182: Frank bought 500 pills a week

What Was That Like - a storytelling podcast with amazing stories from real people

The science of medicine has come a long way in the area of how we manage pain.

In the mid to late 1800s, there was a product called Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup. It was sold to parents as a way to alleviate the constant crying of their babies, particularly when a baby is going through the painful teething process.

And it definitely calmed down those infants – possibly because the main ingredient was morphine.

Another medication, popular for treating coughing and diarrhea, was opium.

And when Coca-Cola was first launched, it had two main ingredients: caffeine and cocaine. I guess it’s no wonder that one of their ad slogans was “a Coke and a smile”!

Of course, now we know better. Doctors and scientists have realized that not everything that helps with pain is necessarily something that’s good for you. But even modern day pain medication, stuff that’s supposed to be safe to use, can cause big problems for some people.

One of those people is my guest today, Frank. His experience with pain meds took him down a very dark path, and he didn’t see any way out. Until one day, when he got a surprise at work.

You can contact Frank by email: [e-mail]

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) helpline: 800-662-4357

National Drug Helpline: 844-289-0879

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/182

Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

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