# What drugs were found to have totally different uses **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506 "2013-10-29T00:07:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/41 "2013-10-29T20:25:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Lyrica (pregabalin) is now commonly used to treat anxiety disorders but it was originally developed to treat epileptic seizures. It’s also used for neuropathic pain, such as diabetic neuropathy. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/42 "2013-10-29T21:48:19Z")
> [@Cognoscant](#): > > Botox (botulism toxin) was used for cosmetic surgery. Then some wonderful doctor whose hand I would like to shake wondered, if botox can paralyze nerves which cause facial wrinkling, maybe it could do something about the misfiring nerves which cause chronic migraine. It worked and I am living proof that it does: at one point I was experiencing over 20 days with migraine a month, and now it’s more like 1 every two months. Thats good, I’m surprised facial nerves play such a strong role in migraines. I thought migraines were mostly about blood flow and dilating blood vessels, but that could just be a subset of migraines. Botox is also helpful for depression. Both causing it and treating it, depending on how it is used. If you get it in your frown lines it can make you less depressed, if you get it on your crows feet it can make you more depressed. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/43 "2013-10-29T22:34:03Z")
Topamax is an anti-seizure med, but it can **really** help some migraine sufferers. Not me, I tried it, I am allergic. Interesting though, it also suppressed appetite, I had to _remind_ myself it was time to eat. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/44 "2013-10-29T22:57:24Z")
> [@Cognoscant](#): > > Botox (botulism toxin) was used for cosmetic surgery. Then some wonderful doctor whose hand I would like to shake wondered, if botox can paralyze nerves which cause facial wrinkling, maybe it could do something about the misfiring nerves which cause chronic migraine. It worked and I am living proof that it does: at one point I was experiencing over 20 days with migraine a month, and now it’s more like 1 every two months. And before that, it was used for muscle spasticity. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/45 "2013-10-29T22:59:14Z")
> [@The Poysynous Undead](#): > > Topamax is an anti-seizure med, but it can **really** help some migraine sufferers. Not me, I tried it, I am allergic. > > Interesting though, it also suppressed appetite, I had to _remind_ myself it was time to eat. It has a formulation called Qsymia that has been marketed for appetite suppression. I had already retired when it came out, but I’ve never heard from anyone who said they had dispensed it. Prozac was tested as a weight loss drug too, because some people do experience some weight loss when they start it. Of course they do; it’s notorious for causing nausea. Effexor is even worse. ---
**Author:** ![horsetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@horsetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horsetech)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/46 "2013-10-30T02:03:17Z")
Mirapex (pramipexole) and Requip (ropinirole) are Parkinson’s drugs that are also used for restless legs syndrome. It hasn’t become mainstream yet, but some depression researchers are also using them for treatment-resistant depression. Mirtazapine is an antidepressant that is sometimes used to STIMULATE appetite in people who are chronically ill or really old and losing weight without meaning to. Doxycycline is an antibiotic that also has anti-inflammatory properties and is used in some conditions like rosacea because of these properties. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/47 "2013-10-30T02:22:23Z")
[Nitrogen Mustards](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_mustard) ended up finding use as chemotherapy drugs, after chemical weapon development. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/48 "2013-10-30T02:48:37Z")
> [@horsetech](#): > > Mirtazapine is an antidepressant that is sometimes used to STIMULATE appetite in people who are chronically ill or really old and losing weight without meaning to. Cyproheptadine is an antihistamine that is also used as an appetite stimulant. In addition, intravenous mirtazapine is being used experimentally by some OBs to treat hyperemesis gravidarum when standard remedies fail. By all accounts, it’s a near-miracle drug. ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/49 "2013-10-30T02:55:27Z")
Ciclosporin was originally used to prevent the rejection of organ transplants, but is now also prescribed for dry eyes. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/50 "2013-10-30T03:01:05Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > [Nitrogen Mustards](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_mustard) ended up finding use as chemotherapy drugs, after chemical weapon development. Mustargen ointment has been used for psoriasis and mycosis fungoides, when less drastic treatments fail. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![gremlin\_moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c89c15/32.png) [@gremlin\_moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gremlin_moon)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/51 "2013-10-30T07:04:15Z")
