LARIAM Reviews (MEFLOQUINE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 1.2 (149 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare LARIAM with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken longest to shortest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on LARIAM: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR LARIAM | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | Trip to Kenya | None | I suffered from severe vestibulodynia for two years, after going on this medication I noticed it was about 70% better, thought it was unrelated until I came back from my trip and went off it, and the horrible pain came back. I am not going off this medication ever, I feel like it has saved my life. Ladies, if you suffer from any kind of vulvodynia take this medication! | F | 25 | 4 months | 10/17/2009 | 1 | to prevent malaria | horrifying dread, depersonalization, psychosis for two weeks, then two years of psychosis that began 8 years afterwards | I came out of two years of psychosis seven years ago thanks to taking armodafinil, that my doctor had prescribed to treat what she thought was narcolepsy. I still take Nuvigil and haven't had any other psychotic episodes or deep depression for seven years now. I hope other doctors will prescribe this drug to veterans suffering from Lariam-related psychosis. | F | 75 | 4 months 1X W | 8/20/2016 | 1 | Charity work Africa | Anxiety, depression, agitation,facial spasms, loss of energy and motivation for 1 1/2 years, hallucianations, screaming in sleep, nerve pains in skin, suicidal thoughts | I had never had any of these symptoms until after taking this drug. The first occasion I took it I was more or less ok, but subsequent trips the symptoms appeared. After experiencing hallucinations, screaming in sleep, pains in limbs and chest, and extreme agitation, I visited a doctor in Uganda who immediately identified the problem - having had many other patients with similar experiences - and instructed me to stop the drug straightaway. Nervous problems in skin, and periodic hallucinations continued for about 8 months. Loss of energy and motivation for about a year and a half. Periods of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts still continue six years later. Although I have friends who have had no adverse effects to taking Larium, on the basis of my experience I would advise against it completely - there are satisfactory alternatives. I have used Malarone twice without side effects. | M | 51 | 4 months | 1/22/2009 | 1 | Lived in India 1 year | Totally disabling anxiety and panic attacks, insomnia - very very long term effects. DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG ! | If you want to lose your mind then take this medication. There are many alternatives. I have travelled back to India many times afterwards and have NEVER taken anything after this horrible experience - I would FAR PREFER to get malaria when travelling and in fact, when you are in places like India the local docs are very skilled at recognizing malaria right away with first symptoms and very effective treatment. DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG, DON'T EVEN RISK IT !! | F | 40 | 4 months | 1/11/2008 | 4 | Travel to Africe | None | People may slate this drug but I found it the best by far. It was much easier to take - only once a week as opposed to having to remember to take it at the same time each day. I didn't suffer any side effects at all. I know people do, but until you try it you want know. My suggestion is to try it, if you get a side effect after a couple of weeks then you can swap to another type. | F | 20 | 3 months | 11/15/2006 | 1 | Malaria Prevention on trip to India | Insomnia, paranoia, graduating into hallucinations and extreme psychotic episode lasting approx 3 months | I CANT BELIEVE GPs ARE STILL PRESCRIBING THIS DRUG in 2011..After what happened to me over a decade ago on taking a course of this drug (and to many other people by all accounts - ask Paul Merton) I would say that it should be banned. Really scary that they still think it works. I was flown home on an emergency flight after risking my life on a trip with friends to India and Nepal due to a Lariam-induced psychosis, extremely frightening for my friends and dangerous for me. On the 'come down' back in a psychiatric ward in the UK (yes the effects were that deep, severe and prolonged..) I felt suicidally depressed for months and could still hear voices and thought that people were imposters out to kill me..all totally crazy stuff, I have never experienced such symptoms before, or, thankfully, since. What a damaging poison. | F | 36 | 3 months 30mg 1X day | 12/3/2011 | 1 | malaria prevention | extreme dizziness all the time, weakness in hands and legs, depression, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, blurred vision, anxiety, panic attacks | i'd never experienced any of this until after taking lariam. now almost 2 years later, i'm still suffering the same adverse effects of this medication. the damage seems to be permanent in some cases. | F | 26 | 3 months | 9/23/2007 | 1 | Malaria prevention | brown acid style hallucinations, nightmares continuing into waking up, loud tinnitus, nausea, rage, crazy behavior | My wife and I both had serious problems during and after taking this drug. My wife recently had a Grand Mal seizure to add to the list. I will never take this ever again and the fact that it continues to be prescribed is insane. It is not prescribed in other countries and anyone who has used it knows what I am talking about. It is so obvious that I think it is a conspiracy (another symptom? I can't tell anymore.) | M | 29 | 3 months | 6/3/2008 | 1 | Anti-Malaria | - anxiety - vivid dreams (woke up believing a giant spider was on my bug net, woke roommate up ranting about children in danger) - couldn't sleep/scared to sleep - paranoia (I thought everyone was talking about me and out to get me) - depression - mood swings | - when I came home I was diagnosed with mental illness and have been on medication for 13 years - just over a year ago my psychiatrist properly diagnosed me with no mental illness but mefloquine toxicity that caused an Aquired Brain Injury (ABI) | F | 21 | 3 months | 7/4/2017 | 1 | Nigeria and Ghana | PLEASE THIS IS A STRICIT WARNING . I AM TELLING YOU DO NOT TAKE LARIAM PAY more money and use MALARONE | M | 24 | 2 months 250MGQ | 11/11/2018 | 1 | Studying abroad in southern India | Mood swings, severe nausea, dizzyness, trouble