The ivermectin influencer who spent years pushing the veterinary medical treatment as a cure-all to stave off ailments from coronavirus to cancer has died.
The cause? Ivermectin.
Danny Lemoi passed away shortly before 7 a.m. on March 3 from side effects related to long-time use of the horse dewormer.
“HAPPY FRIDAY ALL YOU POISONOUS HORSE PASTE EATING SURVIVORS !!!” he wrote on the Telegram group, Dirt Road Discussions.
It would be his last post.
According to Vice News, Lemoi used ivermectin daily over the past decade, after being diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012.
“Danny was fully convinced that his heart had regenerated after his incident with Lyme disease that almost ended in congestive heart failure,” Dirt Road’s administrators wrote after his death. “All of his other organs were unremarkable. This was determined to be a death by unfortunate natural causes.”
Side effects from the use of ivermectin can be brutal.
“I am very new to this,” a user also suffering from Lyme disease wrote after being on Bimectin paste for less than three weeks. “I have severe cheese pain. Costochondritis symptoms. Air hunger, internal tremors, brain fog, headaches on the back of my head, anxiety, depression, doom, and gloominess,” they continued.
Animals who ingest large doses of the drug have experienced seizures, heart and lung problems – even coma. Complaints from ivermectin users who followed Lemoi’s advice were dismissed.
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“I’m 4 months now and all hell’s breaking loose,” one user wrote. “All pain has hit my waist down with sciatic, shin splints, restless leg syndrome, tight sore calves.”
“It feels like some pain in the bones,” they added.
Lemoi attempted to deflect from the health issues experienced by his followers — claiming that the side effects were “herxing,” which is a negative reaction to the treatment of Lyme disease with antibiotics.
The ivermectin influencer’s impact on those who looked to him for advice was evident in the deluded testimonials of anti-vaccination, pro-horse-paste users.
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“My wife has been taking ivermectin for 3 months. She is being treated for autoimmune hepatitis, thyroid, and vertebrae issues,” another user wrote on Telegram. “She has had some serious HERXING.”
The user added that his wife was experiencing vomiting, severe stomach pain, and migraines.
The Food and Drug Administration has continuously warned of the potentially toxic effects of human consumption of ivermectin.
According to a study by the Missouri Poison Center, ivermectin has not been proven as a combatant to the coronavirus, and warned consumers of the possible risks.
“Ivermectin is an anti-parasite medication,” MPC wrote on its website. “Do NOT attempt to self-treat COVID-19 with this medication.”
It wasn’t until misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 virus sent anti-vaxxers and deniers down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories and unproven treatments that the heavy machine operator decided to take advantage of the hysteria.
Despite the studies, evidence, and recommendations of those who have actually studied the disease, it did little to sway Lemoi’s followers from using the drug explicitly meant for use on animals.
In perhaps one of the most alarming revelations about Lemoi’s behavior, he not only promoted the use of ivermectin to his followers — posting on what would become one of the encrypted app Telegram’s most popular information destinations — but instructed them on how to administer the animal meds to their children.
One parent went so far as to establish a separate group for parents whose children were on the spectrum and suffered from ailments like cerebral palsy and pans/panda downs.
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Those skeptical about the lack of transparency regarding Lemoi’s death were quickly shut down and maligned.
“No one can convince me that he died because of ivermectin,” a user wrote. He ultimately died because of our failed western medicine which only cares about profits and not the cure.”
While those comments on the American system of medicine may well be true, the skeptical denial of the essential science used to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ivermectin is both foolish and based on profound ignorance.
As Danny Lemoi learned, ignore science at your own risk.
Original reporting by David Gilbert at Vice News.
Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxchick
