Editing Ivermectin

Ivermectin may be difficult to get due to the politics surrounding it. While some countries mass distribute it to citizens for COVID early treatment (and/or prevention), other countries have made the drug illegal for COVID treatment. It is possible that ivermectin suddenly becomes very difficult to get. For that reason, if you might want to use ivermectin in the future, you may want to get some ivermectin now in case it becomes really hard to get on short notice.

== Ivermectin uses for long haulers ==

* Treatment of long haul COVID and vaccine injury
* Prevention of COVID if taken regularly (prophylaxis).
* Early and late treatment of COVID.

== Safety ==

Mainstream media tends to spread misinformation about ivermectin, occasionally referring to the drug as “horse dewormer”. The drug has been used in both humans and horses. The drug is FDA approved for humans (Stromectrol, Soolantra) and is on the WHO list of essential medicines.

The academic literature has some papers saying that the drug may not necessarily be safe in pregnant women. Chris Martenson has a deep dive into the drug’s safety [https://youtu.be/ATiX0-2PEr4 on Youtube]. He argues that the drug is safe in pregnant women because it has been used widely in pregnant mothers without issues. You may wish to do your own research to figure out whether or not the drug is safe for pregnancy.

As with any drug, there can be side effects. WebMd has [https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-1122/ivermectin-oral/details a list of side effects]. Tell your doctor right away if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur:

* neck/back pain
* swelling face/arms/hands/feet
* chest pain
* fast heartbeat
* confusion
* seizures
* loss of consciousness.

Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.

You may be less likely to die from ivermectin than Tylenol. The WHO’s side effect reporting database can be accessed at [http://www.vigiaccess.org/ vigiAccess.org]. Deaths are reported under Adverse Drug Reactions –&gt; General disorders. Ivermectin has 21 deaths associated with it while Tylenol has 3811, Remdesivir has 557, and Covid vaccines have 10578. (These deaths ''may'' be caused by the drug but aren’t necessarily caused by the drug. There are many deaths where doctors aren’t sure about the cause of death.)

Veterinary ivermectin can contain problematic ingredients, so please research it carefully.

== How to get ivermectin ==

Some countries like Mexico sell the drug over the counter. If you are within driving distance, this is one of the easiest options.

Another good option is to get a prescription from a doctor. The FLCCC website has [https://covid19criticalcare.com/network-support/the-flccc-alliance/ a directory of doctors] that are friendly to the protocol. Specific telemedicine services in the US like Push Health and MyFreeDoctor.com have doctors willing to prescribe the drug. However, you will also need to find a pharmacy willing to fill the prescription. If you have problems, the FLCCC website has [https://covid19criticalcare.com/pharmacies/ a list of online pharmacies] that will fill your script.

You can search the [https://www.reddit.com/r/ivermectin/search/?q=myfreedoctor&restrict_sr=1 r/ivermectin subreddit] for the name of your country for country-specific details on obtaining ivermectin. For example, Americans can use the GoodRX website to lower the cost of their prescription.

Another option is to buy veterinary ivermectin. While it is cheap and often does not require a prescription, some websites like FarmersFarmacy will cancel your order if they see that you are using a non-rural address. There may also be ivermectin shortages due to supply/demand. Rural stores like Tractor Supply will sell horse paste if you are willing to drive hours to get ivermectin on short notice.

You can buy ivermectin from foreign countries like India, e.g. Indiamart.com, medicinevilla.com. However, one researcher found that all of the pills he sourced from India contained undisclosed active ingredients- see [http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/view/13210/9742 this paper]. Indian pharmacies may be unable to ship to Canada and Australia. The paper states that Biomec12 from Bangladesh did not contain undisclosed active ingredients.

The FLCCC website has [https://covid19criticalcare.com/pharmacies/ a list of online pharmacies] that will sell ivermectin without a prescription. However, many of those websites don’t state the brand of generic ivermectin being sold and its country of origin. [http://medixpharma.com.mx/eng/item/2428/veridex-ivermectin-2tab-6mg This Mexican pharmacy] sells ivermectin made in Mexico.

== Veterinary ivermectin ==

Veterinary ivermectin can sometimes be much cheaper and/or easier to obtain if there isn't a current shortage of veterinary ivermectin. However, it is regulated differently and is NOT the same as regular human ivermectin. Do not buy anything with “Gold”, “plus”, “extra”, “super”, or “pour on” in the name- these contain ingredients that you should not be eating. For example, ivermectin is often combined with another anti-parasite drug and there is no need for you to take that other drug.

