
David Connor, who died by suicide and whose family spoke out about how he came back a “changed man” after his tour in Liberia and time on Lariam.
The Defence Forces say they screen personnel to ensure they will be able to tolerate Lariam before being sent on duty. Not being suitable for Lariam because of a history of mental health issues can rule a member of the Defence Forces out of any overseas trips, putting them well behind their counterparts in terms of promotion and other prospects – something that is of major concern for career soldiers and a group campaigning for the cessation of Lariam as the anti-malaria drug of choice.
Dr Elspeth Ritchie, formerly of the US Army, said the side-effects of Lariam are actually worse than contracting malaria.
“Aviators are barred from taking Lariam,” she told RTÉ. “If aviators are barred, someone who drives a tank and shoots a gun should be precluded too.”
Dave O’Shea from Action Lariam for Irish Soldiers believes that serving soldiers still find it difficult to speak out about the issue. Since the programme aired on Thursday, the support group has been contacted by more than 50 people about Lariam use.
He also believes the revelations have changed people’s attitudes towards him.
O’Shea first took Lariam while in Liberia with the Defence Forces in 2003. Just two weeks later he started getting side effects, which included memory loss, insomnia, lumps on his skin and mood swings.
He recalls a number of incidences where he “wasn’t himself”. There was that one time he jumped through a pane of glass and blacked out. The suicidal thoughts followed soon after and he describes his life since then as being on a “descending scale”. Since he first spoke to TheJournal.ie last June, the solider has received “severe therapy” which is helping keep his life on a positive track.
He is among a number of former army personnel taking claims to the courts but says the litigation process is still in its infancy. There are a total of 22 compensation cases, seven of which are at the High Court.
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well Jack lets trade places, obviously you have never taken Lariam.. I know full well what this drug has done to me and others, the primetime program has highlighted the devastation this drug has had on families here in Ireland and worldwide, the public may never know the true extent of the damage as serving soldiers have not got the ability to come forward as it will all but end their career… The drug to a certain extent works very well, of that there is no doubt BUT one has to be screened properly before taking it… if you have any history of depression, anxiety or if the above mentioned is prevalent in your family, its a drug that will exacerbate those ailments a hundred fold… my life more or less ended as I knew it two weeks after ingesting that drug, I have lost more or less nearly all my friends and family, I am a nightmare… the feeling of wanting to stick a knitting needle in your head, to jump in front of a bus, a train.. the urge to hurt someone can sometimes be so overwhelming the best course of action is to stay in your bed and hope it subsides.. I have learned the hard way how to keep my self on the right side of the tracks, how to keep myself as normal as possible when dealing with people on a daily basis, the anxiety attacks are so harsh sometimes, all I want to do is cry, it was the biggest decision of my life to start telling people a few years back that I was not well and on a slippery slope, it was in hindsight a life saver, I have a few people in my life who understand, who stuck by me, others just let me go ( and I don’t blame them) I have been to so many experts who really have no answers and a lot of the time I do feel like giving up but I wont, my heart is broken for the families of my comrades who had no where to turn, no one to talk to and had only one way out. This is only the tip of the iceberg my friend, we will look back on this as the ‘ agent orange’ of my generation, we have a chance of nipping this in the bud but as we all know its not as easy as that. I wish I could tell you more but I cannot, but rest assured , it will all come out in the wash when soldiers start retiring and have to the freedom to speak.
Well said dave,fair balls to ya,takes a lot to admit something that is battling ya daily and I agree we are silenced on many issues giving the repercussions that we may face,a life less ordinary.
And working with someone who has taken larium you learn to adjust to their behaviour ,some good days but many a bad day,again dave credit due for speaking openly.
Grandfather was in the army over 40 years & even he new there was a connection with the suicide rates within the groups sent to Liberia and Libya who where given the drug !
It is know to cause suicides and there are alternative drugs that are safer. But Government will not pay the extra cost involved. The solders are expendable. Even the Army only throw them out if they show any sign of reaction too it. Like showing mental health problems.
Michael
You weren’t paying attention. The alternative drugs can only be used for 28 days and are considered inappropriate for other medical reasons as well. Since the amount of time a serving soldier would spend in a malarious country exceeds that limited period the alternative cannot be used.
