a pill to make the pain go away

Still Riding · Jan 17, 2006

It sounds liek a good idea on the surface, but i wonder what the long term effects would be?

SFCardiacRN · Jan 17, 2006

Interesting story. I know that Versed can cause retrograde amnesia. I wonder if this is the drug in question?

Messink · Jan 17, 2006

It wasn't about versed. The drug in question does not cause amnesia according to the article.

babynurselsa, RN · Jan 17, 2006

No the drug they are speaking of is the beta-blocker propranolol.

I guess maybe I feel a little unsettled by chemically taking emotions out of us. It seems like it could be a sort of Pandora's box to me. I don't know I am gonna have to ponder it a little more.

SFCardiacRN · Jan 17, 2006

All these side effects from cardiac drugs makes you wonder. One gives an erection another grows hair and now a treatment for childhood trauma?

bettyboop · Jan 17, 2006

I was quite shocked by this report, all I could think about is how people will abuse such a drug:uhoh21:

Also will this be seen as a quick fix:confused: what about compasion for the victim etc will we, like they said give out a pill with a blanket at a disaster ctr and walk away, as someone once said "what doesnt kill us makes us stronger". through adversity I think we have learned how to show empathy and compasion to others.

We are human being with emotions and feelings, we are not robots, and I never want to become one:wink2:

Bettyboop

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Jan 17, 2006

Very interesting . . . What do they mean by "blunting the memory", is it fading the memory itself or the emotions that accompany the memory? Or is it blunting the emotional reaction to the memory which in turn keeps that memory from becoming so deeply imbedded? I would like to know so much more.

Also the concern the lawyers have about witnesses that wouldn't be able to testify due to having taken this drug. Are they already arguing this effect on the current patients that take Inderal? It's not that uncommon of a med to be given for heart issues. Heck, I take beta-blockers (same family as Inderal) Are my memories unreliable? I'm not taking a position one way or another, just would really love see so much more research.

babynurselsa, RN · Jan 18, 2006

According to the newspaper article it touches on how painful memories are stored differently in the brain. It speaks of adreneline and the fight or flight hormones and their part in embedding a memory in the brain. I am a little less clear after re-reading it because it does talk about "erasing" the memory.

I guess one concern I have is the potential for abuse. Will we see this thrown out there to cure any little pain in our lives????

"OOHHH you are crying because you didn't get that promotion at work....Well here is a pill."

"AWWWW your boyfriend broke up with you.....Here is a pill."

Maybe this is hard hearted of me but I guess I have never believed that life is/should be a pain free experience.

Sometimes important life lessons are learned from painful experiences in our lives. At least it has been my personal experience.

I know that at least the initial studies are regarding ptsd in war veterans, but we all know how off label uses of medications occur. Anyone ever given their kids a little Benedryl to put em to sleep when they are driving you nuts.........?

I don't know if I am adequetely relaying my reservations here or not. Just wondering what anyone else thinks.

leslie :-D · Jan 18, 2006

i have read the medical regimen in ptsd and it recommends:

ssri's

bp meds such as clonidine, inderal or propanolol

buspar

and a sm dose of a mood stabilizer, i.e.,lithium.

never did understand the rationale behind the bp meds but from what i've been told, it takes 'the edge off'....sounds like it blunts your emotions altogether which to me, isn't good if one is already depressed.

i've called for a consult with a psychiatrist who specializes in childhood trauma and am curious to see what she medically recommends.

leslie

P_RN, ADN, RN · Jan 18, 2006

I have old memories of 2 fires I'd love to trade off. Age 7 and age 11 and I still have nightmares on occassion.

Inderal is an old drug.

New uses for old things. I hope that it would not trigger a "blunted memory" defense/prosecution (eg: the Zoloft defense") but I'm sure it will.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2007

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