After Death of 'Ivermectin Influencer,' Reports of Scary Side Effects

But admins and many followers insist dewormer had nothing to do with Danny Lemoi's death
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 14, 2023 3:00 AM CDT
Updated Mar 18, 2023 6:00 AM CDT
After Death of 'Ivermectin Influencer', Reports of Other Scary Side Effects
FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2021, file photo, a syringe of of ivermectin — a drug used to kill worms and other parasites — intended for use in horses only, rests on the box it was packaged in, in Olympia, Wash.   (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

On March 3, just hours after posting to his popular ivermectin-touting Telegram group, Danny Lemoi was dead. While his obituary says only that he died "unexpectedly," administrators on the Telegram channel revealed that, unbeknownst to the 50-year-old, his heart was engorged and had grown to almost two times a normal size: "We understand that this is going to raise questions for those who were following him," the admins wrote, according to a Vice deep dive into Lemoi's death—and the concerning side effects, some of them severe, being reported by followers of his channel. One reported his wife was having "migraine, vomiting, and severe stomach pain"; another described a night full of "non stop hot flashes" followed by "stomach pains every time" they ate. Lemoi "explained away" such side effects when followers brought them up, per Vice.

While admins reassured Lemoi's followers his death had been determined to be the result of natural causes and his heart problems could be attributed to "a family history of heart disease and chronic stress," heart issues are listed as a potential side effect of ivermectin overdose. Lemoi had been taking veterinary-grade ivermectin long before it became popular amongst anti-vaxxers as a COVID-19 treatment (despite the fact that authorities have warned it is not effective against COVID and is dangerous for humans to take); he began after being diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012, and claimed the drug "regenerated" his heart muscle. On his channel, he pushed large doses of the drug as the remedy for all sorts of problems, and even encouraged parents to give it to their children. Admins say the channel will continue to function. Read more at Vice. (More ivermectin stories.)

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