Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697631975184.pdf (Australia)
Submission to Senate Inquiry Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence Force I am the wife of a veteran who served in Rwanda and has been permanent impacted by the use of mefloquine, an anti-malarial drug commonly known as Larium.
It is my intention in this submission to explain the impact this has had on the life of our family, and address part (c) of the Terms of Reference of this Senate Inquiry relating to the support available for partner’s, carers and families of personnel who experience any adverse health effects of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs.
My husband, of this Senate Inquiry, so it is not my intention to re-state all of the adverse health effects he has experienced but I will mention some in order to give some context around the impact on families.
Whilst he was in Rwanda, I became concerned with: - - his increased risk-taking behaviour, putting himself in harm’s way (at one point, he caused an international incident when soldiers from the Rwandan People’s Army had guns at his head because he pushed their vehicle out of way – all because they parked where his ambulance was supposed to be parked); his depersonalisation of human beings, like the way he spoke about the Rwandan people he treated medically – he made many comments to suggest that he didn’t value human life; At the time, I put this down to a coping mechanism for all that he was dealing with and being exposed to.
But he returned from Rwanda a different man.

He was extremely irritable, angry, irrational and unreasonable.

Far from having any support at the time, the Army Psychologists told him that the problem was all me, and VVCS psychologist told me that the solution was just to leave him.

Three years after returning from Rwanda, he was finally diagnosed with PTSD, and started to get treatment for his anxiety, depression, and anger.
However, in 22 years of treatment, he has not responded to treatment in the same way as others who suffer from PTSD.

Whilst all psychiatrists and psychologists consider the PTSD diagnosis to be accurate, we have been advised that his situation is different, that he has “complex” PTSD, that something else was going on, that he must have been abused as a child etc.
He was not accepted onto what we had been lead to believe was the best PTSD course, at Toowong Private Hospital, because he was considered too bad, and it was felt he would not work well in a group situation.

It may have been 15 years ago, we started to hear some negative things about the anti- malarial drug which my husband my husband took in Rwanda (mefloquine – marketed as Larium).
took Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence ForceSubmission 51 drug on a Friday – it was colloquially called “Freaky Fridays” by soldiers taking it in Rwanda - and there were the murmurings linking this drug to adverse effects.

We didn’t pursue it at the time but in 2014, after a deterioration in his mental start, we started to look into this more.
Interestingly, over the years, we have separately investigated some of what we now known are adverse effects linked to mefloquine – he has seen: allergists for unexplained red spots; haematologists for unexplained bruising/bleeding; - - - ENTs for heightened sense of smell and bad smells, breathing and swallowing problems; - An audiologist for his tinnitus and hypersensitive hearing; - Physiotherapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, remedial massage therapists for body aches Psychiatrists and psychologists for mental health; - - MRIs, Cat Scans to determine if they could find something to explain memory loss and memory retention issues; and - Other specialists that I just cannot remember.
We were not aware of any link in these symptoms – now we understand that this particular combination of symptoms is common among others who suspect mefloquine toxicity ie together, they tell a story.

It is frustrating that after more than 20 years, my husband treatment.

And this has severely impacted his relationship with me and his children.

Up until 2014, I encouraged my children to join me in walking on eggshells – it took me a while to realise that this approach was detrimental to our mental health.
has still not had the right There have been rare occasions of physical violence.

However, my husband recollection of these events.
has no Had my husband received the right treatment, our children – respectively – would not have been exposed to the following adverse behaviours from the moment they were very young children: - Extreme anger and irritability - Extreme disassociation - Knowledge their father is suicidal - Hearing his homicidal thoughts and ideas inappropriately voiced out loud - Worry that their father tends to seek out risky activities - Over-reactions by their father to everyday accidents and situations, often resulting in - the imposition of extreme or unreasonable punishments.
Irrational behaviour – eg normal reaction of a child to cry; but my husband would punish tears.
- Obsession that he is being ill-treated by the family (everything is our fault and we are against him) - Unreasonable accusation of being too noisy or smelly (in hindsight, likely to be his hypersensitivity to hearing/smell; olfactory hallucinations; and tinnutis) or of walking into him (when he actually is not walking in a straight line) Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence ForceSubmission 51 Before 2014, his disassociation had been interpreted as a withdrawal of love and affection, and his anger and over-reactions meant that it was not unusual to be scared.
Extreme patience is required in everyday conversation with my husband term memory is trying, he forgets what he is saying or has difficulty finding the words mid- sentence, or sometimes he just seems to lecture/rant.

This is frustrating enough for me and I’m not a hormonal teenager.

– his short- Between states of depression and poor attention span, my husband cannot work but is also unable to consistently undertake the tasks required to clean and maintain a home.
This means that there is not a consistent fair sharing of household duties.

In 2014, we were able to have myself and the kids regularly see psychologists at Mates4Mates, an organisation which provides services to wounded, injured, and ill veterans and their families – my son was becoming angry; my daughter was anxious and beginning to show signs of hardening emotionally; and I was stressed and mildly depressed.
Besides family and friends, this is the only support the children and I have received relating to my husband condition.

Thank you for taking the time to read my submission.

Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence ForceSubmission 51