Some Taking Chloroquine Have Serious Side Effects, Including Psychosis
Nadia Ramlagan, Public News Service – AR
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Some experts warn chloroquine and
hydroxychloroquine, recently authorized by the Food and Drug
Administration to treat COVID-19, can trigger serious psychiatric
effects.
Dr. Remington Nevin, a physician, epidemiologist and faculty associate
in the Department of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins University, says studies have shown that in some people the drugs can trigger a range of neurological side effects, including psychosis, depression, paranoia and anxiety.
Nevin says mental health disorders potentially could skyrocket if large segments of the population begin taking the drugs.
“If we are going to proceed down this road, at the very least, we should
ensure the public is aware of the drug’s dangers,” he stresses. “Use of
this drug on a wide scale will result in an increase in mental illness
in the population.”
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine emerged during World War II as a way
to prevent soldiers from contracting malaria spread by mosquitoes.
President Donald Trump consistently has made statements supporting use
of the drugs for treating people infected with the new coronavirus.
Nevin adds the negative psychiatric effects experienced by individuals
taking chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have been documented in small
case studies.
“So again, these drugs are what we call idiosyncratic neurotoxins,” he
explains. “Which means that some people tolerate them perfectly well,
without any side effects, whereas others are particularly sensitive to
these effects.”
It’s also unclear if the antimalarials are effective against COVID-19.
One study by French researchers found hydroxychloroquine had no apparent effect on the immune system’s ability to get rid of the virus.
The findings conflict with other studies from Wuhan, China showing that in some patients with mild infections, hydroxychloroquine appeared to reduce their symptoms.
