Ivermectin: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

All medications have both positive and negative side effects. Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug that is used to treat ailments such as heartworm disease and river blindness, falls into this category of medications just like all the others do, but it has some negative side effects that are more serious than most others. If you’re interested in learning more about ivermectin, this article will cover everything you need to know about it, including its positive and negative aspects.

Ivermectin for Humans

Beneficial & Harmful Uses of Ivermectin for Humans. Ivermectin was originally developed to treat parasites in animals like dogs, cows, horses and other livestock. However, because it was shown to be safe for use in humans by accident (because of a horse meat-based treatment), it has become one of many popular treatments for certain diseases in people. Today I’ll go over ivermectin beneficial uses as well as some of its harmful effects on humans.

How Effective Is Ivermectin?

If you're like most people and want to avoid taking medication in any form (even over-the-counter), you might be tempted to wonder just how effective is ivermectin for humans. It turns out that you may be surprised. Ivermectin is a popular treatment for scabies, a skin infection caused by mites or other arthropods. Scabies can range from mildly irritating to utterly disabling; if you have it on your scalp or face, finding relief may be of paramount importance. And research shows that ivermectin is effective at treating both scabies as well as ear mites in dogs — though there are plenty of anecdotal reports of it working on cats as well.

Side Effects

As with any drug or medication, there are some side effects to be aware of. Ivermectin can cause vomiting in a very small number of people who take it. It may also cause increased heart rate or racing heartbeat in rare cases. Fortunately, Ivermectin doesn’t have any dangerous interactions with other drugs or medications that people commonly use. Anyone taking Ivermectin should avoid drinking alcohol—it can amplify its side effects on top of making you feel sick if taken together. It's also recommended not to take it if you're pregnant; always speak with your doctor before taking a new medication!

When can you Use It Again?

Ivermectin is an active ingredient in many heartworm preventatives. It acts as a prophylactic to prevent heartworm infections in dogs. But Ivermectin has had its share of controversy since it was discovered in 1975. Approved for human use in 1986, ivermectin first found widespread usage in livestock (beef cattle) to prevent parasites that carry diseases such as Sheep Bloat (also known as pulpy kidney disease), Border Disease and East Coast Fever. In 1993 nearly 30 million pounds of ivermectin were used on U.S. cattle alone!

Can You Get Sick From Taking Too Much?

When you first start taking a medication that is supposed to treat worms, you may notice some side effects. These are usually short-term ivermectin side effects and they should pass within a few days as your body gets used to the medicine. However, there are certain long-term ivermectin side effects that could appear if you take too much of it or neglect treatment for an extended period of time.