Ketamine was used for veterinary anesthetic induction and is now being used to treat severe depression. Similarly, scopolamine (also once used in an anesthetic capacity) is used in a patch form to treat nausea but is now being used to treat major depressive disorder. It is also has a sordid history of use by criminals to drug victims. I was doing a patent search the other day and a patent for using follicular gonadotropin quite randomly found its way into my keyword search. Follicular gonadotropin is used in fertility treatments, but the patent was for its use in treating _streptococcus pneumoniae_, cancer, auto-immune diseases, heart diseases and more. [EP2185172A2 - Use of follicular gonadotropin releasing peptide as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of streptococcus pneumoniae infection - Google Patents](http://www.google.com/patents/EP2185172A2) The patent holder is Mondobiotech, a Swiss drug-discovery company. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/52 "2013-10-30T17:41:23Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I find it fascinating that loperamide (Immodium), an antidiarrheal, is an opioid. Not nearly as strong and more selective than morphine, of course. Given the fact that constipation is a regular (no pun intended) side effect of most opiates, this isn’t too shocking. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/53 "2013-10-30T17:51:11Z")
Reserpine was also initially used as a sedative, and then it was used as one of the first antihypertensives. Nowadays, it’s most commonly used for thyroid storm. ---
**Author:** ![pharmguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d26b3c/32.png) [@pharmguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pharmguy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/54 "2013-10-30T18:05:29Z")
Prazosin, an anti-hypertensive that block alpha-1 receptors, is used off label to help with PTSD nightmares. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/55 "2013-10-30T23:17:22Z")
> [@pharmguy](#): > > Prazosin, an anti-hypertensive that block alpha-1 receptors, is used off label to help with PTSD nightmares. Did you see that PBS program about medical marijuana? There’s where I found out about that myself. Prazosin is also used for benign prostatic hypertrophy. Cialis is too, as anyone who watches network TV knows. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/56 "2013-10-30T23:19:16Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Given the fact that constipation is a regular (no pun intended) side effect of most opiates, this isn’t too shocking. Dextromethorphan is an opiate derivative too. Heroin was used as a cough remedy at one time, and codeine still is. So is hydrocodone (Vicodin) for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/57 "2013-10-30T23:32:07Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I find it fascinating that loperamide (Immodium), an antidiarrheal, is an opioid. Not nearly as strong and more selective than morphine, of course. Side note: is Imodium likely to cause a fail on a pre-employment drug test? My husband tends to have a touchy digestive system, and is looking for work in a field where such testing is very likely. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/58 "2013-10-31T00:11:03Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Dextromethorphan is an opiate derivative too. Heroin was used as a cough remedy at one time, and codeine still is. So is hydrocodone (Vicodin) for that matter. Dextromethorphan is dissociative at very high doses and is sometimes used recreationally for this effect. This is sometimes called “Robotripping”. As far as I can tell, robotripping is legal in most or all areas of the US if you are in a private location (so as not to commit Drunk in Public) and not responsible for anyone’s safety (not taking care of kids, not driving a car, etc., so as not to commit Child Neglect or DUI) It is probably illegal for a pharmacist or drug manufacturer to recommend using it in this way, though. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/59 "2013-10-31T02:44:42Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Aspirin is the first answer to the OP that popped into my mind. > First used to treat pain, now used to help prevent myocardial infarctions and as a therapy to relieve some of the effects of a stroke. I was surprised that this one took so long to get into the thread. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506/60 "2013-10-31T02:51:29Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > Side note: is Imodium likely to cause a fail on a pre-employment drug test? My husband tends to have a touchy digestive system, and is looking for work in a field where such testing is very likely. Very unlikely. You’d be more likely to fail a drug test from eating a poppy seed muffin (I originally typed “poopy”) than from this, and that smacks of urban legend anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-were-found-to-have-totally-different-uses/672506.md?page=4)