BENGALURU: The pandemic took a toll on many people, and with so many changes in their lives and around the world, many were not able to cope with it and started having panic attacks, anxiety and even insomnia, say, psychologists.
The availability of sleeping tablets provided relief for some as they were able to buy them without prescriptions online, and over the counter in a few stores. “I work night shifts for almost 15 days a month, due to which I face issues falling asleep at night. I tend to consume tablets as it helps release stress and I fall asleep easily,” said Abhay (name changed), a data analyst. He blamed his poor lifestyle and work stress for consuming the tablets. He said he often consumes other tablets — without prescription — which make him feel drowsy and eventually fall asleep.
Arushi (name changed), a Master in linguistics, was popping sleeping tablets for a few months last year;
she had persistent anxiety attacks for which she was taking medicines. She said she did not have a prescription for sleeping tablets, but could get them because her father is a general physician and knows pharmacists.
Advocate Prajjwal Sharma said the sale of a prescribed drug in any pharmacy or online store can cause cancellation of licence, and a penalty can be imposed on them. He also said that regulatory bodies have taken steps to monitor the sale of drugs, but due to the vast online market and lack of regulation at the ground level, tracking becomes difficult.
Like Sharma, Nimesh George, a psychologist, said there is a lack of regulation in the pharmacy sector, and people tend to sell the tablets for profit. The lockdown created a sense of panic and anxiety in people, and might have been the reason to consume the pills, George said.
Doctors said that most often, people consume melatonin for insomnia, depression, chronic pain or dementia. Long-term consumption of melatonin can lead to the reduced natural production of melatonin in the body, symptoms like dizziness, nausea, headache, abdomen cramps and tremors, and low blood pressure can also occur due to it.