This blog is a little out of character for me. I usually talk about adult medical issues particularly fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and thyroid issues.
So, the other day I was at the pharmacy to pick up something and I overheard a distraught mother begging the pharmacist for something to get rid of her daughters head lice. She had tried it all! I couldn’t help myself because I know for a fact that Ivermectin (drug name) is approved for head lice and it’s been approved for humans for that purpose since 1996.
I spoke up. The pharmacist responded, “ well it’s really expensive.” I said how can that be? I can dose a 1,200 lb horse for $4.
So here’s the deal, why is this drug not in the PDR, not offered for the treatment of head lice to parents of distraught children, and so expensive that the pharmacist recommended against it? I don’t know!
The dose rate for Humans and Horses is the same. 200 mcg per Kilogram usually represented this way. 0.02 mg/Kg. It has been used in veterinary medicine since the 80’s in several forms, injectable, oral, and drench (liquid preparation applied externally). It has been given to millions of people worldwide, but you can’t get it in the country that developed it for your own kids. Why?
It has already been superceded 3 times in veterinary medicine. Ivermectin belongs to a drug family known as the Avermectins and there are several newer preparations in use currently. We are up to the 4th generation, Selamectin, now. Moxidectin and Doramectin came previously after Ivermectin. So, you see it is NOT a new drug! Why would it be so expensive as an older drug way past any drug trials? It’s already been used on hundreds of millions of people worldwide with no adverse effects. What’s really going on here?
“Ivermectin, under the brand name Mectizan, is currently being used to help eliminate river blindness (onchocerciasis) in the Americas, and to stop transmission of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis around the world. Currently, large amounts of ivermectin are donated by Merck to fight river blindness in countries unable to afford the drug. The disease is endemic in 30 African countries, six Latin American countries, and Yemen, according to studies conducted by the World Health Organization. The drug rapidly kills microfilariae, but not the adult worms. A single oral dose of ivermectin, taken annually for the 10- to 15-year lifespan of the adult worms, is all that is needed to protect the individual from onchocerciasis.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivermectin
“This drug (ivermectin) was released for human use in the US in 1996, for onchocerciasis. It is taken orally, at a dose of 0.02mg/kg, or two-6mg tablets for a 60kg person. It does not protect against reinfestation, though, so may require a follow-up course of treatment. Merck, who developed ivermectin, has donated over a million doses for the treatment of onchocerciasis in Africa. This eradication program occurred without significant side effects.” http://www.skintherapyletter.com/2000/5.1/1.html
“Another alternative is ivermectin. This drug binds selectively to specific receptors of neurotransmitters that function in the peripheral motor system of invertebrates. Ivermectin is FDA approved for treatment of strongyloidiasis (worm) and onchocerciasis (nematode, a kind of worm). There are numerous articles on its use for scabies, but a dearth of information in its use for head lice. Oral ivermectin exerts its insecticidal effects only on lice that are feeding from their hosts. Because the plasma half life of oral ivermectin is 16 hours, a second dose on day 8 is recommended in order to kill nymphs that hatch after the initial dose, before they become fertile. Ivermectin at 200 micrograms per kg given on days 1 and 8 appears to be very effective treatment for pediculosis capitis. There is concern about using this drug in patients who weigh less than 15 kg, or those who are pregnant or breast-feeding.”
http://dermatology-s10.cdlib.org/126/reviews/lice/burkhart.html
The next quote is from a New England Journal of Medicine in an article on a drug trial of Ivermectin VS Malathion. This trial in my opinion is of a drug VS a pesticide.
“CONCLUSIONS
For difficult-to-treat head-lice infestation, oral ivermectin, given twice at a 7-day interval, had superior efficacy as compared with topical 0.5% malathion lotion, a finding that suggests that it could be an alternative treatment. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00819520.)”
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0905471
Another interesting fact. Ivermectin is in your system for about 14 days so it does somewhat protect against reinfestation. However, to be sure about achieving no reinfestation there are several recommendation about taking more later. What they didn’t mention is that the plasma half life for Ivermectin is relatively long and it remains fairly high. It reaches peak plasma levels quickly and then drops to about half that, and stays there fairly stable and dropping slowly for up to three weeks. So, I like to give it again 10 days later. In my opinion that gives the widest range of protection against reinfestation and protects against toxicity build up. Any drug can be dangerous in high doses and just because it may be safe for some people to go to a higher blood plasma level, it may not be safe for everyone. Definitely follow the instructions of your healthcare provider, I am not a healthcare practitioner, just an animal observer.
My opinions are my own and should not be consider as medical advice. Follow your medical providers directions.
No comments:
Post a Comment