A Student’s Lariam Experience: From Mania to Recovery

The author, a university student traveling to Ghana, began experiencing severe mental disturbances after taking the anti-malaria drug Lariam (mefloquine). Within days, they reported confusion, hallucinations, a belief in being “the son of God,” and a compulsion to shave their body. The episode escalated to physical illness, prompting a visit to a hospital in Tamale where a doctor advised discontinuing Lariam.

The Guardian

Following the Tamale consultation, the author was evacuated to Accra and later returned to the Netherlands, where they spent four months in psychiatric units. A psychologist diagnosed a manic episode, and anti-psychotic medication was administered, which the author described as leaving them feeling “like a zombie.” Over time, the medication was tapered, and the author reports full recovery and a renewed appreciation for normality.

The Guardian

Medical professionals cited in the narrative note that “more than one in 10 people who take Lariam experience side-effects, but that they vary wildly.” This statistic underscores the drug’s known risk profile, which includes neuropsychiatric reactions ranging from mild anxiety to severe psychosis.

The Guardian

• “I felt that everything I’d ever learned had come together in my mind, and the beauty of my ideas sent shivers down my back and legs.” — the author

The Guardian

• “I wandered around the hospital, telling random people I was sick, that I was Jesus.” — the author

The Guardian

• “When the doctor at the clinic there gave me a blood test, I told him he could use my holy blood to make a cure for malaria, and that he should call it Timandjulia, after me and my girlfriend.” — the author

The Guardian

• “The anti-psychotic medication turned me into a zombie, and I felt empty.” — the author

The Guardian

• “I am more open and social, and also have a renewed appreciation for normality – I never want to feel like the son of God again.” — the author

The Guardian

The account highlights the potential for extreme psychiatric side effects from Lariam, the importance of prompt medical intervention, and the lasting personal impact such episodes can have on individuals.

The Guardian