Wrong to say Sushant was treated for depression going by meds: Docs

MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput had been taking medicines for panic disorder and seizures since October 2019, though several senior doctors maintain that it will be "wrong" to say that these medicines were being prescribed for "depression" without knowing the case history of the patient and the probable disorders the late actor was facing.

The experts' view came amid Rhea Chakraborty filing a complaint with the Mumbai Police against her late boyfriend Sushant's sister Priyanka Singh and Dr Tarun Kumar of Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in Delhi and others for offences of forgery, NDPS Act and Tele Medicine Practice Guidelines 2020 for having sent a "bogus" medical prescription depicting Sushant as an OPD person when he was in Mumbai on June 8.

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The remarks also follow several claims being made that Sushant was being treated for depression.

According to sources, Sushant - who was found dead on June 14 this year - was taking medicines like Lonazep 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg, Daxid 50 mg.

Sources said that Sushant bought these medicines on October 31 last year on the prescriptions given by a senior Mumbai doctor.

Similarly on January 10 this year, Sushant had bought medicines like Flunil 20 mg capsule, Ativan 1 mg tablet, Qutipin tablet, Melatonin 3 mg softgel, Modalert 100 tablet, Etilaam 0.5 tablet.

The second lot of medicines were bought on the purported recommendations of another senior doctor, who treated the late actor.

According to senior doctors, Lonazep 0.25 mg Tablet MD is a prescription medicine used to treat epilepsy (seizures), panic and anxiety disorder, while Daxid is used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder, and panic disorder.

Doctors say that Flunil is an anti-depressant which is used in the treatment of disorders like depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.

The doctors also maintained that Ativan 1 mg tablet is used for anxiety disorders, while Qutipin 50 Tablet is a prescription medicine used in the treatment of schizophrenia and is a short-term treatment of jet-lag in adults.

Doctors also explained that Etilaam 0.5 mg tablet is considered an effective anti-anxiety medicine.

Meanwhile, two senior doctors contended that if these medicines were being administered to any patient, it does not imply that he or she was in "depression".

"The usage of the medicines is prescribed by the doctors after viewing the condition of the patient. It will be completely unacceptable to say that these medicines were administered for depression," a well-known psychiatrist in Delhi told IANS.

"While treating a patient, we need to look at the behaviour and many other aspects. Medicines are prescribed to correct the cycle where we view or find any disorder," pointed out the doctor, requesting anonymity.

The doctor also pointed out that Lonazep is an anti-anxiety tablet and it is a commonly used tablet while Daxid is used for depression treatment. Quitipin is used for thoughts, sleeps and number of other treatments.

Similarly, Melatonin is used to improve the sleep cycle and Modalert is recommended for those who feel sleepy in the morning. Etilaam is from the same family of Lonazep, the doctor said.

Another senior doctor also said that looking at the names of the medicines it cannot be concluded that these were being used specifically for depression.

He said these medicines can also be used for anxiety and sleep disorders.

"It is not so. All these medicines are meant for many other conditions. It is not a right way to look at it. Till the time details of the patient are shared one cannot determine or come to a conclusion that it was being used for treating depression," the noted doctor said.

The CBI, Enforcement Directorate and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) are investigating the cause of the death of Sushant.

The CBI has questioned several people including Sushant's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her father Indrajit, her brother Showik, Sushant's ex-manager Shruti Modi, flatmate Siddharth Pithani, Sushant's personal staff Neeraj Singh, Keshav Bachne, Dipesh Sawant and many others.

The ED has also recorded the statements of several people in the last one month.

Meanwhile, the NCB, which registered a case of drug abuse on the request from ED, arrested Showik and Pithani on Friday, while Sawant and others were nabbed in the last one week.

The NCB is also recording the statement of Rhea at its office in Mumbai for the second time on Monday. She was quizzed for over six hours on Sunday by the drug enforcement agency.

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