Hacker News Reader

Comment by 0xy | Hacker News Reader

Sorry, but calling it "horse deworming medication" is inflamatory, not to mention incorrect. [1]

Ivermectin has been approved by the FDA for human usage. [1] Claiming ivermectin is a drug for animals exclusively is a falsehood.

Is ivermectin known to cure or heal COVID? Absolutely unproven. But your misrepresentations are just as bad as anyone claiming it's a COVID miracle cure.

Stop fighting misinformation with misinformation, you're not better than them. You're lying.

[1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ivermectin-covid-19-a...

View on HN

> Sorry, but calling it "horse deworming medication" is inflamatory, not to mention incorrect.

I did not claim it was exclusively for horses. What I have been reading (and perhaps can be clarified) is that they have been buying doses specifically meant for horses and then they wind up at the ER.

Also, if you are going to accuse someone of lying and cite the FDA (but only link to the Canadian CDC). Please read carefully.

From the FDA:

'Ivermectin Products for Animals Are Different from Ivermectin Products for People

For one thing, animal drugs are often highly concentrated because they are used for large animals like horses and cows, which weigh a lot more than we do—a ton or more. Such high doses can be highly toxic in humans. Moreover, the FDA reviews drugs not just for safety and effectiveness of the active ingredients, but also for the inactive ingredients. Many inactive ingredients found in products for animals aren’t evaluated for use in people. Or they are included in much greater quantity than those used in people. In some cases, we don’t know how those inactive ingredients will affect how ivermectin is absorbed in the human body.'

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-shoul...

>I did not claim it was exclusively for horses

Nope, you only strongly implied it. Ivermectin is not a livestock drug. Ivermectin has been used for 50 years in humans and is approved for that purpose. Ivermectin is not a "livestock drug" anymore than steroids are a "chicken drug".

Doesn't mean it's safe at animal doses, but it does mean you're being inflamatory, misleading and fueling misinformation on this topic (to the detriment of people who actually need the drug).

Here's the phrase you used: "horse deworming medication". You also falsely implied the CDC warned people not to take it in any circumstance, which seems to hint at your lack of knowledge on ivermectin. Consider not jumping on misinformation bandwagons, because you're making this all worse.

Wrong. It's entirely correct to say "The CDC and more are already reaching out urging people not to take a horse deworming medication". People are picking up horse deworming medication off the shelf, and taking it. That's exactly what's the driving the overdoses.

Ivermectin prescriptions are harder to overdose on because they're meant for human consumption and the doctor and pharmacist list the safe dosage. So yes, human ivermectin is safer(at normal deworming dosage), even if not proven to be effective for Covid. Horse deworming medication not meant for human consumption is dangerous for humans, there is a way higher chance of overdose.

I haven't seen you or anyone cite a source that shows that particular product is the primary source of ivermectin overdoses. In my area, people are obtaining ivermectin pills which are marketed and intended for humans.

So, again, calling it "horse deworming medication" is inflamatory and incorrect.

In addition, it's not inherently more dangerous given the cases. You can dose either product incorrectly, or correctly.

Also, by using such narrow terminology aren't you implying it's okay to take ivermectin pills intended for humans for a purpose it has not been approved for?

Your language is designed to be incendiary, and its effects are horrible. Human people need ivermectin. It is an incredibly useful drug for humans. Stop demonising it with a broad stroke based on mass media campaigns (the same mass media that spread the lie that masks were ineffective in early 2020).

> But your misrepresentations are just as bad as anyone claiming it's a COVID miracle cure.

Nah. It's a harmless mistake at worst compared to a very harmful and invalid claim.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com