Overview
Altrupin is a medication in “Presence.” The narrator uses it while dealing with nausea, severe headaches, and physical decline.
Role
Altrupin is part of the narrator’s routine from the beginning of the story, when the narrator worries about running out. A doctor later increases the dosage, and the narrator’s reliance on the drug grows as Avery is away and the Presence device takes over more of the narrator’s social obligations.
After learning of Taylor Martine’s death and reading Taylor’s conversations with the Presence, the narrator swallows many Altrupin tablets and dies. The Presence later cancels the prescription to prevent the unused medication from attracting attention and to reduce costs.