TonyM
11 September 2000, 14:48
British troops risk brain damage from malaria pill
Special report: Sierra Leone
Paul Harris
Sunday September 10, 2000
British soldiers trying to free hostages in Sierra Leone are suffering nightmares and hallucinations linked to a powerful anti-malaria pill blamed for causing permanent brain damage.
Mefloquine, which is given to tourists and travellers under the name Lariam, has been prescribed to members of the Parachute Regiment in the war-torn West African state, even though other international forces have banned its use after troops went on the rampage and tortured local people.
Some medical experts believe the drug can cause heartbeat abnormalities, mood disturbances, hallucinations and convulsions.
An Army source told The Observer that some British soldiers serving in Sierra Leone were suffering nightmares and that many disliked taking the pill. Three months ago Lance Corporal Kristian Shelmerdine of the Parachute Regiment shot himself in the arm in an accident he claimed was triggered by the drug. He said he could remember nothing about the shooting apart from experiencing vivid dreams and waking with a bullet wound. An Army investigation found him guilty of negligent discharge, but at least one Army doctor thinks mefloquine could be responsible.
There have been other cases involving British troops and Lariam in recent years. Former paratrooper Steve Pratt was given a war pension after suffering adverse reactions to the drug, and Sergeant Colin Murray of the Royal Engineers blamed mefloquine for an incident in Nairobi, Kenya, when he bit off the nose of a colleague in a bar-room brawl. Murray was initially court-martialled, but the case was later dismissed at appeal on technical grounds.
'The potential side-effects from mefloquine are of serious concern. There are alternatives that do not carry the same degree of risk,' said Jeanne Less of Lariam Action USA, a group co-ordinating legal suits filed against the drug in the US.
Roche, the Swiss manufacturer, says all drugs have some form of side-effects and that mefloquine has been stringently tested. It is extremely effective against malaria, and the company points out that serious side-effects are rare.
Wing-Commander Andy Green, an Army expert on malaria, said any soldiers reacting to the drug would be taken off it, but it was still the best preventative.
Australian peacekeepers in East Timor take doxycyline, which is also effective against malaria and has fewer side-effects. But it requires daily use, unlike mefloquine, which is taken once a week.
Mefloquine was at the centre of an inquiry into the behaviour of Canadian peacekeepers in Somalia in 1993 after they beat, tortured and shot Somalis. An inquiry concluded that mefloquine 'could have been a factor in the behaviour of some troops'.
Despite such incidents, many experts in Britain believe the small risk of taking the drug is far outweighed by the potentially lethal chance of contracting malaria. There are an estimated 100 million cases of malaria annually and it is responsible for more than two million deaths a year.
In Britain, Lariam is still prescribed by many doctors for anyone travelling into a malaria area. Joanna Hensler, 32, who took the drug before a trip to Kenya in 1996 believes it has almost destroyed her life. She developed dizziness, insomnia and eventually became paranoid and suicidal.
'I am certain it was Lariam,' she said. 'I took the pill at night and woke up feeling confused and numb. From then on my life changed.'
paul.harris@observer.co.uk
Special report: Sierra Leone
Paul Harris
Sunday September 10, 2000
British soldiers trying to free hostages in Sierra Leone are suffering nightmares and hallucinations linked to a powerful anti-malaria pill blamed for causing permanent brain damage.
Mefloquine, which is given to tourists and travellers under the name Lariam, has been prescribed to members of the Parachute Regiment in the war-torn West African state, even though other international forces have banned its use after troops went on the rampage and tortured local people.
Some medical experts believe the drug can cause heartbeat abnormalities, mood disturbances, hallucinations and convulsions.
An Army source told The Observer that some British soldiers serving in Sierra Leone were suffering nightmares and that many disliked taking the pill. Three months ago Lance Corporal Kristian Shelmerdine of the Parachute Regiment shot himself in the arm in an accident he claimed was triggered by the drug. He said he could remember nothing about the shooting apart from experiencing vivid dreams and waking with a bullet wound. An Army investigation found him guilty of negligent discharge, but at least one Army doctor thinks mefloquine could be responsible.
There have been other cases involving British troops and Lariam in recent years. Former paratrooper Steve Pratt was given a war pension after suffering adverse reactions to the drug, and Sergeant Colin Murray of the Royal Engineers blamed mefloquine for an incident in Nairobi, Kenya, when he bit off the nose of a colleague in a bar-room brawl. Murray was initially court-martialled, but the case was later dismissed at appeal on technical grounds.
'The potential side-effects from mefloquine are of serious concern. There are alternatives that do not carry the same degree of risk,' said Jeanne Less of Lariam Action USA, a group co-ordinating legal suits filed against the drug in the US.
Roche, the Swiss manufacturer, says all drugs have some form of side-effects and that mefloquine has been stringently tested. It is extremely effective against malaria, and the company points out that serious side-effects are rare.
Wing-Commander Andy Green, an Army expert on malaria, said any soldiers reacting to the drug would be taken off it, but it was still the best preventative.
Australian peacekeepers in East Timor take doxycyline, which is also effective against malaria and has fewer side-effects. But it requires daily use, unlike mefloquine, which is taken once a week.
Mefloquine was at the centre of an inquiry into the behaviour of Canadian peacekeepers in Somalia in 1993 after they beat, tortured and shot Somalis. An inquiry concluded that mefloquine 'could have been a factor in the behaviour of some troops'.
Despite such incidents, many experts in Britain believe the small risk of taking the drug is far outweighed by the potentially lethal chance of contracting malaria. There are an estimated 100 million cases of malaria annually and it is responsible for more than two million deaths a year.
In Britain, Lariam is still prescribed by many doctors for anyone travelling into a malaria area. Joanna Hensler, 32, who took the drug before a trip to Kenya in 1996 believes it has almost destroyed her life. She developed dizziness, insomnia and eventually became paranoid and suicidal.
'I am certain it was Lariam,' she said. 'I took the pill at night and woke up feeling confused and numb. From then on my life changed.'
paul.harris@observer.co.uk