What Drugs Are Our Astronauts On?

Here is the list:

1. Booze: "developing space brews"
   
2. Modafinil: "optimize their performances, no matter how fatigued""
   
3. Scopolamine: (& Dexedrine) "CIA even experimented with the stuff as a truth serum in the ‘60s"
   
4. Zoledronat: "to slow the effects of low-gravity bone-mass loss"
   
5. Anti-moon dust pills: "to minimize the effect of tiny particles suspended in the lung"
   
6. Tranquilizers: "in case anyone goes all suicidal or psychotic in space"
   

Source

I was kind of surprised at some of the attitudes toward opiate use in space. As I quickly skimmed the other attached article to the submission on Slashdot, I could have sworn I saw an imaginary fear mongerer!

"'Sure, it hardly makes for a civilized evening aboard ISS, but it beats someone blowing the hatch because they think they saw something crawling on one of the solar panels.'"

A few cocktails of the above is surely on way to relieve moments of complete boredom while in such a lonely isolated world in space. *hic*

Woah...that's kind of odd.

I'd want my guys up there to be sottly tober. I understand the tranqs in case someone starts to go crazy, but the rest...dexis...that's intense.

And don't forget to: Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
(first thing that I thought of )

never come to think they used any actually. interesting

I don't think humans would actually survive long in any environment without the use of some sort of compensatory chemical. We evolved in a world with uncountable natural substances that help moderate and/or alleviate the imbalances that result from life.

Why should it be any different in space? When it gets a bit scary is when they make available strong, artificial drugs. Up there, you would only have a limited variety of medications/drugs and if one went too far one way, would the antidote be readily available?

I think the Russians have shown tho, that even near drunkenness will non get in the way of successful operations.

Originally posted by wayno
I don't think humans would actually survive long in any environment without the use of some sort of compensatory chemical. We evolved in a world with uncountable natural substances that help moderate and/or alleviate the imbalances that result from life.

Why should it be any different in space? When it gets a bit scary is when they make available strong, artificial drugs. Up there, you would only have a limited variety of medications/drugs and if one went too far one way, would the antidote be readily available?

I think the Russians have shown tho, that even near drunkenness will non get in the way of successful operations.

Exactly. We look the way we do because we have evolved to look this way overtime to "better" survive with the conditions on THIS planet. So when we're in space, it's a totally different element.

Originally posted by J.Son79
Exactly. We look the way we do because we have evolved to look this way overtime to "better" survive with the conditions on THIS planet. So when we're in space, it's a totally different element.

It that a suggestion that when we live on Mars or the Moon that we might be doing drugs which are legal there but illegal here?

I can seriously see it happen!

Somehow, it seems the slow evolution into space tends to side on how government militias wants to control the unknown.

That space brew might be a great source for protein.

[edit on 5-12-2009 by dzonatas]

this to me is not surprising

here on earth our people in the military take similar types of drugs

id expect no less from our guys in space


there are many difficulties of living in space, im sure some of those drugs are needed

id also be interested in seeing how medical marijuana weighs up against some of those pills they are taking as far as symptom relief goes


im sure as we develop more in space there will be many more drugs used for space travel


it also wouldnt shock me one bit to see certain drugs allowed in space yet illegal down here and vice verse

Originally posted by Dramey
id also be interested in seeing how medical marijuana weighs up against some of those pills they are taking as far as symptom relief goes

I would hardly consider cannabis as an anti-psychotic for those that does use it often enough even if it does help balance for those that do. People who don't use cannabis on a regular/recreational basis probably would be more susceptible to a psychosis-like state. I tell people who want to try it for medical reasons that they need to at least use it for at least 3 days in order to get past the initial effects. I found most people "who try it" relate the experiences of this initial period rather than the experience of ongoing effects.

It's no different from other drugs that psychiatrists with prescribe where they also prescribe another drug to help dampen the initial effects of any new prescription.

it also wouldnt shock me one bit to see certain drugs allowed in space yet illegal down here and vice verse

Drugs that help conserve food supply, maybe?

reply to post by dzonatas


i agree fully with the fact that people with no tolerance are more likely to experience the psychotic effects, i also agree only "users" of the drug would experience beneficial anti psychotic effects

however there are 2 things i wish to address regarding that situation

1 is that we know long term use can help in the treatment of psychotic events, thats been studied medically and why it is prescribed in areas where legalized to those with schizophrenia and other types of mental illnesses

2. that is the case with just the knowledge and control we currently have with the substance

in knowing that the substance has the potential to help people with psychotic situations tells us that there is a specific chemical present in medical marijuana that treats this symptom

with further research and development we can harness said property to be used more effectively, with less of the initial side effects when one 1st begins to "try" medical marijuana

on top of that, there are many other things i am sure astronauts face in space that may be benefited from either medical marijuana use as we know it now, or may be benefited from any number of derivatives designed by the marijuana plant itself once further research and development takes place



in space, we can grow through the use of hydroponics, it would be very beneficial to be able to grow and isolate specific medical drugs right on the ship rather then having to ship them up from earth or bring a stockpile that can run out


possibly medical marijuana with all the research and development in the world may be non beneficial in space, or maybe it will be the thing that allows to travel farther then ever

we truly dont know the full potential and that is the sole reason i suggest studying the substance in full


we want to map the entire human dna and understand every little strand, lets do the same thing with medical marijuana and other substances with medical potential and lets see how things are after that