My cousin was 23 when his fingers shook if he did not drink Rum for one day. He underwent a rigorous treatment of’Disulfiram’, the common antidote for alcoholism, and was also prescribed a medicine called’Cipralex’.
’Cipralex’ belongs to a category of medicines called SSRI antidepressants. It increases the level of a hormone called’Serotonin’ in the brain, which makes people feel happy. It helps to overcome that frustration while they are trying to stop some addiction.(Serotonin can also be increased by exercising, having sweets, falling in love. so on.)
After the first few days of weird side effects(viz. hot flush and nausea), he started getting along with this miracle medicine. It helped him overcome the empty feeling, it made him smile and hum tunes all day. He had a good sleep, had energy to work, and after a month he forgot the existence of the word’Rum’.
All was going well. After 5 weeks he went back to the same doctor and asked him whether he could stop the medicine. The doctor said -’Take it for another 6 months and come back.’ He was a bit surprised; but what the heck? At 400 rupees per month such a happy life. let it be!
The first shock came when he went out of town. he forgot to take his’Cipralex’. That midnight, we got a call from him. his voice was tense -’I think I forgot my medicine, what should I do?’
His mother suggested that he is already having this medicine for the last few months, it should not be a problem if he misses a couple of doses. He replied’Ok’. .But he did sound terrified and controlling himself.
Next night, he called at 2 AM. He mumbled as if he is out of his mind -’I dont know I feel too weird. I cannot bear this. I want to kill myself if I dont get my medicine. Why you cannot understand my problem?’
It was only 52 hours he was without the medicine. Why is he being so fussy? He was asked to come back. So he got back. After reaching home, the first thing he did was take the medicine, then he fell on bed and never moved for 12 hours.
What a weird medicine! We started checking. Medicine shops, doctors, MR’s, nobody seemed much aware about the ill-effects of this medicine. We knew the real fact from another patient. He went to Indonesia for work and had to be admitted to a hospital with drips, after his stock of Cipralex got exhausted. This medicine is not freely available in that country.
If you check websites about antidepressants, you will see. a lot of people suffer from headache, unrest, madness, and a few actually try to kill themselves, if they stop these medicines cold turkey. And doctors here seldom discuss with the patients before prescribing it.
So read the labels carefully if anybody prescribes medicines to help you overcome PMS blues or BPD, or quit some addiction, or get over panic attacks or chronic Deja Vu. if it contains chemicals like’Fluoxetine’ or’Escitalopram’, I would suggest you better buy Cocaine! Effects are close, and you wont die without Cocaine, because its available without prescription in every country on earth!