UPI: "A Naval Reserve commander who volunteered for the Iraq war says the military doctored his medical file to eliminate all traces of an anti-malaria drug that he believes made him severely ill, suicidal and aggressive, and that he has the before and after evidence to prove it."
The drug in question, lariam, has been around for years to fight malaria. Lariam's maker says it's safe -- with only mild "neuropsychiatric events such as headache, somnolence, and sleep disorders." Others contend that the drug made them feel downright crazy.
THERE'S MORE: "Ten more Marines and sailors who were in Liberia last month are being hospitalized with symptoms of malaria, bringing to 43 the number of suspected cases among those who participated in the mission," the Associated Press reports. "The 43 represent nearly a third of the 150 who went ashore to assist West African peacekeepers."
AND MORE: "I took Lariam when I went to Africa," writes Defense Tech pal Victor Ozols. "The shit gave me nightmares and rough sleep. Didn't make me crazy, though. It is sad, though, that Lariam is the best drug we've got vs. malaria. Most of the people I met working in Africa say they'd rather suffer malaria than Lariam, and thus they use bug spray to avoid the problem altogether."
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