Originally Posted by
johngreen
I will add my name to the list of people who have found themselves having extremely disturbing reactions that have some connection with taking Larium. It is however curious that the literature I read around the time and after the event (A trip to Malawi about 20 years ago) did observe that the negative reactions reported by many Europeans was far higher by percentage than the negative reactions reported by North Americans.
This apparent anomaly was not effectively explained but there was some suggestion that many users were visiting severe third world conditions for the first time and that this emotional shock was considerably exacerbated by the chemical nature of the drug.
I certainly wouldn't claim to have ever been one of the worlds outstanding optimists and I was under some personal duress at the time of the trip but the depth of depression (I'm using that word as a shortcut to describe the effect) I experienced was quite severe enough for me to easily relate to the experience of this poor girl upon which this thread is based.
It was also apparent at the time that I was not alone in having such a negative reaction to the drug, the circumstances or both.
As it happened, I stopped taking the pills (taken than as a once a week tablet while there and for a couple of weeks before and then after the period of exposure) prematurely and soon after upon my eventual return to Australia, ended up coming very close to death being very reluctant to acknowledge that the un-wellness I was experiencing which turned out to be fulciparum malaria!
Needless to say, though the whole affair was a hugely difficult and disturbing experience, I have long since reflected back upon it with considerable pleasure and appreciation. There were some very bright moments within the darkness.
But I also do consider myself somewhat lucky to have survived...
Add me also.
A big night out in Cape Town and we missed a dose of the Larium pills, so we did a double dose just before the flight to Malawi - never took another pill.
Kept a supply of Artenam soon after. Never needed it but one guy did, and it worked very well.