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An Oregon poison centre saw 37 people poisoned by ivermectin in six months of the pandemic; 30 had nervous-system effects, 21 were admitted to hospital and one died, with veterinary products giving the largest doses and the most confusion.
The Oregon Poison Center reviewed 37 ivermectin exposures for COVID-19 prevention or treatment that led to a healthcare visit between 14 August 2021 and 31 January 2022; median age was 64, most were men, 21 were hospitalised, 13 treated in an emergency department and one died (Hoang poison centre series 2022). Neurotoxicity occurred in 30, gastrointestinal symptoms in 14 and musculoskeletal complaints in 7; the 17 who took veterinary formulations took higher doses and had more altered mental status than the 15 on prescription tablets, and chronic users on a median 13.5 mg a day for 3.8 weeks had milder toxicity (Hoang poison centre series 2022).
The pattern of harm that cancer self-dosing now repeats: mostly older men, veterinary products, and neurological effects that need hospital care.