@Rick, I’ve used doxycycline (as recommended by my doctor) for 6 months solid and I’ve never come across any mention on any literature or the Internet that it couldn’t be taken for that length. It also helps protect against other diseases too, not sure why it isn’t an alternative?
Either the programme lied or you are incorrect Rick… one of the more popular alternatives has now been cleared of indefinite usage… according to RTE. If they are misleading the public then ot would be nice to know about it.
Annmo
Sorry for the delay in coming back. Doxycycline and Lariam are generally used for different clinical reasons with Lariam being prescribed for drug resistant malaria in particular countries as recommended by the Tropical Disease experts and the WHO. The suggestion that soldiers should be able to choose their medicine is an absolute nonsense and the tragic outcome of misinformation on this subject could lead to travelers acquiring the disease and suffering a serious illness with a high likelihood of death.
While the primetime programme was good I felt it didn’t go far enough. I truely believe the Defence Forces where let off the hook to a large extent. I will be looking forward to the follow up on this exposure. I myself have suffered through the taking of this drug albeit from a less form as you Dave. I sufferer with short term memory loss and get frustrated with minor problems easily leading to aggression.
Keep the chin up soldier and keep up the good work.
As someone who caught malaria, was diagnosed late (after 5 days of symptoms), and suffered the full effects of the disease, i cannot agree at all that Larium is worse than malaria
Surviving Malaria is worse than suicide?? Are you for real????
Armys are great Guinea Pigs for drug companies!
Interesting that we are allowed to comment on a case before the High Court but are banned the minute that anyone is charged with a criminal offence. This is an old story and the US expert is talking nonsense about aviators or pilots being banned from taking the drug. It appears that anyone can become an expert for hire in America.
Reading the statistics on this disease are quite frightening with its annual death toll of around one to three million deaths annually so when the Army send soldiers on peace keeping duties to areas where Malaria is prevalent they quite properly want to protect them from a killer illness. The choice of drugs made by them are obviously determined by the strain of the disease in the locality and the appropriate drug as recommended by the WHO and Tropical Disease experts.
The Journal should not be used as a recruiting sergeant in private litigation.
Ricky… the Irish army doesnt allow soldiers to choose their own anti malaria medication… treats any other type found as contraband and tells that if they dont take it they cant go on deployment. Each of these individually may sound reasonable but together it amounts to forcing the soldiers to take a drug that has a proven link to suicide and other things. It is cheaper than the other anti malaria medication. Why not let the soldiers take their own if they want to pay for it… when I went to Africa I had the choice and did research and stayed away from larium.
well said bacoxy
Bacoxy
Of course the Army don’t allow their Members to choose their own treatments for the prevention of malaria in areas of high drug resistance. The consequence of inappropriate treatment can be an illness with a high certainty of death. Self treatment? I really don’t think so!
@ rick, the lads were willing to pay for the good medicine themselves but the army to dispense the medicine the same way they were dispensing lariam.
Of 28 soldiers who killed themselves 11 were on Larium. Surely the point is being missed here?
Hey,
Just to clarify that a bit. The percentage of soldiers on Lariam who kill themselves is much greater than the percentage of soldiers not on Lariam who kill themselves. So the 11 is out of only about 4,000, while the remaining number is out of the rest of the entire Defence Forces.
Hope that clears it up a bit.
Sinéad
Sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory to me. Next you will be telling us that some vaccines cause seizures/brain damage/death in babies. Surely this stuff is tested by the same friendly big pharma corporations that we all trust so much?
-1 from me – never ever trust the pharmaceutical industry!!!
@ ED, the americans use to use lariam and were quick enough to stop using it as they recognised the serious side effects, if you go to rte player and watch prime time from 23rd may you will testimony from an ex american officer who is a leading authority on the subject, NIGHTMARE IN A PILL. you have the sheer stupidity to call it a conspiracy theory, i personally know two people who when i knew them { before they took lariam } were the happiest most positive people i had met, true gentlemen, to hear what lariam did to these to men brought tears to me eyes, im 39 served overseas seen tonnes of death and all the rest thats life, but when our gov and defence forces know of the serious side effects of these meds and still force men to take them,,,, that is criminal to me and the people involved should be locked up senior officers and ministers, to the men we have lost to this drug, your missed and loved by many people and will never be forgotte. RIP.
