Ivermectin is not approved for use against COVID-19
Ivermectin is an effective medication, dubbed a “wonder drug” for its ability to combat parasitic diseases. It first emerged in 1988 as an effective treatment for river blindness. It’s also used to treat acne rosacea and combat Demodex mite infestation of skin and eyelids.
Side effects of ivermectin include eye-related symptoms, like pain, redness and vision problems. Ivermectin has not been approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment or prevention of COVID-19.
Early on in the pandemic, people around the world began to promote (and use) the drug as prevention or treatment against COVID. In most cases, the ivermectin was self-prescribed, meaning someone decided to take the medication on their own.
Many national and global health agencies continue to advise against using ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19. The drug’s manufacturer, Merck, also continues to advise against it.
Plus, when a doctor isn’t a part of the equation, factors like dose amounts, side effects and adverse reactions aren’t being monitored. This can, of course, lead to serious problems.
What can ivermectin do to your eyes?
Ivermectin’s treatment of roundworm infections had a huge impact on global health. The impact was so significant that its discoverers were awarded a Nobel Prize in 2015.
One of the roundworms treated by ivermectin is Onchocerca volvulus. This roundworm causes a vision-threatening infection called onchocerciasis — also known as river blindness.
Most cases of river blindness occur in sub-Saharan African countries. The tropical climates around streams and rivers are a breeding ground for blackflies that transmit worm larvae to people.
The treatment plan for river blindness centers around ivermectin. Ivermectin kills worm larvae before they can grow into adults. Without the early use of this medication, the worms can live inside someone for as many as 10 to 15 years. This can lead to serious eye, skin and other health problems.
To treat a Demodex mite infestation, topical ivermectin is applied daily for 16 weeks for the best results.
As helpful as ivermectin is for slowing parasite infections, adverse reactions can still occur.
For example, ivermectin can cause eye-related symptoms, including:
- Eye pain
- Eye redness
- Puffy eyes
- Vision problems
- Vision loss
Elsewhere in the body, ivermectin reactions can lead to:
- Severe skin rashes and itching
- Neurological problems, including confusion and difficulty walking
- Fever
- Swollen lymph nodes and swelling in the hands and feet
- Stomach and joint pain
- Elevated heart rate
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Seizure
Adverse reactions and side effects can happen with almost every medication. But they can become a much more serious problem when the drug isn’t prescribed and supervised by a medical professional.
Side effects and reactions can be worsened when people take high doses of ivermectin or use a form intended for animals. Taking non-prescribed ivermectin continues to lead to hospitalizations and even death, in some cases.
SEE RELATED: Eye worms
Do we know for sure that it doesn’t help with COVID?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has discontinued its COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines website. However, the NIH did make a final recommendation against using ivermectin for COVID treatment before archiving the site.
They cited several “adequately powered, randomized trials” of ivermectin not being able to show effectiveness against COVID-19. They also noted that a few studies had shown a possible anti-COVID effect in vitro (outside of a human or animal). But the amount of ivermectin needed for those effects was nearly 100 times higher than is safe for humans.
More recent research continues to show similar results. Several large reviews have shown that ivermectin may have some impact on mild symptoms. However, it does not have any effect on actual COVID-19 outcomes.
SEE ALSO: Hydroxychloroquine as a COVID treatment may be bad for your eyes
Health groups advise against ivermectin for COVID-19
Health agencies around the world have cautioned against the use of ivermectin for COVID-19. Some of these groups include:
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- American Medical Association (AMA) and American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- European Medicines Agency (EMA)
While the FDA urges against using ivermectin for COVID, they add the following precautions:
- Large doses of ivermectin are dangerous.
- If a doctor writes you an ivermectin prescription, fill it through a legitimate source (such as a local pharmacy) and take it exactly as directed.
- Do not use medications produced for animals on yourself or anyone else. This medicine is “very different from those approved for humans” and is dangerous for people to use.
Talk to your doctor
Over the years, ivermectin has certainly proved to be a “wonder drug.” But all medications should only be used for approved conditions. Any other uses are ill-advised unless carefully conducted studies and trials prove otherwise.
Health organizations advise that vaccines are still the best bet for protecting most people against COVID-19.
If you have reservations about getting a COVID-19 vaccine, speak to your doctor. They will consider any medical history or health concerns before they make a recommendation.
John Egan also contributed to this article.
