Professional Soldiers ® - View Single Post - Mefloquine (Lariam) for anti-malaria prevention

Navy Flier · 07-28-2012, 20:01

Badger 52,

Be advised that that local VA's across the country are still coming up to speed on what the WRIISC is doing. It is highly probable that your friend's local primary care physician(PCP) may need to contact Josette and the intake team at the New Jersey WRIISC at 800-248-8005 to get educated on what is being done there. The formal assessment will be perfromed in New Jersey once the local VA PCP give the referral to be sent there. That is the procedure so far and the otehr vets have not had any issue so far. VA has been paying the travel expenses of the other vets who have been sent out there.

I tell all the vets who come to me for assistance to not bring up the drug at first....except when they are calling the WRIISC in New Jersey.

If a vet is having a vertigo problem, I direct them to a neurotologist and a neuro-optometrist. As Eagle5US infers, I tell them specifically to talk about thier symptoms and not about any possible cause and let the docs sort it out since there are many other conditions(TBI, Meneire's disease, etc.) that can cause vertigo. It is important they be screen for all of those. It is just my experience that 100% of those who I have directed to these two types of docs who also said they only took mefloquine with no other contributing factors were then diagnosed with central vestibular damage and eye damage.

...in fact one of the first questions I ask anyone who calls me is if they were in the proximity of any bomb blasts. If they were, I tell them to tell that to the docs first. Maybe down the road they can tell them about the drug if they took it. The treatment for TBI is pretty much the same and a lot more recognized. The docs will intake them a lot faster. That is what I am all about anyway...getting these people treated...

My goal is to get the VA fully up to speed. Right now, today, I am quite relieved that all I have to do now is point vets to the New Jersey WRIISC, and the active duty to Balboa, or Bethesda. As the phone calls for help die off, I can then disappear.....which I will gladly do.

07-28-2012, 20:01	#17
Navy Flier BANNED USER Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: southern california Posts: 9	Badger 52, Be advised that that local VA's across the country are still coming up to speed on what the WRIISC is doing. It is highly probable that your friend's local primary care physician(PCP) may need to contact Josette and the intake team at the New Jersey WRIISC at 800-248-8005 to get educated on what is being done there. The formal assessment will be perfromed in New Jersey once the local VA PCP give the referral to be sent there. That is the procedure so far and the otehr vets have not had any issue so far. VA has been paying the travel expenses of the other vets who have been sent out there. I tell all the vets who come to me for assistance to not bring up the drug at first....except when they are calling the WRIISC in New Jersey. If a vet is having a vertigo problem, I direct them to a neurotologist and a neuro-optometrist. As Eagle5US infers, I tell them specifically to talk about thier symptoms and not about any possible cause and let the docs sort it out since there are many other conditions(TBI, Meneire's disease, etc.) that can cause vertigo. It is important they be screen for all of those. It is just my experience that 100% of those who I have directed to these two types of docs who also said they only took mefloquine with no other contributing factors were then diagnosed with central vestibular damage and eye damage. ...in fact one of the first questions I ask anyone who calls me is if they were in the proximity of any bomb blasts. If they were, I tell them to tell that to the docs first. Maybe down the road they can tell them about the drug if they took it. The treatment for TBI is pretty much the same and a lot more recognized. The docs will intake them a lot faster. That is what I am all about anyway...getting these people treated... My goal is to get the VA fully up to speed. Right now, today, I am quite relieved that all I have to do now is point vets to the New Jersey WRIISC, and the active duty to Balboa, or Bethesda. As the phone calls for help die off, I can then disappear.....which I will gladly do.
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