Nah, It's Cool

Have you ever been writing some historical fiction and wondered "hey, I wonder if my characters would have been able to pop an ibuprofen in 1977?" Well, you're in luck, because this post is all about when common medications became available:

Acetaminophen: 1950

Albuterol: 1969 (UK) 1982 (US)

Allopurinol: 1966

Alprazolam: 1981

Amitriptyline: 1961

Amlodipine: 1990

Amoxicilin: 1972

Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine (together as Adderall): 1996

Apixiban: 2012

Aripiprazole: 2002

Aspirin (first NSAID): 1899

Azidothymidine (first antiviral): 1987

Barbital (first barbiturate): 1903

Bupropion: 1985

Buspirone: 1986

Calcium Carbonate (TUMS): 1930

Captopril (first ACE inhibitor): 1981

Chlordiazepoxide (first benzodiazepine): 1960

Chlorothiazide (first thiazide diuretic): 1957

Chlorpromazine (first antipsychotic): 1952

Cyclobenzeprine: 1977

Diphenhydramine: 1946

Furosemide: 1959

Fluoxetine (first SSRI): 1988

Gabapentin: 1993

Glipizide: 1984

Hydrochlorothiazide: 1959

Ibuprofen: 1969 (UK) 1974 (US)

Insulin: 1923 (though many types of insulins would become available over the next century)

Imipramine (first tricyclic antidepressant): 1959

Iproniazid (first antidepressant (MAOI)): 1952

Levothyroxine: 1927 (though desiccated pork thyroid was used for the same reasons as early as 1890)

Lisinopril: 1987

Lithium: 1949

Losartan (first ARB): 1995

Lovastatin (first statin): 1987

Naproxen: 1976 (Rx) 1990 (OTC)

Nitrogen Mustard (first chemotherapy agent): early 1940's

Methotrexate: 1947

Methylphenidate: 1954

Metformin: 1957 (France) 1995 (US)

Metoprolol: 1978

Montelukast: 1998

Morphine: early 1800's

Omeprazole: 1989

Penicillin: 1945

Phenbezamine (first antihistamine): 1942

Prednisone: 1955

Propranolol (first beta blocker): 1965 (UK) 1967 (US)

Sertraline: 1990

Spironolactone: 1959

Sulfanilamide (first modern antibiotic): 1935

Tolbutamide (first oral anti-diabetic drug): 1956

Tramadol: 1977 (Germany) 1995 (US)

Trazodone: 1981

Valacyclovir: 1995

Verapamil (first calcium channel blocker): 1964

Warfarin: 1954

Morphine: early 1800's

Aspirin (first NSAID): 1899

Barbital (first barbiturate): 1903

Insulin: 1923 (though many types of insulins would become available over the next century)

Levothyroxine: 1927 (though desiccated pork thyroid was used for the same reasons as early as 1890)

Calcium Carbonate (TUMS): 1930

Sulfanilamide (first modern antibiotic): 1935

Nitrogen Mustard (first chemotherapy agent): early 1940's

Phenbezamine (first antihistamine): 1942

Penicillin: 1945

Diphenhydramine: 1946

Methotrexate: 1947

Lithium: 1949

Acetaminophen: 1950

Chlorpromazine (first antipsychotic): 1952

Iproniazid (first antidepressant (MAOI)): 1952

Methylphenidate: 1954

Warfarin: 1954

Prednisone: 1955

Tolbutamide (first oral anti-diabetic drug): 1956

Chlorothiazide (first thiazide diuretic): 1957

Metformin: 1957 (France) 1995 (US)

Furosemide: 1959

Hydrochlorothiazide: 1959

Spironolactone: 1959

Imipramine (first tricyclic antidepressant): 1959

Chlordiazepoxide (first benzodiazepine): 1960

Amitriptyline: 1961

Verapamil (first calcium channel blocker): 1964

Propranolol (first beta blocker): 1965 (UK) 1967 (US)

Allopurinol: 1966

Albuterol: 1969 (UK) 1982 (US)

Ibuprofen: 1969 (UK) 1974 (US)

