The Food and Drug Administration is warning Americans against using ivermectin, a drug that kills parasites, to treat COVID-19.
“Taking large doses of this drug is dangerous and can cause serious harm,” said the FDA on Friday.
Ivermectin is used to treat lice and some skin diseases like rosacea in humans, and is used to treat internal and external parasitic infections in animals.
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Some researchers have announced ivermectin as a potential treatment for COVID-19 during the pandemic, but the jury has yet to decide whether it is an effective treatment.
The National Institutes of Health explains that “anchoring ivermectin may interfere with the attachment of the peak protein of the acute acute respiratory syndrome of coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to the human cell membrane.”
Australian researchers found in June that ivermectin inhibited the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in a petri dish, but that effect has not been replicated in real humans.
“Despite this in vitro activity, no clinical trial has reported a clinical benefit for ivermectin in patients with these viruses,” explains the NIH.
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Despite this, Dr. Pierre Kory, a pulmonary and intensive care specialist at Aurora St Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, testified before the Senate in December that ivermectin is a “miracle drug” with antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
More recently, Colombian researchers found this month that the duration of symptoms of COVID-19 was not significantly different for patients who received a 5-day treatment with ivermectin compared to patients who received a placebo.
While scientists continue to study its effects, the FDA does not recommend trying it out because of the potential negative side effects.
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“Even levels of ivermectin for approved uses can interact with other drugs, such as anticoagulants,” explains the FDA.
“You may also have an overdose of ivermectin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension (low blood pressure), allergic reactions (itching and hives), dizziness, ataxia (balance problems), seizures, coma and even death. “
The Associated Press contributed to this report.