Dizziness and Balance Problems
Lariam toxicity often produces dizziness and other vestibular symptoms.
Vestibular Fact Sheet (PDF, 100K)
It Just Takes Practice: Train Your Mind And You Can Train Your Body - To Hop Or Dance Or Even Perform A Balancing Act Like This, by Scott McCredie, Special to The Washington Post (October 2007; PDF, 30K)
Preserving a Fundamental Sense: Balance, by Jane E. Brodie, New York Times (January 2008; PDF, 50K)
2006 research finds mefloquine to be a neurotoxin that causes brain damage:
Mefloquine Induces Dose-Related Neurological Effects in a Rat Model. GS Dow et al., Walter Reed Army Institute of Medical Research (WRAIR), March 2006. This study documents that at treatment levels, the concentration of mefloquine in the bloodstream (reached in women after the 4th or 5th preventive dose) "caused degeneration of specific brain stem nuclei."
The Vestibular Disorders Association (VEDA)
According to VEDA:
"The most frequently reported symptoms of vestibular disorders are dizziness, unsteadiness or imbalance when walking, vertigo, and nausea. These symptoms may be quite mild, lasting minutes, or quite severe, resulting in total disability.
"Because the vestibular system interacts with many other parts of the nervous system, symptoms may also be experienced as problems with vision, muscles, and thinking, and memory.
"In addition, people with vestibular disorders may suffer headache and muscular aches in the neck and back, increased tendency to suffer from motion sickness, and increased sensitivity to noise and bright lights. Patients with vestibular disorders often report fatigue and loss of stamina and an inability to concentrate. Difficulty with reading and speech may occur during times of fatigue. When these symptoms are constant and disabling, they may be accompanied by irritability, loss of self-esteem, and/or depression."
- VEDA
Risks for Scuba Divers
Lariam can be dangerous for scuba divers.
Lariam (mefloquine) is an anti-malarial drug used in regions of the world where chloroquine resistant falciparum malaria is prevalent. e.g. East Africa, South East Asia.
Possible side effects of lariam such as dizziness, blurred vision and a disturbed sense of balance are common and could cause problems for divers.
These effects can often imitate or even worsen the symptoms of DCI (decompression illness). There could also be confusion between the side effects of lariam and the symptoms of DCI or nitrogen narcosis resulting in a misleading diagnosis.
Therefore, lariam must not be taken by persons intending to take part in scuba diving.
The manufacturers of lariam recommend that it should not be taken by persons who carry out tasks demanding fine co-ordination and spatial discrimination, including scuba diving. If lariam is taken, these persons should refrain from such activities during and for at least three weeks following use.
Tinnitus
Lariam toxicity sometimes causes tinnitus (ringing in your ears).