Pedigree Query

We have an EPM horse--treated once and relapsed 6 months latter. In the 70's I used Levamisole to treat a heavy horse. So researcher that I am, I went looking for a immune stimulant to help this horse. It turns out they're using this cattle wormer to help treat cancer and leukemia and tuberculosis in people. In low dosage it stimulates the cell mediated immune system and potentiates the humoral(IGg) system. It has a couple of things that are worrisome in horses, however. Anybody out there have any experience with this? Any body out there try this drug with bleeders? Its supposed to be helpful with chronic bronchitis and breathing problems. Mary

They're also using levamisole to treat malaria and rhuematoid arthritis and some auto immune diseases. This cattle wormer looks like a miracle drug on the human side. Mary

What is the action?

As far as I can get out of the jumble on PubMed, it changes the cell membrane on leukocytes and changes the endoplasmic riticulum in epithelial cells. Doesn't effect type I allergic response(histamine release by mast cells), but does effect cell mediated allergy, Type IV. Levamisole potentiates the immune system in low does and supresses the immune system in higher doses. Mary

Been out on PubMed again. They're using levamisole for all kinds of things in humans. MS, Epstein-Barr, Salmanellosis, E. Coli vaccination potentiator in pigs, Tried it on Hepititis B--no help, Pancreatitis-helped, Brusilosis-no help, viral infections and vacinations-seems to help potentiate cell mediated immunity. Who knew an old cow wormer could do so much. Mary

Bizarro! And this has been a cow dewormer for how many years?

Weird.

The world is truly a strange and wonderful place.

I asked Dr. Von Buchler about Levamisole, he said Dr. Bishop used this years ago to treat bleeders.

Have you used it on bleeders mary?

Louis,
No I haven't had the chance to try this medication on bleeders. I'm using it to help treat a newly diagnosed EPM and one horse who was treated for EPM and the disease returned. Both seem to be doing well, but its EPM, so who knows what the future holds for these horses. I have used it for COPD-heaves, and it did make a difference, not a cure, but it helped. The problem I'm having with all of this is protecol. If you go to the EPM sites, they'll tell you that levamisole has been used in treatment, but they don't give dosage or spacing of treatment. If I talk to my vet friends they act like I've grown two heads and horns. I'm making up protecol by the seat of my pants and hoping. Humans get 50mg three times a week as a treatment for colorectal cancer. Apparently helps in treatment, but sometimes results in seizures. Horses are of course suceptible to the neurological side effects of levamisole. I don't want to put an EPM horse into ionatropic seizures. But the truth is, normal treatment for EPM works in about 2/3 of the cases and the rest eventually die after repeated attempts to treat them. So what do you do? Tell your friends to dig a hole because the horse will inevitably die?

In researching levamisole, I noticed that it was being used on a multitude of diseases with an immune function component. Any Biochemist worth his salt, who has horses, has thought that bleeding has a misfunction of the immune system and/or the secretory mechanism of the bronchi and alveolar of the lungs. I just thought that if I was quick enough to think levamisole might help on bleeders, some brighter horseman would have reached this conclusion already. So far I haven't run into anyone, and again when I mention this to my vet friends they start getting out the flaming crosses and threaten to do me a harm. I still think it might make a difference. It certainly will effect immune function in the respiratory system and change the secretions found there. And lord knows, bleeding is the plague of the racetrack. Mary Syers

Thanks Mary I will continue to ask around if any vets have used Levamisole for bleeders. Dr. Jay Hill 78 yr. old will have some info for me as he has been on the backstretch for 55 years plus.

Be Well Mary, I send my love, Yours in Sport Louis.

I have long been an advocate of this product. Have seen it do some amazing things when *traditonal* medication didnt seem to be working.

Ive had the blessings of all of my vets to use it, with most saying "it wont kill them. Go ahead and try it"

Thanks Mary for the in depth medical explanations behind it as well. I just knew that it worked - but didnt know "why" until I read your explanations

Thanks!

Just started to treat a POA with intestinal lymphoma with Levamisole. In high doses, levamisole supresses the immune system. In lymphoma you have an over production of lymphocytic cells. We're hoping this treatment at least slows the porgression of the disease. Mary Syers

Mary, thanks, this is a very interesting topic. Please keep me posted on the POA.

Madelyn,
Do you know anybody who has tried this drug on ulcers? Its used in people as a treatment for a genetic disease that causes ulcers in the mouth, esphagus and stomach. Mary Syers

No, I don't, I would be interested... I use fenbendazole on horses with ulcers, would there be any correlation? I would be interested in trying it out.

The only help that fenbendazole could give for ulcers is that it would eliminate stomach worms--which are not a big problem in horses, more a cow and occasionally a dog thing. I just read the PubMed abtracts on the use of Dicaris(levamisole) in this inherited ulcerative disease and I thought some of us should try it--just to see. I'm waiting for another horse with ulcers. Just had a cribber with a horrible stomach whom we treated with gastrogard, sucralfate, change of diet, and prayers to no avail. Sold to be a trail horse before I knew about levamisle, could stand no stress at all.

By the way, I love fenbedazole. Great wormer, almost none toxic. It's what I use in all debilitated horses to get them wormed and on their way back. I have used it at double the reccommended dose with little problem. The same can not be said with levamisole. You get some psychological and neurological signs for a day or two after normal dose. Ivermetin is probably a better wormer and gets things other than worms, but its hard on a horse in trouble, while fenbendazole isn't. Mary Syers