I'm truly knocked out by this story from the UK Guardian (via BoingBoing) about patients in a Persistent Vegetative State that have been awakened with the popular sleep aid Ambien.
You'll want to read the whole story, but here's the heart of it:
The remarkable story of this pill and its active ingredient, zolpidem, begins in 1994 when Louis Viljoen, a sporty 24-year-old switchboard operator, was hit by a truck while riding his bike in Springs, a small town 30 minutes' drive east of Johannesburg. He suffered severe brain injuries that left him in a deep coma. He was treated in various hospitals before being settled in the Ikaya Tinivorster rehabilitation centre nearby. Doctors expected him to die and told his mother, Sienie Engelbrecht, that he would never regain consciousness. "His eyes were open but there was nothing there," says Sienie, a sales rep. "I visited him every day for five years and we would speak to him but there was no recognition, no communication, nothing."
The hospital ward sister, Lucy Hughes, was periodically concerned that involuntary spasms in Louis's left arm, that resulted in him tearing at his mattress, might be a sign that deep inside he might be uncomfortable. In 1999, five years after Louis's accident, she suggested to Sienie that the family's GP, Dr Wally Nel, be asked to prescribe a sedative. Nel prescribed Stilnox, the brand name in South Africa for zolpidem. "I crushed it up and gave it to him in a bottle with a soft drink," Sienie recalls. "He couldn't swallow properly then, but I helped him and sat at his bedside. After about 25 minutes, I heard him making a sound like 'mmm'. He hadn't made a sound for five years.
"Then he turned his head in my direction. I said, 'Louis, can you hear me?' And he said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Say hello, Louis', and he said, 'Hello, mummy.' I couldn't believe it. I just cried and cried."
14 Comments:
Read that yesterday, definitely an interesting story. Many things we don't know about the way we work as well as the way we react to various stimuli.
Of course, this is the sort of things certain groups like to use to fire Salvos in the Terri Schiavo case, even though that was an entirely different situation. A lack of sufficient education prior to debate always irritates me...
wow man that's an amazing story! It's hard to believe that a sleeping aid could wake somebody up...
just goes to show how much we still don't understand about medicine...
ps. nice blog - been reading for awhile and thought i'd break my lurker status :)
That's an amazing story, Stu. The switches that can be turned on and off inside the human brain are so mysterious.
As you know from reading my blog, I've used and abused many substances. I realize most of that has been either mental masturbation or a sort of russian roulette involving my cognitive abilities. However, a couple of the (illegal) things I took had what I consider to be profoundly positive effects. This is why I so strongly oppose the jackbooted tactics employed by the fed these days as regards drug prohibition.
Well, never mind all that. What I meant to say was "Thanks for turning me on to something so interesting!"
James,
Your last point about sufficient education rang a clear chord with me. I'd like to be elected president long enough to enact massive, sweeping educational reforms, not just for children, but for all humans. I am reminded of Robert DeNiro's line in Awakenings, after he has a relapse and Robin Williams is nearby. He tells Robin to get the camera, and after the camera is rolling, urges Robin by saying, repeatedly, "Learn, learn, learn..."
Mr. Fabulous,
Do Pez have different effects depending on the head they pop out of?
Melinda,
Hey, awesome! I really appreciate your delurking. I love commenters! As an aside, why isn't it spelled commentors, like doctors?
I never heard of you before, so I checked out your London blog. It's really well executed. On first blush, your writing is candid, forthright, and liberal in volume. I appreciate someone who treats their blog as a combination diary and open-mic night at the theatre (just like I really enjoy spoken word shows). I am psyched to have another quality blog to read.
As for what we don't understand about medicine, it is exciting. Will there be a day when we solve all problems, save where to find the perfect General Tso's Chicken?
suldog: I've avoided anything more than secondhand substance abuse myself but I have always been critical of the laws regarding drug control, specifically on marijuana though not exclusively. My biggest beef has to do with cigarettes and alcohol being perfectly legal while pot is treated as some horrible killer substance.
Medically and statistically pot has been a far safer substance then either of the other two but it continues to be given a very bad rap while old cirrhosis juice and cancer sticks continue in glory. I'm in favor of a drink every now and then, really I'm in favor of people doing what they want as long as it doesn't infringe on other people's enjoyment of life, but the hypocrisy involved just overwhelms me.
stu: Education is so highly underappreciated that it's just depressing. The value of encouraging the desire in people to learn, to educate and therefore empower themselves is beyond measure. Our brains have far greater capacity than any hard drive and far greater processing power than any supercomputer. We have so much potential and many of us use just so little of it.
If you ran on a platform to really raise up our standards of education, to get people, even children, to read the news, to really teach biology, to really value history, to stop the denial that goes on in sex education, and to just fuel that burning desire to learn, then you'd have my strong support. Like the saying goes, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
James,
I agree with your sentiment. Pot is illegal, but booze and cigarettes are legal...?
To be clear, I think that it should be the reverse. Ever heard of someone getting high and then smashing a pool cue over someone else's head? Ever heard of someone getting high and then killing their spouse? Ever heard of someone getting high and then driving their car into a bus-stop lined with children?
James,
I am with you on the education tip. All of your planks are great, and there are so many others. Education should be the new Money.
Anyone heard of a pharmacy site called www.1medstore.net? I got great generic Ambien and Hoodia mg from them delivered to me in quickly. They ship with Fedex! I used the promo code FIRST and I got $15.00 off my order. I know it is still valid since my friend just ordered...anyone else heard of www.1medstore.net? I really like them! Sarah
My name is Catherine Snow and i would like to show you my personal experience with Ambien.
I have taken for 1 years. I am 57 years old. Works great if I take it on an empty stomach, and get right into bed. If you take it and try to keep yourself awake, you can override the pill and be up all night.
Side Effects :
None.
I hope this information will be useful to others,
Catherine Snow
I highly recommend Ambien if you need help falling asleep Ambien is the best, I bought it from WWW.MEDSHEAVEN.COM no prescription required. MF
I recommend this to people who want to continue WITHOUT sleep. There are better and SAFER drugs. Ambien makes you sleep walk and do things that are stupid. And if you have kids I truly don't recommend this.
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