Latest news with #MikeFesi
American Press
04-06-2025
- Health
- American Press
Jim Beam column:Ivermectin can cause problems
Louisiana state Sen. Mike Fesi, R-Houma, is sponsoring legislation that will make it easier for people to purchase ivermectin, a questionable drug.(Photo courtesy of Facebook). Louisiana's Republican public officials haven't stopped complaining about former Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards' handling of the COVID pandemic since he left office. Edwards' actions actually saved many lives, but that has been conveniently overlooked in GOP efforts to promote some of their own weird plans. State Sen. Michael 'Big Mike' Fesi of Houma, for example, is sponsoring Senate Bill 19 that would authorize pharmacists in Louisiana to dispense the ivermectin drug without requiring a prescription from a patient's physician. The Advocate reported that ivermectin is a powerful anti-parasitic drug approved to treat specific infections in humans and was widely used in animals, particularly horses and livestock. Why is Fesi sponsoring such a potentially dangerous drug? 'We were misled during the COVID era, and that's where all this comes from,' Fesi said. 'As a free people, I know we can make our own decisions on what we want to do.' Yes, but shouldn't a doctor have to prescribe a drug as dangerous as this one? Unfortunately, Dr. Ralph Abraham, the state's surgeon general, doesn't think so. He said a lot of people are getting the drug from veterinary supply stores. Abraham said, 'I can pretty much assure you if you asked 10 of your friends, one or two of them are probably taking ivermectin on a periodic or a daily basis.' No surprises there since the drug has seen a surge in off-label use due to internet-fueled claims that it can treat a number of conditions or even cure cancer. The newspaper said actor Mel Gibson in January said on 'The Joe Rogan Podcast' that three friends with Stage 4 cancer got better after taking ivermectin and fenbendazole. Why anyone would take Gibson or Rogan's medical advice is their mistake. The drug is effective against parasites and its developers won the Nobel Prize in 2015. However, large studies have shown no significant benefit for COVID treatment, and ongoing research on its potential role in cancer remains preliminary. The Advocate said experts caution that early promise in preclinical trials rarely translates into effective therapies in humans. OK, here are some of those experts: Dr. Jon Mizrahi said he now fields requests for ivermectin constantly in his New Orleans practice as a cancer specialist. He said his gastrointestinal cancer patients began asking for it during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over two weeks this spring, he said more than half of his new patients asked about the drug. Some hoped to combine it with chemotherapy. Others planned to take ivermectin instead. They had problems. Two patients had to delay chemotherapy because ivermectin elevated their liver enzymes. One patient, newly diagnosed with late-stage cancer, wanted to try ivermectin before chemo or radiation. Two months later, that person's cancer had gotten significantly worse. The newspaper said Mizrahi is one of dozens of cancer specialists in Louisiana raising concerns about Fesi's bill. In a letter signed by 40-plus providers and the Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana and Louisiana Oncology Society, opponents of the bill emphasized that standard cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy are grounded in rigorous clinical trials, while ivermectin lacks research. Dr. Mary Maluccio, a surgical oncologist specializing in rare cancers in New Orleans, said she hears about ivermectin upward of a dozen times a week. Two of her patients died of liver failure after adding ivermectin to their regimen without informing the care team. The patients had cancers requiring aggressive chemotherapy that put their livers at risk anyway — but Maluccio suspects ivermectin contributed to the swift pace of decline. The newspaper said for many cancer patients, experimenting with holistic remedies — green tea, turmeric, smoothies — is a way to feel some control. Maluccio said she doesn't fault them for it. But ivermectin, she said, isn't just a harmless add-on. For patients facing advanced or rare cancers, the desire to try anything can be understandable, Maluccio said. But it becomes difficult to treat cancer with proven methods if a drug without known interactions is added to the mix, or there is no protocol for how taking it might impact surgery. It's extremely difficult to understand how 28 of Louisiana's 39 state senators voted for Fesi's bill, and four of them represent this corner of the state. I'm sticking with my physicians, not those who, like Abraham, are touting ivermectin as some kind of wonder drug. Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or Reply Forward Add reaction
Epoch Times
02-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Louisiana Senate Passes Bill Allowing Over-the-Counter Ivermectin