Amoxicilin: 1972

Naproxen: 1976 (Rx) 1990 (OTC)

Cyclobenzeprine: 1977

Tramadol: 1977 (Germany) 1995 (US)

Metoprolol: 1978

Captopril (first ACE inhibitor): 1981

Trazodone: 1981

Alprazolam: 1981

Glipizide: 1984

Bupropion: 1985

Buspirone: 1986

Zopiclone (first "Z-drug"): 1986

Lovastatin (first statin): 1987

Azidothymidine (first antiviral): 1987

Lisinopril: 1987

Fluoxetine (first SSRI): 1988

Omeprazole: 1989

Amlodipine: 1990

Sertraline: 1990

Gabapentin: 1993

Losartan (first ARB): 1995

Valacyclovir: 1995

Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine (together as Adderall): 1996

Montelukast: 1998

Aripiprazole: 2002

track of a lot of this stuff

but hey, it’s useful.

Bodily autonomy (like abortion, anti draft, etc) -> “The government shouldn’t be able to force anything on my body I don’t want.”

Anti surveillance -> “I don’t trust big government/big tech (big brother if you’re feeling frisky) with the ability to spy on me and my family.”

Immigration -> “Next to all of us immigrated at some point, I don’t see why the elites get to decide who’s allowed to be where. What’s to stop them coming for me?”

Climate Change -> “Big oil shouldn’t get to determine whether or not I get to go places. I don’t want to be dependent on some big business to survive.”

State Violence -> “I don’t want the goddamn secret police breathing down my neck! I trust my community a whole hell of a lot more to help me than I do the state!”

It’s the corporations. You know, the ones that make bank off how dependent the entire country is on their overpriced cars and gas.

The very same corporations who bankroll their pick of government representatives that they keep in their pocket. You know, the ones that make decisions on laws and regulations and everything.

Laws of the sort that could improve the quality of life for all of us if only they would push for reform of the country’s transportation systems.

Which they will never do, because the corporations that own them and their votes wouldn’t make as much money off an America that has good public transportation systems.

And guess what happened next? Ford made the model T so affordable that by 1929, there were 23 million automobiles on the roads.

So then guess what happened? Automobile (mainly GM), tire, truck, petrol, and oil companies got together to gain control of the mainly electric public transit in major cities, which they then tore out. They put busses into play instead— because they benefited from and monopolized the sales of them. (To be fair, the streetcar systems were far from perfect. But there was clearly an over eagerness to remove them.) In 1949 they all got in trouble, if you can call it that. For example the treasurer of GM was fined $1. Sure, the GM busses were in service for decades, but at the cost of the railway system, and at the gain of the diesel industry.

Let me make myself clear— they were pushing out railroads and electrical street cars to push for cars and busses powered by gasoline and diesel.

In 1956, a bill was signed that authorized 25 billion dollars for the construction of 41,000 miles of highway paid for (on the federal side) by taxes on gasoline and diesel. Aka- More pushing for cars funded by gasoline giants.

Then there’s the entire deal of the government funded home loans favoring car-dependent suburban neighborhoods over inner city public-transit dependent neighborhoods, further pushing people towards needing cars.

All this to say— the American government and the fuel and automotive industries are in bed together and have been for decades.

part-timer watanuki, you'll always be famous

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Byrds Artist

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Rose told Shane she was sad she couldn't have sex with a new guy she was seeing because she was on her period. Shane suggested she just "hold it in"

Ilya thought Sveta needed a whole box of tampons every period

Their second time having sex, Shane took Rose's bra off over her head because he couldn't figure out the clasp

It took Ilya almost 10 years to realize Sveta wore wigs. He thought she was just really good at styling and manipulating hair

Shane almost screamed when he saw Rose remove her strip lashes

Ilya still cannot pronounce balayage

Shane cannot differentiate between Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, and Julia Roberts

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“Native people used to live in this National Park” No. They still do.

“Native people used to tell these stories-” No. They still do.

“Native people used to use this plant as a natural remedy-” No. They still do.

to live in this National

Park” No. They still do.