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  • Malaria Claims



    Anyone seen this? The comments below are a disgrace.
    I knew a simple soldier boy.....
    Who grinned at life in empty joy,
    Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
    And whistled early with the lark.

    In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
    With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
    He put a bullet through his brain.
    And no one spoke of him again.

    You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
    Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
    Sneak home and pray you'll never know
    The hell where youth and laughter go.

  • #2
    This will attract a lot of flak from an ill-informed public but **** em, the public in general rarely have a good word to say about the army anyway. Fair play to the lads involved for taking a stand. If there is compensation to be awarded they deserve every penny they get. I know first hand the horrible side-effects of this notorious drug and I have close personal friends whose lives have literally been irreversibly ruined by it. Marriages have broken down and families have been torn apart because of Lariam. And I would not be a bit surprised to find out the side-effects of Lariam have been a major factor in some suicides over the last few years.

    The minister answered a question in the dail from the Sinn Fein spokesperson for defence saying that every soldier is screened prior to deployment to ascertain their suitability for taking Lariam. What a joke!!! The only screening I ever got was 'If you dont take it, you're not going'. The army once again tried to cut corners and save money and now its going to come back and bite them in the arse big time.

    The guys involved in this and future actions against the state in relation to Lariam should have the full support of every member of the Defence Forces.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Tango_Charlie View Post
      I know first hand the horrible side-effects of this notorious drug and I have close personal friends whose lives have literally been irreversibly ruined by it. Marriages have broken down and families have been torn apart because of Lariam. And I would not be a bit surprised to find out the side-effects of Lariam have been a major factor in some suicides over the last few years.
      Wow... we have been using Lariam in the prescribed areas for a long time; While there was a lot of speculation of problems at first (20 years ago), it is now used without much controversy but the occasional person with side effects.

      I'm not saying this is the case all the time, but we have seen cases where guys were blaming Lariam for problems that were caused by other (personal) things.
      "On the plains of hesitation, bleach the bones of countless millions, who on the very dawn of victory, laid down to rest, and in resting died.

      Never give up!!"

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Jungle View Post

        I'm not saying this is the case all the time, but we have seen cases where guys were blaming Lariam for problems that were caused by other (personal) things.
        Unfortunately Jungle, we are going to see this element emerging over the next few months/years as well. Guys blaming lariam for underlying problems and guys who are just plain chancing their arm and looking for a few quid. These cowboys will demean and belittle the suffering of the genuine cases of which there are many. Certainy more than the ten stated in the independent article today.

        I am not a doctor but i genuinely believe I have developed some side-effects myself as a result of taking lariam (over and aggregate period of about 15 months, give or take). During my second trip to Chad I can definitely say i suffered adverse effects from the drug and the MO agreed with me and took me off it. With the exception of being left with a very poor memory none of these effects seem to have been permanent thank god. I would not however jump on the compo bandwagon with this as I think the guys who are going for it now deserve the best shot they can get at being fairly and adequately compensated for the states neglect of them.

        I'm the first guy to tell a fella to 'man-up' when he needs a kick in the arse, but to see a once happy-go-lucky, tackle all comers mate shrink into a shell of a man is deeply saddening when you think that it could have been avoided if the state hadn't farmed out our welfare to the lowest bidder.
        Last edited by Tango_Charlie; 3 June 2012, 22:00.

        Comment


        • #5
          Unfortunately the public remember the number of chancers that claimed Deafness compo, Lads openly

          boasted about blasting there ears out of it with there walkmans on the way to the likes of the Blackrock

          clinic for there hearing tests. So as far as the public are concerned it a case of "Hear we go again".

          Comment


          • #6
            Best of luck to the people taking the case. It's a pity that they have been forced to go down this route, but the DOD & MA have only themselves to blame for failing to respond adequately to the victims plights.
            Cry "havoc!", and let slip the dogs of war!

            Comment


            • #7
              we used Lariam when we were in Africa too.

              yeah there were side effects - like the weekly 'Lariam Lob-On' - 'getting wood' the day after some lads took it basically.

              there was other stuff - some liver problems too.

              but that's life - that's what happens in soldiering.

              i don't know of any of our guys suing the government over it though.
              Last edited by RoyalGreenJacket; 3 June 2012, 23:20.
              RGJ

              ...Once a Rifleman - Always a Rifleman... Celer et Audax

              The Rifles

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              • #8
                That may be what happens in soldiering, dosen't make it acceptable. Proper screening should've been taking place given the known advers affects associated with this drug. If the DOD failed to do this, they have to be held accountable, and unfortunately this looks like the only option left for these people.
                Cry "havoc!", and let slip the dogs of war!

                Comment


                • #9
                  loads of armies and other agencies used Lariam.

                  no drug is perfect.

                  i'm sure it prevented and protected far more than it ever harmed.

                  we've had tens of thousands of men and women take it - have the ex-DFI personnel suffered some more extreme side effects than others using the drug?

                  just wondering.
                  RGJ

                  ...Once a Rifleman - Always a Rifleman... Celer et Audax

                  The Rifles

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Probably not RGJ, but what was the MOD's response to its use in the UK? I do believe the US DOD has restricted its use on its own service men and woman.
                    Cry "havoc!", and let slip the dogs of war!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Worth Noting that the long time enemy of the Oglaigh na hEireann, SF/IRA has been formost in the support for this campaign to seek compensation for those who suffered side effects from Lariam use. One wonders if there is an agenda here.
                      RGJ, are you sre lariam is what your people use? Normally it is only given to those operating in equatorial regions.


                      Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by RoyalGreenJacket View Post

                        we've had tens of thousands of men and women take it - have the ex-DFI personnel suffered some more extreme side effects than others using the drug?

                        just wondering.
                        That depends, would you consider suicide an extreme side effect?
                        CRIME SCENE INSTIGATOR

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Goldie fish View Post
                          Worth Noting that the long time enemy of the Oglaigh na hEireann, SF/IRA has been formost in the support for this campaign to seek compensation for those who suffered side effects from Lariam use. One wonders if there is an agenda here.
                          RGJ, are you sre lariam is what your people use? Normally it is only given to those operating in equatorial regions.

                          When the shinners first started asking questions about Army taking Lariam, My first thoughts were they are out to discredit the Army in a round about

                          way, or they are on a commission from a certain firm of bottom feeders

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            The thing to remember about every drug is that they ALL have side effects and risks, and these have to be weighed up against the benefits.

                            I'm no expert in tropical medicine, but the thing that would have needed to be taken into account before prescribing an antimalarial prophylaxis on a large scale is whether the risk of catching malaria (and resulting long-term side-effects) was greater than the known side-effects of the drug. The risk assessment should have been done and would prove interesting reading.

                            (And I'm sure that whatever the facts of the case, the Shinners are just interested in sh1t-stirring)
                            Last edited by Flamingo; 4 June 2012, 00:54.
                            'He died who loved to live,' they'll say,
                            'Unselfishly so we might have today!'
                            Like hell! He fought because he had to fight;
                            He died that's all. It was his unlucky night.
                            http://www.salamanderoasis.org/poems...nnis/luck.html

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              An anti-malarial drug that has been withdrawn from routine use by the U.S. military because of concerns about potentially dangerous side-effects continues to be prescribed to Canadian troops serving in malaria-prone regions.


                              An article regarding Lariam's use and it's side effects.

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