I was being Ironic. People seem to think being suspicious and critical of big pharma is OK unless you mention vaccines and then you are crazy conspiracy theorist.
I know friends who were given Latium. It’s bad stuff, there’s no denying it. Interestingly officers are prescribed a different anti malerial drug…
If this is true can you leave a link to proof… this would be of great use to the campaign I imagine…
Not true, I’m an Officer in the Defence Forces, we are given Lariam the same as every other soldier.
Im only quoting friends who have served in Liberia. Obviously the DF don’t advertise online what vaccinations and drugs they issue, online. So a link would be difficult to find i would imagine. I’ve witnessed first hand the side affects that Larium has caused. I’m not imagining nor making this up and obviously not everyone will have the same reaction to a drug.
Sorry, I was led to believe the officers where prescribed a more expensive drug.
@Nocturnal, no need to apologise I actually had a soldier tell me during the week that this was the case!
I can explain where this rumour came from.
Senior Officers who were visiting the units on the ground or in country for a brief period of a few days took a different drug for the period (Doxycycline I think but don’t quote me on that), this is because Lariam requires the user to take it for 1month before and after one goes to the hotspot and some of these trips were on short notice. It was of course the same for short term visiting NCOs and enlisted.
Officers in country for the duration, like the enlisted ranks, take/took Lariam.
@ nocturnal, did you notice that adam our 2nd lieutenant didnt once stand up for the lads who were devastated by lariam, i served 7 years in the defence forces and in the time i met a handfull of quality officers who stood up for their men, i personally know two people who when i knew them { before they took lariam } were the happiest most positive people i had met, true gentlemen smiles a mile wide always happy, to hear what lariam did to these to men brought tears to my eyes, im 39 served overseas 3 times seen tonnes of death and all the rest but thats life, but when our gov and defence forces know of the serious side effects of these meds and still force men to take them,,,, that is criminal to me and the people involved should be locked up senior officers and ministers, to the men we have lost to this drug, your missed and loved by many people and will never be forgotte. RIP. and by the way take in account the full compliment of men compared to officers on a trip the men far outweigh the officers so there is a far higher chance of adverse effects to be known, oh and also if you rock the boat as an enlisted man your career is destroyed and the officers of the defence forces will life your life a misery
@ adam,,,,,,can i ask you a question, in your vast overseas experience how many trips were you on that you had to take lariam?????????????, i eagerly await your reply, oh and another question that i doubt you will answer honestly, knowing now the serious ramifications of taking lariam would you be willing to take it going overseas????????????, now have a pair and answer honestly.
Jimmy, first off I’ll address your initial remark, I completely reject that statement, how dare you assume that because I never explicitly said I have sympathy for these men that I somehow must not.
I work closely with, and will serve overseas with these people, to say that their welfare is not a concern is wrong, I am telling you now it is.
As for whatever chip you have on your shoulder regarding the officer corp I can speak for myself and the officers I work with and say that we are 100% sympathetic to the plight of these men. You should know the situation of DF members regarding what we can say to the media/public.
Suicide is a devastating issue and one that destroys the morale in our organisation, to say that I don’t care because I haven’t spent my weekend on this arguing is wrong and insulting.
Finally Jimmy, shame on you to insult me so personally without knowing me at all, that is something that the men I serve with would never do, and you do yourself and your former comrades a disservice when you act in such a way.
and will serve overseas,,,,,,,,so your still wet behind the ears no operational experience so only passed out in the last couple of years, i dont have a chip on my shoulder i am saying it as i saw it in my 7 years in the DF, 80 odd too many lieutenants in the defence forces as it stands today and they are still being recruited, the boys club is alive and well, getting rid of senior NCO positions and giving them to officers to justify their positions in the DF, so adam you have alot to learn about the DF and when you finally do go overseas you will know by the end of your trip whether or not your a quality officer. i wont give you my opinion and i never met you.
Cost is the only issue here. Alternatives cam be used for longer than 28 days. The French use doxys which are collected daily with your meals.
