Last night, 60 Minutes did a story about the drug propranolol. I missed the episode, but as my husband was flicking through the channels I heard the word "propranolol" and wondered if I should watch considering I was once prescribed propranolol (otherwise known as Inderol) to treat my migraines.
Propranolol is a beta-blocker, and I got off of it after a couple of years because I hated the way it made me feel -- sluggish, fatigued, disconnected. I'm pretty sure it's responsible for slowing down my thyroid.
Anyway, I went to CBS's website and learned that the drug industry is using propranolol in a study regarding post-traumatic stress syndrome. Researchers believe that propranolol can block adrenaline during a traumatic experience and thus lessen the "memory" of that experience.
Do I find it freaky that scientists are now developing drugs to erase our memories as if we've crossed over into some bizarre sci-fi film based on a P.K.Dick short story, SURE.
But more than that, I'm disturbed to think what the effects of propranolol have been on my own brain. I used to have fantastic memory. It's the reason I was fairly bright in school -- I recalled a lot of information. Lately, I've noticed that my memory is not what it used to be. Sure, I'm older. Sure google is frying my brain (there's too much info to recall especially when I can store it at the tip of my fingers rather than in my brain).
But, if propranolol is so amazing at diminishing bad memories, what other memories does it diminish?
This is just another example that reminds me why I had to rid myself of all pharmaceuticals last year.
Scientists think it's cool to play God.
Pharmaceutical companies love their billion dollar legalized drug-pushing industry.
Americans love being told that we're BROKEN and need to be FIXED.
But none of us have any idea how this is really altering our lives or our brain chemistry. And yet we keep swallowing pills.
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