'Never use medications intended for animals on yourself' Louisiana Dept. Health advises against use of ivermectin for prevention of COVID-19

Baton Rouge, La. (KLFY)The Louisiana Department of Health issued a strong warning Wednesday advising against the use of ivermectin for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.

According to LDH, Ivermectin is commonly used in animals to treat or prevent parasites and has not been approved by the FDA for cases of COVID-19.

LDH issued the warning following multiple reports of patients who have required medical support and been hospitalized after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for horses.

"Using any treatment for COVID-19 that is not approved or authorized by the FDA, unless part of a clinical trial, can cause serious harm," LDH said.

"Large doses of ivermectin, such as those intended for horses, can be highly toxic in humans and cause serious harm."

Although Ivermectin tablets are approved at very specific doses for some parasitic worms in humans, as well as topical treatments for head lice and skin conditions like rosacea, LDH advises users to "be safe and do not take ivermectin unless you have a prescription for an FDA-approved use, get it from a legitimate source and take it exactly as prescribed for the condition it was prescribed for."

"Never use medications intended for animals on yourself. Ivermectin preparations for animals are very different from those approved for humans."    

"I know people are concerned about the Delta variant and our recent COVID surge and may have questions," said Dr. Joseph Kanter.

"Please beware of misinformation online including around ivermectin. The FDA has not approved or authorized ivermectin for preventing or treating cases of COVID-19. If you want to prevent COVID-19, get the COVID-19 vaccine. All three vaccines are safe and effective, all three were authorized by the FDA, and Pfizer was just approved by the FDA for those 16 years old and above."