concentrating, terrible nightmares, general depression | I took mefloquine for two months before it occurred to me that the mental changes I was going through were related to it (I had credited it to the stress from culture shock). I stopped taking the drug and after one month - guess what? - I got malaria. The entire experience was horrific and frightening - DO NOT go without an antimalarial. If side effects are bad, get another pill abroad, or, if healthcare there is questionable, come prepared with another prescription ready. Malaria is treatable in most cases, but is can also be debilitating, terrifying and fatal. I was seriously ill for months but still feel incredibly fortunate to be healthy now. Not everyone is so lucky. Take the advantage of having access to antimalarials. | F | 21 | 2 months | 12/7/2008 | 1 | Trip To India | Crazy CRAZY Dreams,Depression, Shortness of breath, severe mood swings, suicidal thoughts [ a friend who went on the trip with me also suffered from terrible nausea and anxiety]. | DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICINE!! I would rather have dealt with malaria and got it treated than to deal with what I went through for months after coming off of this medicine. I have supported groups that are calling for it to be taken off the market. I have no idea why this is approved by the FDA. Also research issues with our military and this drug. | F | 20 | 2 months | 9/5/2007 | 1 | anti-malarial | Short-term memory loss, depression, speech problems | I took lariam for 2 months while working in Sierra Leone in 2001. I was given no alternative. 6 years later I am still suffering with short term memory problems and depression which I never had before I took it. It became a joke while we were out there that everyone had a 'Lariam day' each week when they took their tablet, and on that day no-one really expected them to be able to function properly. (great, except I was in the Army on a military operation!) | F | 29 | 2 months | 9/8/2007 | 1 | Peace Corps Service in West Africa | insomnia, depression, loss of appetite, extremely emotional, drug-induced hepatitis | I was medically evacuated from my country of service after developing (very rapid) liver complications. The doctors did not know what was causing my liver complications, and they switched me to Malarone early on in the event that the problem was Mefloquine. It, in fact, was directly related to the Mefloquine. I knew that I was not myself while taking it, but after being off of it for about 4 weeks, I woke up one morning with my personality back. My liver functions tested normally after 3 months of being off of Mefloquine. I am very fortunate in that. Long-term effects are still to be determined. | F | 25 | 2 months 250 1X W | 2/25/2012 | 1 | trip to Guatemala (anti-malarial) | hallucinations, difficulty sleeping, severe anxiety, paranoia, and depression. | I had no idea this drug would affect me this much. I have a lot of stress in my life right now and the Lariam has amplified my problems to the point that I can't cope with anything. I don't feel like myself at all. The anxiety and depression brings\ me to the point of suicidal thoughts, because I can't find a way out of the darkness. (This is highly uncharacteristic of me and scares me because I don't know how to deal with such foreign feelings.) I had to stop taking the Lariam after the 7th week when it finally made me snap. I'm now on anti depressants and anti anxiety medication to help hold me over until the Lariam is out of my system. I hope I can return to normal. I would highly recommend that people consider alternatives before using this drug. | F | 23 | 2 months 250 MG 1X W | 9/21/2010 | 1 | 6 month trip across Africa | nightmares, anxiety, paranoia, | took Larium in 1993, side effects immediate and I stopped taking it whilst away as couldnt stand it anymore. It has ruined my life, still continue to deal with cycles of depression and anxiety. Let me stress taking this drug changed me, I had absolutely no mental illness prior to my trip and was an outgoing personality. Returned to the UK from African trip to a media outburst from people who had reactions to this, however obviously nothing has changed as its still available. | F | 39 | 2 months 1X day | 12/1/2010 | 1 | travel | sick dizzy panic vivid dreams health and wellbeing destroyed going on 10 years | do NOT take this crazy drug it will ruin your life . | M | 47 | 2 months 1X W | 2/4/2010 | 1 | Peace Corps | pressure in brain, convulsions, anhedonia, anxiety, severe depression, fatigue, suicidal ideations, loss of desire to do ANYTHING AT ALL | I prepared to go to Africa for PC for over a year. They waited until the day we got on the plane to give us our first Lariam pill. No history of anxiety/depression. By the time we landed in Africa, I had social anxiety/anhedonia and could not feel any emotion besides a foreboding feeling of dread. I had anxiety every day, was in tears by the afternoon, and had pressure in my brain and intense body convulsions at night that sometimes woke me up. I could have switched to the daily stuff but the symptoms were so bad that I couldn't stay there another day. I came home and had to keep taking the Lariam for a month (I stopped after 2 weeks). Some symptoms have decreased except anhedonia. It is difficult not to contemplate suicide. I hope I get back to normal very soon, this has ruined everything for me. DO NOT RISK YOUR SANITY BY TAKING THIS DRUG. PEACE CORPS SHOULD NOT RISK VOLUNTEERS' HEALTH BY GIVING OUT THIS DRUG. | F | 25 | 1.5 months | 11/21/2008 | 1 | Trip to Pakistan | Hair lose, rage, social proplems, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness. | There are three other options for Malaria prevention. I would put this drug at the bottom of the list. | M | 38 | 1 months | 2/5/2009 | 1 | Peace Corps | facial convulsions/muscle spasms with spaciness; panic attacks. | I took Lariam for about a month while I was in the Peace Corps. I stopped because I experienced facial spasms/convulsions for a number of hours combined with spaciness and panic. They switched me to doxycycline, but about once a month after that point I would have seizures again. Of course, Peace Corps maintained this was all psychosomatic (though I had traveled a great deal before and never had experienced anything remotely like it.) Even now, 5-1/2 years later, I'll have similar episodes. Lariam should not be on the market, let alone privileged as an anti-malarial drug of choice. | F | 30 | 1 months | 1/15/2008 |