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 Date added. 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 |
| 1 | Doctor prescribed for anti-malaria | Insomnia, nausea, headache, burning in the brain, noise in the brain, anxiety, depression, body alternating between cold and hot temperatures, body drying-up and scaling, visual aberration, lights too bright, body aches. | I am much better now. It has taken nearly 7 months of treatment using extensive alternative therapy - Ayurveda medicines, Yoga, Pranayam breathing, body massage, Chinese medicine, accupunture, etc. My GP (doctor) and the neurologist here in Australia were unable to determine the cause. | M | 54 | 9 weeks 250mg 1X W | 6/17/2010 | 1 | Vacation in East Africa | Fatigue, brain fog, speech problems, vivid dreams, suicidal thoughts | I was supposed to take for 8 weeks; stopped at 3 and symptoms are fading after missing 2 doses. Fatigue: felt so sleepy I thought I might fall out of my chair. Brain fog: thinking was slow and deliberate. Speech: occasional stuttering. Dreams: one night of frantic, fast-paced dreams after stopping the lariam. Suicidal thoughts on one day that concerned me. | M | 44 | 3 weeks 1X W | 2/18/2010 | 1 | Liberia West Africa 2006 | impaired speech. extreme nightmares. dizziness. depression. loss of libido. short and lomg term memory loss. loss of concentration. hypertension. | 4 years later and i am still suffering with the side effects of taking lariam.forced to take this drug by the military while on operational deployment. this drug has really damaged my health and it will be something i will have to live with for the rest of my life. STAY AWAY FROM LARIAM!!!!!! | M | 27 | 8 months 250mg 1X W | 2/17/2010 Patient History | 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 | 2 | Two weeks in Uganda | Recurring Nightmares/Night terrors | My advice would be to avoid this medication unless there's no safer alternative. I took some for a few weeks for a fortnight trip to Uganda when I was 11 and I quicly began having terrible recurring nightmares nearly every day which lasted for at least 8 months to the point where I felt quite traumatised by them. Every night I would dream that I had fallen onto subway tracks as a train was arriving and was paralysed so I couldn't get up off the tracks, waking up as the train crushed me! | M | 11 | 4 weeks | 2/3/2010 | 1 | Goshen College SST | Catatonia, heard unreal voices saying morbid things, convulsions (head jerked spastically while the rest of my body could not move) eyelids fluttered nonstop uncontrollably...and more! | Lariam (mefloquine) is the only antimalarial that has been the direct cause of homicides, suicides and torture. As little as one dose can cause permanent brain damage. Take another antimalarial, not this one. For more information, visit www.lariaminfo.org and/or the Facebook page Mefloquine (Lariam) Stinks! | F | 34 | 3 weeks | 1/22/2010 | 1 | Holiday to East Africa | Still ill more than 10 years on. Balance disorder, brain stem damage, tinnitus, insomnia, anxiety, memory impairment, confusioon, suicide ideation, chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, vision problems, hypotension. | I received huge help and support from Lariam-Mefloquine Action. They are a fantastic group and their website is: www.lariaminfo.org They have a large amount of research and support material available online. If you suspect you are having/had and adverse Lariam reaction, I would strongly recommend contacting them. | M | 40 | 8 weeks | 12/7/2009 | 1 | malaria prophylaxis | I have not taken Larium myself but have collected reports from dozens of friends and acquaintances over the years, after a friend of mine had a month-long psychotic episode in India on Larium, thinking he was Jesus and that he had caused the great earthquake in Gujarat. About 80 or 90% of people I've talked with have had nightmares, panic attacks, hallucinations or psychotic episodes on Larium. Don't even consider taking it. The fact this is still on the shelves is insane. | M | 33 | 14 days | 12/6/2009 | 1 | Business Trip | Permanent adverse side-effects such as depression, anxiety, paranoia, aggression, nightmares, insomnia, brutal and daily headaches!!!!!!! This has been ongoing since September 2000. | Lariam or Mefloquine is like playing Russian roulette. No question it can help prevent malaria but it may also destroy your life. Roche Pharmacueticles updated the drug literature 4 times since I took this drug. Little too late..... | M | 41 | 7 weeks | 11/4/2009 | 1 | Prevent Maleria | Loss of appetite, Weird Dreams, Depression, Stomach Cramps, IBS, Anxiety | Took Lariam on the advice of my doctor to prevent Maleria. First dose I was fine, in the second dose I started having Low moods and weird dreams, by the thrid dose my stomach was terrible, and my mood was extremely low. Friends constantly asked me if i was depressed as they noticed i was not myself. DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICATION... FIND AN ALTERNATIVE! | M | 26 | 3 weeks | 10/26/2009 | 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 | Anti-Malarial | Diarrhea, weight loss, loss of appetite,stomach cramps,IBS, possible colitis, suicidal thoughts,night sweats,paranonia, terrible shakes/tremors,vision problems,mouth ulcers,weak and tired. | I took lariam for 1.5 months for a trip to West Africa and based on multiple visits to the hospital when I returned,CAT Scan, possible stomach surgery,tremors and a complete loss of appetite I will NEVER travel to a place that requires an anti-malarial again. I had to try both Malarone and Lariam and neither worked. I feel like I have been permanently damaged and pray that I get back to the active/healthy person I use to be. I am depressed and have awful thoughts. One night I wrote down things that just past through my mind and reading it later appeared psychotic. I do not regret Africa, I will always regret taking these drugs. | F | 40 | 35 days | 8/16/2009 | 1 | Anti Maleria | After posting a number of years ago on here and having so many people contact me for help on combating the side effects of Lariam I decided to do something about how I won my battle with Larium. The siTe is aimed at all of you out there who are suffering from the horrid side effects this drug can have on you. | I hope I can continue helping others out there and spread my word that there is a way to return to normal after taking Lariam. lariam.org - Free Lariam Side Effects & Help | M | 33 | 1 weeks | 7/25/2009 | 1 | 1 year in central Africa | vomiting, weight loss, hair loss, paranoia, extreme anxiety leading to panic attacks, depression, mood-swings, fear of people, fear of going outside, fear of death, dizziness, total loss of energy or the will to do anything with my day | Like many, I had never before had an anxiety attack, been depressed, paranoid, anti-social, anything, before taking this drug. Thankfully I recovered completely (it took about a month) after I stopped taking it. NOT recommended... the risks are too great. | F | 24 | | 7/2/2009 | 1 | Malaria for a trip to Peru and Boli | sleeplessness, nightmares, memory loss, confusion | I took Larium 9 years ago on a trip to Peru and Bolivia. I am still affected by the side effects. After the third week I felt like my brain was plugged into the electric socket in the wall. I was unable to sleep for 5 nights in a row. I had severe short term memory loss. I was very depressed and emotional (due to not having slept for 5 nights I would imagine). To this day I have short term memory problems that I never had prior to taking this drug. I CAN'T EMPHASISE STRONGLY ENOUGH HOW SCARY THIS DRUG WAS FOR ME. I never had any psychological or memory problems prior to taking the drug. The sleeplessness and bad dreams went away after 2 or so weeks. The memory loss has never gone away. If I could sue someone or joing a class action lawsuit I would. Again, I have never been a hypochondriac, had psychological problems, or felt this strongly about any other drug or doctors treatment before. | M | 40 | 3 weeks | 7/2/2009 | 5 | African Travel | None whatsoever. | My wife and I have taken courses of Larium for 15 years at least for all our Travel to Malarial area. We have never had any doubts as to its efficacy and have never suffered any of the 'famous' side effects. This is NOT to play down those that have had problems, but the same can be said of Malarone. Many many people of my aquaintence have taken Larium without any problems at all. There is no doubt that some people are affected but many many more are not. As to the comments regarding not taking whilst pregnant, and contraception whilst on Larium, this is just common sense and clearly marked on the leaflets. ANY drug that goes into the blood stream will of course pass to a child in the womb and the same applies to Alcohol and Nicotine. My suggestion to those asking is "try a tablet" well ahead of your trip and this will give the opportunity to switch if you are one of the unlucky ones that do suffere a reaction. | M | 70 | 15 years | 5/25/2009 | 1 | travel to Brazil | dizziness, crazy dreams, vertigo, anxiety, mood swings | It sounds like either Malarone or doxycyclin (spelling?) would have been MUCH better. | F | 31 | 5 weeks | 5/7/2009 | 4 | 5 month stay in Ghana | Light nausea at times, usually just after taking the pill. | Had no effect on me, and wanted to add this comment for all the people still thinking about taking this drug. It works fine for many, and is bad for a few... it seems however that it is only the bad stories you hear.. Take it with caution, and follow your doctors instructions!! | M | 25 | 6 months | 4/2/2009 | 1 | Anti Maleria - March 1999 | Impending doom, dread, anxiety, paranoia, fear of death, nightmares, night sweats, depression & Nervous breakdown. | DOT NOT TAKE IT - It took 10 years of my life and have been on Anti depressants ever since that 5 day break. I changed my medication 2 months ago and by chance the side effects have finally gone. I suggest anyone who has had a similar experience for over 6 months should ask their GP / Doctor if they could try Cipralex 10 mg per day. It has finally given me my life back. Also I had a nervous breakdown soon after I took Lariam. I would gladly trade it for the slight chance of living with malaria 1000 times over. | M | 33 | 2 weeks | 4/2/2009 | 1 | Holiday to Turkey | Zombie like state,verbal response to questions but no physical movement, short term memory loss | Wife and I were prescribed Lariam as an anti malari drug for our holiday to Turkey in 1998. Thats when our lives changed for ever. I was not affected as far as I can tell but my wife was. While on holiday she became lathargic and slow. When we got home she was like a zombie. She seemed to stare into space and only speak when spoken to. I would say lets go out and she would reply yes but would not move. I would say come on and she would say I'm comming but just sit there. Took her to hospital where a brain scan revealed a problem on the front of her brain. Later a biopsy revealed the swelling of the blood vessels at the front of the brain which was pushing on the brain. The diagnosis was Cerebral Vasculitice. Doctors said it was probably caused by Larium but could not be 100% sure. At the time I did some research and found other stories related to Larium side effects. I cannot belive that people are still being subjected to Larium in 2009.She had to take very strong medication as well as other tablets to reduce the inflamation. She was not allowed to become pregnant whilst taking these medicines. We have been to hell and back and come through ok. Although I wish it never happened, my wife is lucky it was not worse. She has to take tablets for the rest of her life but its near as damn normal as we can make it. She holds a full time job and is doing OK. PLEASE DONT TAKE THIS DRUG AND IF A DOCTOR RECOMENDS IT, ASK - WOULD YOU TAKE IT? | F | 43 | 14 days | 3/16/2009 |