The Louisiana Legislature this week advanced a bill that would allow for ivermectin to be sold in pharmacies in the state without a prescription. The state Senate According to the The law also would provide 'immunity for pharmacists dispensing ivermectin in accordance with proposed law' and would stipulate that a 'health insurance issuer is not required to provide coverage for the cost of ivermectin dispensed pursuant to proposed law,' according to the bill's text. It means that a pharmacist can dispense the anti-parasite drug to anyone aged 18 and older, and they will not need a prescription beforehand, making it an over-the-counter medication. State Surgeon General Ralph Abraham, who is in charge of the state Department of Health, said that he backs the measure, which was introduced by state Sen. Mike Fesi, a Republican. Related Stories 4/16/2025 4/15/2025 'Making Ivermectin over the counter will ensure access to the human form of the medication in safe dosing from a pharmacy for its varied uses,' he The Republican attorney general said that 'without off-label use, we would not have eye drops after cataract surgery or ibuprofen for migraines,' which 'deserves further protection in law.' 'We support the passage of the bill—not because we believe ivermectin is some sort of miracle pill for all that ails you, but primarily because we believe medical decision-making occurs within the sacred doctor-patient relationship free from third-party interference to the maximum possible degree,' Abraham added. Fesi, the state senator, told the New Orleans Times-Picayune in an article published Friday that he and his entire family took ivermectin after contracting COVID-19, and saw positive results. 'When I caught COVID, I took ivermectin for two days, got better quickly. My whole family took ivermectin,' he said. 'I think it's important for us to get it over-the-counter.' During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to treat the virus increased significantly. Ivermectin use increased dramatically throughout 2020 and 2021, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has Meanwhile, some studies have Tennessee, Idaho, and Arkansas have
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Louisiana bill that would ban fluoride in public drinking water passes Senate committee
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A bill that would prohibit the addition of fluoride to public drinking water in Louisiana was approved in the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare Wednesday. Senate Bill 2, sponsored by Sen. Mike Fesi (R-Houma), would repeal the Louisiana Department of Health's water fluoridation program and explicitly ban the fluoridation of any public water system in the state. Amendments to the bill in committee added that no naturally occurring fluoride in water systems would be required to be removed, and the date the bill would become law was changed to Jan. 1, 2026. Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham told lawmakers there have been studies that show a link between fluoride and lower IQs in children. A report last year from the federal National Toxicology Program noted a potential connection between fluoride and lower IQ scores in children, but emphasized that the findings primarily applied to regions with much higher levels of natural fluoride than found in U.S. water systems. 'We are putting a chemical in the water without the patient's consent is problematic for me as a physician,' Abraham said. The American Dental Association (ADA) said in an April 7 release that fluoridation is a proven, cost-effective tool that reduces dental decay, especially in children and low-income communities. Why water fluoridation is under scrutiny in US On the national level, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop recommending water fluoridation. Kennedy, who has called fluoride a 'dangerous neurotoxin,' recently announced that he is forming a task force to study fluoridation and provide new guidance. If passed, Louisiana's bill would make it the second state in the nation to ban fluoridation at the state level. Utah, the first state to enact the ban, got praise from Kennedy for being a leader in the 'Make America Healthy Again' initiative. The Associated Press contributed to this report. How will RFK Jr.'s autism data collection work? The NFL's most powerful piece of paper — the Draft Card Biopic of Anthony Bourdain to star Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas: reports Baton Rouge job fair set for April 30: What to know Enjoy the wildlife at BREC Baton Rouge Zoo's 'Roar and Pour' event Pastor calls for 'full Target boycott' over DEI rollback Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Louisiana Legislature weighs removing fluoride from public water systems
Getty Images/Ajax9 Over the objections of dentists, a Louisiana Senate committee advanced a bill Wednesday that would set an almost impossibly high bar for public systems to add fluoride to their drinking water supply. In its original state, Senate Bill 2 by Sen. Mike Fesi, R-Houma, would have prohibited public water systems from fluoridating their water, which is done to prevent tooth decay. The practice began in the United States in the 1940s and is widely supported by major dental and medical associations. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee amended the bill to allow fluoridation only if voters approve, which would involve what committee chair and bill co-author Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, described as an 'incredibly difficult' process. The legislation advanced after the committee approved the amendments, which Sen. Gerald Beaudreaux, D-Lafayette, put forward before ultimately voting against the bill. The changes would allow local residents to vote on whether they want their system to be fluoridated, but only after at least 15% of voters the system services petition for the election. McMath likened it to the process for recalling an elected official, a very burdensome process that rarely succeeds in Louisiana. The bill, which Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham supports, is based on the premise that fluoride is harmful. In high doses, the chemical, like many others, can cause adverse health effects. But at the amount present in American water systems, there is scant evidence fluoride presents a health risk. 