My name is Claude Lalancette. I am a veteran from the Canadian armed forces. During my service I have acquires several injuries. The injury that affects my life the most is my acquired brain injury caused by the antimalarial drug, Mefloquine/Lariam. It is known that Mefloquine is NEUROTOXIC and its side effects MIMIC PTSD. I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2007 by the Veterans Hospital Ste-Anne de Bellevue in Montreal. Since then I have been trying to heal without success. I have put the rope around my neck 3 times wanting to end the suffering because I couldn’t heal.
In 2016, I heard that my unit, the Canadian Airborne Regiment, was used in a illegal batched drug trial for this drug during our deployment to Somalia. I also learnt that this drug was Illegally licensed and all severe side effects were taken out of the Monograph. For 24 years Mefloquine has been misrepresented by Health Canada and has NOT shown the true Monograph of this neurotoxic drug.
In 2017, Through my advocacy, Mefloquine’s Monograph changed DRASTICALLY by exposing the true side effects known by the Manufacturer Roche, the FDA and the World Health Organization. Mefloquine changed from being Canada’s drug of choice to LAST RESORT. This is where my complaint starts.
I have been living in Kitchener since 2016, about the same time that I found out about this issue. I have been trying to get help at the Grand River Hospital since. I have no where to turn but this hospital. I have been disengaged by 3 GPs do to the complications of my issues and the Grand River hospital is the only place I can turn too. I have been at the emergency too many times to count and still I have ZERO help. I say Zero because NOT once did the hospital look at my true issues.
Every time I go to the ER, I am screened by the Mental Health team. I explain my issues CLEARLY and with references. To this day, NO ONE has taken me seriously. I have been put through it all with that hospital. For example, I came in by ambulance during one of my panic attacks. I was at the ER and I was screened by the mental health team. There decision was to lock me up and take my medication away. This only triggered my symptoms and I almost got me arrested for my VIOLENT reaction.
During the month of December, my panic attacks occurred more frequently. I went the the ER to get help. Again I was met and screened by the Mental Health team. Their response to this was for me to see the rapid response team. I got an appointment to meet with a Psychiatrist. When I met the psychiatrist, I was put through their usual screening questions. Even though I explained to him my Mefloquine toxicity and other side effects that differentiate Quinism to PTSD, the psychiatrist told me that Mefloquine was completely harmless and that he took it for 8 weeks while in Africa. I asked him if he knew the true side effects from the drug and his response was that he doesn’t memorize the side effects. The Psychiatrist came to the conclusion that I had PTSD and that I should be on antidepressants and antipsychotics. He completely dismissed my tinnitus, my vestibular issues, my sensitivity to light and my digestive issues. He completely dismissed the side effects that I had while taking Mefloquine during my deployment to Somalia. He denied me a referral to see a neurologist saying it cost $5000. I have a witness to this, my social worker who was present at the appointment.
I find this very disturbing and very reckless on behalf of the hospital’s so called professionals in Mental Health. Everything that I have brought to them is plausible but they decide to look the other away. Now, I am left to fend for myself without a proper evaluation, without treatment and without proper medication. They continue to label me with PTSD when my symptoms are greater than PTSD.
As an advocate, I have seen what this type of INCOMPETENCE leads too. Look at the Lionel Desmond case, MURDER/SUICIDE. Suicide is on the rise and I contribute that to the INCOMPETENCE of the medical community. Grand river Hospital has DANGEROUS people in dangerous positions.
I am placing this complaint to expose the incompetence and show how people are being labeled with PTSD when their issues are greater. Quinism is real and PTSD misdiagnoses are leading Veterans and civilian travelers to MURDER/SUICIDE. Mefloquine awareness is one of my goals here. I have not given up this fight and never will. I have lost too many brothers and sisters to give up