An anti-malarial drug that has been withdrawn from routine use by the U.S. military because of concerns about potentially dangerous side-effects continues to be prescribed to Canadian troops serving in malaria-prone regions.The drug, called mefloquine or Lariam, has been associated with psychiatric and physical side-effects that prompted the U.S. military to withdraw it from general use in 2009, but the Canadian Forces continue to prescribe it to soldiers. Side-effects can range from anxiety, vivid nightmares and depression, to hallucinations and psychotic episodes, and the drug has also been blamed for suicides and long-term health problems. Read more…
PHARMACOGENETICS: The media has not yet become aware that a percentage of the population are poor or non-metablolizers due to an evolutionary deletion in CYTOCHROME P450. If this drugs is taken by those who have this genetic deletion there is an inability to metabolize causing psychosis, homicidal and suicidal ideations.
Lariam (Mefloquine) Manufacturer’s InsertRead some stats:
At Fort Hood, where 48,000 troops and their families are stationed, 6,000 soldiers were on antidepressants, and 1,400 were on antipsychotic drugs in 2009, reported USA Today. At Fort Bragg, where 50,000 are stationed, 4,994 troops were on antidepressants, and 664 were on antipsychotics in 2010, reported the Fayetteville Observer, adding that “many soldiers take more than one type of medication. Read more…
Cytochrome P450 information including drug list…a synopsis of the issue.
The first human eggs grown from human stem cells could be fertilized with human sperm cells later this year, potentially revolutionizing fertility treatment for women. This could be one more step on the path toward reproduction sans human interaction — in this case, a potential parent wouldn’t even need to donate her eggs. But it could also turn stem cells into an infinite loop, of egg cells into embryos into stem cells, and on and on, in a fractal-like repetition of reproduction. Read more…