You can’t tell the authorities that Lariam affects you or you are not selected for overseas service. No overseas – no career.
@ guido, one thing it didnt mention in the programme that the officers that went overseas were given a more expensive drug with far less side effects, the usual look after the boys club and give the men the cheap shite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!FACT
I took Larium while backpacking around India in 2001. At that time the Indian army had just stopped issuing Larium to its personnel and had moved to Chloroquine because of the adverse mental problems Larium was causing in the ranks. I stopped taking Larium after, what I can only describe as, a breakdown which included hallucinations, paranoia and a depressed state of mind. After that I took no medication but took preventative measures such as long sleeved shirts, washing my clothes, netting and bed sheet in permethrin and using repellents. Quite soon after stopping the dosage I was back to my old self.
Since then I have traveled the world without taking any anti malarial drugs. I keep an emergency supply of doxy or malarone with me and if I develop the symptoms I have a plan for emergency self medication while I await medical care.
Wasn’t Alan Shatter presented with evidence of this back last year, and he refused to take immediate action? Gotta keep big-pharma happy. And all we complain about is cutbacks & breathalyzer tests.
After watching the primetime show I am shocked that it got rights to air and even more shocked that those backing the case against the state are pleased with the final product.
Not everyone that took Lariam experienced side effects and not everyone that committed suicide had taken Lariam.
The entire show was based on anecdotal evidence and was disrespectful to the families who got involved hoping to seek justice for the loss in their families. These individuals were clearly exploited in their time of grief. It is no surprise that those actively seeking to bring their cases to the high courts were advised not to participate given the content of the final show aired on Thursday. There isn’t a drug in the country that would get approval for distribution to 40,000 people after an extensive screening process. When prescribing a drug it is impossible to predict future effects of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and the consumption of alcohol or other drugs while taking Lariam – both indisputable potential confounding factors in the suicides.
I do not know any Irish person who has not lost a loved one to suicide. We are a nation full of addicts, depressants and victims of abuse from mild bullying right up the the widespread paedophilia and domestic violence. It is great that all of the people who believe they are suffering as a direct result of taking the drug Lariam have found a forum to discuss their side effects so they can help each other through tough times. However, bringing families on your journey who have already experienced a loss with a promised hope to prove the cause of death is cruel and unjust. This will NEVER be proven.
A Suicide in Ireland Survey was published earlier this week reporting on suicides from 2003 – 2008. http://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/suicideinirelandsurvey.pdf
I suggest everyone with an interest in the primetime show and the broader issue of suicides have a read and recommend to anybody you know who is currently suffering to get help. Putting all your efforts into hating an organisation or blaming others will only inhibit your own recovery.
http://www.pieta.ie/
http://www.samaritans.org/your-community/samaritans-work-ireland
I used Larium for 2 trips and for a nice foreign holiday after one trip thanks to the overseas allowances ,and didn’t have a single side affect ! Clearly ALL medications have side effects,affects some Dosent others. In fact I went from doxy to Larium as the doxy was giving me savage stomach aches. So from my point of view,doxy was worse for me and Larium did the job it was meant to !
It may not have affected you but the fact that it has severe side affects for others means it shouldn’t be prescribed. If you’re in the DF surely you know people tho have had adverse affects like the psychotic dreams and violent mood swings.
Myself and the missus used Lariam for about 8 months in 2002. No side effects whatsoever.
After watching the primetime show Im shocked that it got to air and even more shocked that those backing the case against its prescription are pleased with the final product.
Not everyone that took Lariam experienced side effects and not everyone that committed suicide had taken Lariam!
The entire show was based on anecdotal evidence and was disrespectful to the families who got involved hoping to seek justice for their loss. These individuals were clearly exploited in their time of grief.
I don’t know any Irish family who has not lost a loved one to suicide. We are a nation full of addicts, depressants and victims of abuse,from mild bullying right up to widespread paedophilia and domestic violence. It is great that all of the people who believe they are suffering as a direct result of taking the drug Lariam have found a Forum to discuss their side effects so they can help each other through tough times. However, bringing families on your journey who have already experienced a loss with a promised hope to prove the cause of death is cruel and unjust. This will NEVER be proven.
