Military Use Of Lariam: An Acceptable Risk?

Retired Major General Alastair Duncan is the most senior rank in the British Armed Forces believed to suffer the adverse effects of Lariam.

He was admitted to a secure psychiatric unit ten months ago after his condition deteriorated.

His case is complex, as he also suffers from severe PTSD from time served in Bosnia.

Speaking with BFBS Forces News, Ellen, Maj Gen (Retd) Duncan's wife, says nobody should be prescribed Lariam until its effects are truly understood.

She said: "I've said it several times, I just believe that it's the worst and most insidious form of friendly fire and we can't go on doing this."

According to figures revealed by the MOD via a Freedom of Information request earlier this year

• 17,000 personnel have been given the drug during the last seven years
• Almost 1,900 were given Lariam in 2014
• 263 needed medical treatment as a result
• In total, 994 service personnel have been admitted to psychiatric hospitals or treated at mental health clinics, since 2008, after taking Lariam. Although whether the drug was the specific cause of hospitalisation is difficult to define