The horse dewormer thing iirc comes from the fact that ivermectin is a prescription drug, and doctors obviously wouldn't prescribe it for covid. So people resorted to one of the very few ways you could still purchase it: as the horse dewormer variant.

Of course this version is much stronger and intended for horses, not humans. IIRC this led to a few hospitalisations and even deaths.

That's why when people advocate you should take ivermectin, the counter claim is that they're telling you to take horse dewormer, since that's the only way to get it. It's not out of a general 'disrespect' for ivermectin.

It actually is something of a wonder drug

And it worked wonders on COVID patients who actually had parasites in the "throw everything at the wall" period. Word got out some patients had improved because of it. It became a whole thing because doctors didn't got the same results with ivermectin in others trials, probably because their patients didn't have parasites, and ruled it out as the COVID cure. Arm chair viral experts refused to believe it and made it a conspiracy, and from there on became a cornerstone of anti vax and right wing politics. Of course right wing commentators now make it the cure for cancer.

Yes, but invermectin is also a very strong drug and even for its intended uses, it's rarely recommended to take it more than twice in a year. During covid days, people were taking it weekly.

The fun fact about Methylene Blue that always is a hit with students is it also turns your pee a green/blue-green color.

People are literally buying it from Tractor Supply when doctors won't prescribe it. That's why people say horse dewormer. It is literally horse dewormer they are taking.

I personally know/knew one of the main guys promoting Ivermectin in the news and on rogan. It was 100% a grift and he knew it. The point wasn't the medicine but subverting public health efforts. That is why it is derided as horse dewormer.

Same with ketamine, horse tranquilizer. Also a powerful fast acting anti depressent among a other very positive qualities

This should be the top comment. Most conspiracy bullshit always has some grain of truth, so when you dismiss it with factually wrong information you just solidify the conspiracy mindset, since you "don't get it".

The best way to fight conspiracy theories is to engage them head on and make them prove the claim. They'll try and miserably fail IE flat earth.

Yes it led to the first TB treatments or something didn't it? I completely can't remember, does it also have a link to the development of antidepressants? Somebody help me out, my undergraduate degree was a long time ago now.

Edit: oh yeah, it's a MAOI, you literally wrote that in your post.

It's because they buy the veterinary products as a way to circumvent existing reasonable limits for human use of ivermectin. It's implicitly against doctors' recommendations and prescriptions.

Alternatively, they're buying ego-boosting pills/pastes that feed the fantasy that they're special/chosen people who are in the know about "secrets hiding in plain sight" like a common antiparasitic drug having incredible curative properties.

Propaganda and conspiracy usually work better when they have a bit of truth to them.

Thank you for this. I hate all the caveating you have to do on the internet, but this taught me something I didn't know and now I'm slightly less of an idiot :)