LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Texans can now legally buy Ivermectin over the counter, thanks to House Bill 25, but Dr. Ron Cook warns that the drug can be dangerous if used inappropriately.
Dr. Ron Cook is Texas Tech Health Sciences Center’s Chief Health Officer. He says there’s a reason why animals, as well as humans, take this drug.
“Ivermectin is originally formulated as an anti-parasitic,” Cook said. “It’s a de-wormer that we use in animals and in humans for certain kinds of roundworm so they get rid of the infection because they can cause problems if they stay around.”
Ivermectin comes in two forms, as a paste and as a pill. Cook says the difference between the two is extremely important when it comes to your health.
“We have to be very careful about using it in humans because we have different metabolism pathways to get rid of the drug.”
While Ivermectin has been around since the 1970’s, it became a popular drug for some to combat COVID-19.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the average number of outpatient retail pharmacy prescriptions of Ivermectin per week from pre-COVID compared to the first week of January 2021 jumped from roughly 3,600 to 39,000.
“There have plenty of studies now, large studies, that show that Ivermectin does not work for COVID, period. It just doesn’t work.”
With people being able to buy Ivermectin pills over the counter thanks to House Bill 25, Dr. Cook has some concerns.
“It can cause low blood pressure, it can cause seizures and in some cases, even death,” Cook said. “If given inappropriately for the wrong dose for the wrong amount of time, it can cause serious problems.”
Cook does believe Ivermectin can be a safe and effective drug but that means whoever purchases it must use it as intended.
“Let’s make sure we take it for the right reasons and not just take it free will for anything like, I have a cold, let’s take it for that, or I think I have the flu, let’s take it for that,” Cook said. “Let’s take it for the right reason for the right amount of time for the right strength.”
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