If you only want a few or several doses of veterinary ivermectin, horse paste is a good choice. Some manufacturers disclose the ingredients to their product. You can find safety sheets for a particular brand by doing a web engine search for brand name + list of excipients. Here are some brands that are relevant:

* Bimectin horse paste is available in US and Canada. Ingredients list [https://www.nesanimalhealth.co.uk/ekmps/shops/3046b1/resources/Other/bimectin-spc-131098-2-.pdf here]: ivermectin, Maize Oil, Polysorbate 80, Apple Flavour, Silica Colloidal Anhydrous.
* Eqvalan is available in the US and Canada. Ingredients list [https://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/?id=-453450&template=template_printview here]: Ivermectin, Titanium dioxide (E171), Hyprolose, Hydrogenated castor oil, Propylene glycol
* Nexmectin is available in the UK. Nexmectin [https://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/productinformationdatabase/files/SPC_Documents/SPC_1640157.PDF ingredients] are: ivermectin, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Titanium Dioxide (E171), Propylene Glycol.

All of these ingredients are used in human food except for ivermectin.

=== The injectable version (for eating, NOT injection) ===

Another veterinary option is the injectable form of ivermectin, which can be cheaper if you are buying large quantities of ivermectin. It is less convenient than human pills and horse paste. 

Injectable ivermectin usually contains an ingredient that sees very little use in humans: glycerol formal. It is used in a single human medicine (Apotel). You probably should not ingest glycerol formal if you are pregnant as it may be teratogenic- we have very little experience with it in humans. Like alcohol, glycerol formal [https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/mrl-report/glycerol-formal-summary-report-committee-veterinary-medicinal-products_en.pdf causes birth defects in test animals in high doses].

This ivermectin will come in a bottle designed to be used with syringes, so buy a box of 3mL to 25mL syringes. Any gauge and needle length should be fine. [https://youtu.be/VRypa9gjTPE This Youtube video] demonstrates aseptic technique for getting the liquid out of the bottle. You can buy rubbing/cleaning alcohol at dollar stores like Dollarama and at pharmacies. For sharps disposal, use any plastic jug/bottle and store used syringes there. If you want, you can take used syringes to a place that disposes biohazardous waste for free (e.g. a pharmacy).

Some veterinary ivermectin comes in a bottle that is ''not'' designed for aseptic technique.  You may find it helpful to remove the inner cap so that you can insert a syringe all the way into the bottle.

==== Ingredients in injectable ivermectin ====

These brands:
* Ivomec Classic ([https://www.hpra.ie/img/uploaded/swedocuments/Licence_VPA10454-064-001_27072018161334.pdf data sheet])
* Ivomec by Merial / Boehringer Ingelheim ([https://datasheets.scbt.com/sc-359308.pdf data sheet])
* Bimeda / Bimectin Injection ([https://datasheets.scbt.com/sc-359309_mfr.pdf data sheet])
* Promectin ([https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/getFile.cfm?setid=6155fed6-e6b9-4120-8cf9-80e9a23f0764&type=pdf&name=6155fed6-e6b9-4120-8cf9-80e9a23f0764 webpage])
* Panomec Injection ([https://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/productinformationdatabase/files/SPC_Documents/SPC_136088.PDF data sheet]) 
contain Glycerol formal, Propylene Glycol, and Ivermectin.

This brand:
* Noromectin ([https://docetp.mpa.se/LMF/Noromectin%20vet.%20solution%20for%20injection%20ENG%20SmPC_09001bee807a59e9.pdf data sheet]) 
contains Thiodipropionic acid, N-propyl gallate, Disodium edetate, Glycerol Formal, Polyethylene Glycol / Macrogol 200

== Allergy information ==

Both human and veterinary ivermectin contain potential allergens. I will list allergens below. Read the unbolded parts if you happen to be allergic.

* '''Ivermectin''' - If you turn out to be allergic to ivermectin, you should probably stop using it.
* '''Wheat, corn starch''' - occasionally found in human medications, which often do not disclose their ingredients. Horse pastes contain vegetable oils like maize oil, which is like corn. Stromectol, ivermectin made by Merck, contains “pregelatinized starch” according to [https://www.merck.ca/static/pdf/STROMECTOL-PM_E.pdf the product monograph]; it contains pregelatinized maize starch and is gluten free according to [https://www.nps.org.au/medicine-finder/stromectol-blister-pack-tablets this webpage].
* '''Propylene Glycol''' - found in some horse pastes and injectable veterinary ivermectin.
* '''Polyethylene Glycol and polysorbate''' - Found in some vaccines, horse pastes, and injectable ivermectin.
* '''Vaccines''' - Some vaccines like the mRNA COVID vaccines contain polyethlene glycol, so see the previous information on that chemical.

== Dosage calculator ==

Figure out your target dosage based on a protocol like the FLCCC protocol. A dosage calculator is available through [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18fgfDtf_ws2vUw52jomoPSFUvVZsF1MotNXj26PZhNk/edit?usp=sharing this Google sheet]. Simply go to File –&gt; Make a Copy and then enter in your weight and target dosing.

Example: for horse paste and the most common dosage (0.2mg/kg), you would use your weight and follow the weight markings on the tube of horse paste.