Fact check: What are the potential side effects of taking ivermectin horse paste?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, taking ivermectin horse paste poses significant health risks with documented serious side effects. The research reveals several key findings:

Neurological Effects:

• Ivermectin toxicity predominantly affects male patients over 60 years old who ingest higher than recommended doses, leading to neurologic symptoms ^[1]
• Serious neurological adverse events include encephalopathy, confusion, stupor, and coma, which may be related to drug interactions or genetic polymorphisms in the mdr-1 gene ^[2]
• Patients experience central nervous system depression, dizziness, ataxia, headache, and visual disturbances ^[3]

Physical Symptoms:

• Overdoses can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension, itchiness, hives, dizziness, loss of balance, seizures, and coma ^[4]
• Additional symptoms include gastrointestinal distress, confusion, ataxia, weakness, hypotension, and seizures ^[5]
• Some overdoses can be fatal ^[4]

Dosage Concerns:

• Patients taking veterinary formulations ingested large single doses or large daily doses for several days, developing rapid onset of neurotoxicity ^[1]
• Those using veterinary formulations had higher doses and more severe symptoms compared to prescription tablets ^[1]
• One case involved a patient who ingested approximately 100 times the recommended dose ^[3]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several important contextual elements:

Regulatory Status:

• Ivermectin is FDA-approved only for specific conditions - intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis - not for COVID-19 treatment or prevention ^[5]
• Animal formulations are not safe for human use and may be lethal ^[6]

COVID-19 Context:

• The Oregon Poison Center reported an increase in ivermectin exposure cases related to COVID-19 attempts at self-medication ^[5]
• Research shows no clinical benefit in randomized, controlled trials for COVID-19 treatment or prevention ^[5]

Veterinary vs. Human Formulations:

• The analyses reveal a critical distinction between veterinary and human formulations, with veterinary versions causing more severe toxicity ^[1]
• Animal ivermectin products are specifically formulated for animals and contain concentrations inappropriate for humans ^[6]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question, while seemingly neutral, omits crucial safety warnings that could lead to dangerous self-medication:

Understated Risks:

• By asking about "potential" side effects, the question minimizes the documented serious and sometimes fatal consequences of using veterinary ivermectin ^{[4] [5]}
• The phrasing doesn't convey the immediate danger and toxicity associated with veterinary formulations ^[1]

Missing Critical Context:

• The question fails to mention that veterinary ivermectin is not approved for human use and that safer, FDA-approved human formulations exist for legitimate medical conditions ^[5]
• It doesn't acknowledge that health experts and extension services actively warn against using animal ivermectin products for human consumption ^[6]

Implicit Legitimization:

• By framing the question around side effects rather than safety warnings, it implicitly suggests that using horse paste might be acceptable despite clear evidence of serious health risks and lack of efficacy for popular off-label uses ^{[5] [6]}