British soldiers deployed abroad in certain tropical countries may be prescribed drugs to prevent contracting malaria. For many years, troops were prescribed Lariam, but for over a decade there have been a whole string of complaints that it causes significant psychological problems.
Various countries all over the world stopped prescribing or selling the drug amidst fears that Lariam causes depression and violent behavioural changes, and our lawyers are investigating the issues surrounding use of the drug.
Lariam, otherwise known as mefloquine, reportedly has a vast list of very probable side effects. Minor side effects can include:
- Coughs;
- Headaches;
- Weakness;
- Dizziness;
More serious side-effects can include:
- Depressed mood;
- Feeling restless or anxious;
- Confusion, extreme fear, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behaviour;
- Severe or uncontrolled vomiting or diarrhoea;
- Fever;
- Coughs, wheezing, feeling short of breath;
- Nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-coloured stools, jaundice ;
- Mouth sores;
- Unusual aches and pains;
- Tiredness
- Weight loss;
- Severe skin rash;
- Easy bruising or bleeding.
These side-effects may seem normal as even a pack of common paracetamol can often carry similar warnings, but when considering that it’s deployed military personnel taking these drugs – people who are often in a stressful and foreign environment – the adverse symptoms can be greatly exacerbated.
Roche, the company that manufacturers the drug, do provide these side-effect warnings, but there were concerns that not enough has been done to warn soldiers, and it doesn’t seem like they had a great deal of choice either. When masses of British troops are about to be deployed, they were all reportedly given the same drug.
Investigations opened
After a public outcry and multiple complaints, the Ministry of Defence was asked to stop prescribing Lariam, and an investigation was opened. The U.S. stopped prescribing them back in 2002 after a solider went on a killing frenzy that’s been linked to use of the drug.
A parliamentary inquiry was conducted and a report was produced. It found that, due to the nature of working in the military, soldiers taking Lariam were experiencing military specific side-effects such as:
- Altered dream patterns, vivid nightmares and hallucinations;
- Altered sleep duration and insomnia;
- Panic and abnormal behaviour;
- Increased tension and anger;
- Severe mental and physical exhaustion and nausea;
- Significant lapses of concentration and short term memory loss.
In more extreme cases, there were:
“…acts of violence, ill temper, dangerous driving, confusion, expressions of suicide ideation and other behaviour not expected of officers and SNCOs.”
Thousands of deployed soldiers given Lariam
Between April 2007 and March 2015, the Ministry of defence has reportedly prescribed Lariam to 17,368 soldiers deployed abroad. The parliamentary report instructed that Lariam is to be used as a “last resort” and should never be given if there is a suitable alternative. Instead of giving it to masses of troops, the drug should only be prescribed after a one-to-one assessment whereby there are no alternatives and the patient has been made fully aware of the risks.
Our lawyers are investigating the issues
If you or a loved one has been affected by the Lariam issues, please contact our specialist Group Action Lawyers for help and advice.
Our expert team are currently involved in the UK’s biggest group actions right now, and we’re still involved in widespread medical and consumer actions in the UK and Europe.
First published by Admin on June 16, 2017
Posted in the following categories: Medical