'Too much or too little of anything is bad for you, including vitamins and water,' said Anne Jayes, senior policy manager with the Louisiana Public Health Institute. 'Too little [fluoride] can lead to poor dental hygiene, cavities and poor bone health, including osteoporosis.' At the recommended level of 0.7 milligrams per liter of water, fluoride strengthens teeth and helps prevent decay, especially in communities where access to dental care is limited, Jayes added. In places where fluoride has been removed from the water systems, studies have found drastic increases in pediatric dental complications. After Calgary Canada stopped fluoridating its water in 2011, a decision it reversed in 2021, there was a 700% increase in the number of children receiving IV antibiotics at a local hospital for dental infections and abscesses. Annette Droddy, executive director of the Louisiana Dental Association, represents nearly 2,000 dentists in Louisiana. She warned the passage of the bill would lead to an increase in state spending for its Medicaid dental program. The bill will next be debated by the Senate. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Louisiana bill would ban fluoride in public drinking water, part of national push led by RFK Jr.
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana lawmakers will consider a bill that would prohibit the addition of fluoride to public drinking water statewide, joining a national debate over the mineral long endorsed by public health agencies to prevent tooth decay. Senate Bill 2, authored by Republican Sen. Mike Fesi, would repeal the Louisiana Department of Health's water fluoridation program and explicitly ban the fluoridation of any public water system in the state. If passed, the law would take effect Aug. 1, 2025. The proposal comes as U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop recommending water fluoridation nationwide. Kennedy, who was appointed by President Trump, has called fluoride a 'dangerous neurotoxin.' He announced Monday that he is assembling a task force to study the issue and provide new guidance. Kennedy praised Utah's recent decision to enact a statewide fluoride ban, calling the state a leader in his 'Make America Healthy Again' campaign. That initiative is backed by a political action committee advocating for restrictions on food additives, water fluoridation, and certain purchases with food assistance benefits. The American Dental Association (ADA) strongly opposes the Louisiana bill and Kennedy's broader anti-fluoride stance. In an April 7 press release, the ADA said fluoridation is a proven, cost-effective tool that reduces dental decay, especially in children and low-income communities. 'The growing distrust of credible, time-tested, evidence-based science is disheartening,' said ADA President Dr. Brett Kessler. 'Blindly calling for a ban on fluoridated water hurts people, costs money, and will ultimately harm our economy.' Why water fluoridation is under fire in the US The CDC considers fluoridation of drinking water to be one of the top public health achievements of the 20th century, and currently recommends fluoride levels of 0.7 milligrams per liter. Nearly two-thirds of Americans receive fluoridated water, according to the agency. Still, Kennedy and other critics point to studies—many based outside the U.S., the ADA notes—that link high levels of fluoride to possible health concerns. A report last year from the federal National Toxicology Program noted a potential connection between fluoride and lower IQ scores in children, but emphasized that the findings primarily applied to regions with much higher levels of natural fluoride than found in U.S. water systems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Monday that it will reexamine scientific data on fluoride's health effects to determine if updates to its maximum allowable limits are needed. Current EPA guidelines cap fluoride in public water systems at 4 milligrams per liter. Kennedy's influence is already being felt. In addition to the Utah law and Louisiana's proposal, the CDC's 20-person oral health division—which helped administer grants related to fluoridation—was recently cut during a wave of federal staffing reductions. If passed, Louisiana's bill would make it the second state in the nation to ban fluoridation at the state level. It remains to be seen how municipalities and water systems would adjust to the change, or whether fluoride supplements would be offered as an alternative, as is the case in Utah. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Baton Rouge-based bat maker hits home run with MLB's torpedo bat craze Could the cost of coffee rise due to tariffs? Republicans unlock House floor with compromise quashing proxy voting for new parents U.S. trade representative defends tariff plan Louisiana bill would ban fluoride in public drinking water, part of national push led by RFK Jr. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