A Suicide in Ireland Survey was published this week reporting on suicides from 2003-2008. http://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/suicideinirelandsurvey.pdf
I suggest everyone with an interest in the topic of suicide read it and recommend to anybody you know who is currently suffering to get help. Putting all your efforts into hating an organisation or blaming others will only inhibit your own recovery
bernie wake up and smell the roses, you have the cheek to compare people serving their country to addicts, the neck of you,,,,,,,,,,,the show was based on FACT and proven fact, why do you think the vast majority of worldwide armies stopped using lariam a long time ago, the show was not disrespectful to the families of those that passed away, these families wanted it put on record their thoughts and opinions on what was done to their loved ones by a drug that was forced upon them by the defence forces, lads knew lariam was a bad drug and wanted to purchase their own meds and more expensive but were told that those meds would be contriband and they would face discipline procedures, if it was found out overseas you were not taking your meds you would be sent home, lads were bullied into taking lariam as if they didnt take it they were not allowed to go overseas and lads in the defence forces live for going overseas to put into practice all their training.
Bernie, that’s the third time you posted that. Why would someone post the exact same thing three times, and the sad thing is that in your repeat postings, you are factually wrong, grossly offensive, patronising and seemingly devoid of empathy for others.
Your very last sentence offers what could be considered professional advice, I genuinely hope that you are not portraying yourself as a professional in this area as your ill timed, ill conceived, insulting and patronising remarks do a disservice to those who suffer from the ill affects of Lariam and those who treat the suffers.
I am ex Defence Forces and I am one of the lucky ones who haven’t suffered from the ill effects of Lariamm, but I know lads who go through hell ( note the present tense), and I know some of those who are no longer with us.
The repost on this article was an error, apologies!
The remarks I’m sure caused offence were observations on the show presented by RTE. I have been aware of and anticipating this show for two years now hence the surprise mentioned of the final product. First reportings suggested a seemingly insignificant relationship between the number who were perscribed the drug and the number of possibly linked suicides … far from what I had expected. The remarks re cruel and unjust involvement of families interviews were opinions i formed after watching the show and never intended as factual.
I am far from a professional but I don’t think a degree is required to suggest that anyone experiencing suicidal ideation, anxiety and other reported symptoms should seek the advise of one! Links to such services are far from patronising
Like prescribing a bee sting knowing it’ll only kill some. Lariam causes brain damage. They don’t even know how Mefloquine kills malaria. But it works. Shit-kicking soldiers get cheap and nasty mefloquine. Those with better access get Malarone.
Is it me or do I notice that the name of the drug is a near anagram of malaria?
i also spent 2 years living in asia, didnt take antimalarials but covered up if i was out at night or in the shade,used nets at night and citronella and neem mosquito repellents, didnt get malaria .
You can still catch Malaria when on these anti malarial drugs,
I have spent 2 years travelling throughout Asia, Doctors here are puzzled to why we (westerners) are given these as prophylaxis, these drugs do not prevent the illness, they can mask the initial symptoms until the malaria gets stronger, then you get treated for malaria.
I just want to say that Asia has a lower incidence of malaria than Africa and that Africa holds far more aggressive strains of Malaria. In Asia you could probably even get away with the older school less agressive anti-malarials.
Saying I went to Asia for x number of years and didn’t get anything is not the same as someone who goes to certain parts of Africa. Prophylaxis is a necessity against this terrible disease, especially in high risk zones.
However that said, I agree Lariam is a terrible drug and should be removed from the market, the science dictates that it far to high a risk / compromise especially when we consider that there are several far safer alternatives. I tried Lariam myself which was prescribed to me in Europe but I quickly learnt my body didn’t appreciate it’s presence, my family doctor in South Africa confirmed that it is a horrendous drug and should be scrapped from the market altogether (with links to all sorts and manners of ailments and deaths) and prescribed me Doxy instead.
My dad, brother and I had to take the tablets before. Myself and my brother were fine but my dad kept having really vivid dreams about me and my brother dying to the point were he couldn’t finish his dose!
Wanted for crimes against thinking: http://postimg.org/image/eac3akmf5/ …
… http://postimg.org/image/iufy5v2s3/ < Call now.
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