Copyrighted: Dr. Eeks (Erinkate Stair, MD, MPH)
Listen now: Click here to listen to “Truth Serum” from my Causes or Cures website, Apple, Spotify, etc.
Disclaimer: Entertainment only. I am not a public health historian. I am a gremlin who reads too much and asks weird questions.
The Hook:
Once upon a time, a drug from the nightshade family slipped into delivery rooms, interrogation rooms, and urban legends. It promised truth. It delivered confusion, amnesia, and a lot of ethical heartburn. Meet scopolamine—the “truth serum” that wasn’t.
What You Will Hear:
*The myth of truth serum and why scopolamine never earned the badge
*How “twilight sleep” in childbirth created the legend
*What scopolamine actually does in human bodies: sedation, amnesia, suggestibility
*Modern misuse and crime stories, including the burundanga label in parts of South America
*Real risks and why ethics and consent matter
*A thought experiment: if a real truth serum existed, would society want it?
Why Listen?
A sharp, strange, funny tour of medicine, memory, and power, where a drug’s reputation outruns its evidence. If you like history with a side of ethics and a wink, this one is your snack.
Also…it’s good to exercise your imagination. At the end of this bonus episode, I ask the question, “Do you think truth serum (as in a truth serum that actually works) would be good or bad for society?” I’d love to hear your thoughts on that. Feel free to post them below or email me: erin@bloomingwellness.com. I’m looking forward to reading some creative answers.
References cited in the podcast
I list references at the end of the audio. You will find links in the show notes section on the episode page.
Please help keep Causes or Cures Independent and Gloriously Weird!
Quick FAQ
Was scopolamine ever a true truth serum?
No. It can reduce inhibitions and create amnesia, but it is unreliable and can produce false memories.
What is scopolamine used for today?
Commonly for motion sickness and certain GI issues under medical supervision. It is not used as a truth serum.
What was “twilight sleep”?
A historical childbirth practice using morphine and scopolamine that produced sedation and amnesia rather than true pain relief.
Guys, I’m also trying to resurrect my Youtube channel from being hijacked by a chode who turned it into a free-for-all for pirated Indian soap operas I couldn’t pronounce. Some of my favorite Causes or Cures episodes will be posted there, along with my quirky health and life takes. The truth serum episode is posted, and you can watch it here:
Other episodes or blogs you might enjoy:
COVID didn’t start the distrust. It made it obvious. Read my take here.
Is this liquid combination the secrety to longevity? Find out here.
As always, thank you to everyone who supports the show and helps keep it independent with a small monthly contribution. I refuse to let a big pharma company or a big wellness company buy the podcast, even if that means turning down lucrative deals. If you’d like to support the show, or as I like to call it “support the science-story magic”, you can do so here. I really appreciate it.
Work with me? Perhaps we are a good match! ;)
You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
Follow Eeks on Instagram here.
Or Facebook here.
Or X.
On Youtube.
Or TikTok.
SUBSCRIBE to her WEEKLY newsletter here! (Now featuring interviews with top experts on health you care about!)