MovieChat Forums > Das Leben der Anderen (2007) Discussion > about the medicine

about the medicine

posted 8 years ago by churchr-1
4 replies | jump to latest

What is the story about the illegal medicine. Would the pharmacy also be in trouble, or was she doing something like forging prescriptions or taking the medicine for the wrong reasons?

[–] MuchToBeGratefulFor 8 years ago

They were painkillers, and she was taking them because she was addicted. I assume she was getting them on the street, not at a pharmacy.

You must be the change you seek in the world. -- Gandhi

[–] churchr-1 8 years ago

But they arrested her in a pharmacy, or at least that's what I thought it was.
The addiction would explain other things too, like how she'd tell them anything to get free. Well, not free obviously, not in East Germany in 1984, but you know what I mean.

[–] justxme 8 years ago

Christa-Maria bought the pills from a dentist to be exact. The medication was called Aponeuron. It was originally meant to help against depression or even just listlessness. Some people used it as a kind of energy provider because it made your blood pressure rise, it widened your air ways and generally lifted your mood. So it was the perfect drug for an actress and celebrity who needed to be cheerful whenever she was on public events.

In the 70s and early 80s it was widely prescibed in the GDR but later forbidden because of its side effects (for example severe depressions when you stopped taking it regularly).

And yes, I guess the dentist was looking at charges for illegally dealing with medicines.

[–] churchr-1 8 years ago

Thanks, I appreciate the help.