Placebo or not placebo!?! ................... That is the Question!

The medicine in our minds....................

................. is an article discussing the benefits of the placebo affect, this particular study involves a gentleman with Parkinson's but the article is really quite interesting as it delves into how the brain works with a placebo.

bbc.co.uk/news/health-26191713

17 February 2014 Last updated at 01:08

By Olly Bootle BBC's Horizon programme

This will be the discussion and subject matter in tonight's Horizon program on beeb2 at 9pm for those who are interested

I shall be watching!

xxxsianxxx

[nedd]

Look forward to reading it latter thanks.

[fenbadger]

That will be interesting. Claudia Hammond or Mark Porter (radio4 regulars) did a prog on "does a placebo still work even if you know it is?" Amazingly the answer was "yes", but it depended partly on the state of positivity of the patient. I'll try to watch that if I don't fall asleep. I'm still shattered after the Fibrolympics, and 2 disqualifications.

[Hidden in reply to fenbadger]

Yeah! i thought that with this and their suggestions it has to be a very controlled experiment!!

...................... but what grinds my gears is doctors prescribing placebo's to patients without them knowing!! I keep reading stories about it and it makes me shudder with despair Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr LOLOLOL

As for the fun and frolics it entertained me all weekend and the furries 'squeak squeak' heheeheheheh

I'm so fatigued now from all the constant air pressure changes up here, I lost my appetite and everything for about week and a half only just got it back I should get gold for sleeping

[fenbadger in reply to Hidden]

It's yours. It was great fun. Full marks.

Yeah I seem to remember some discussion about the ethics of using them. They're ok in a trial where the patient is warned it might be placebo or it might be the treatment.

[fenbadger]

Pint of placebo please

[Hidden in reply to fenbadger]

Is that a new cocktail !?!

What goes in it?

[fenbadger in reply to Hidden]

I don't know but whatever you're on, I want some

Any ideas?

[Hidden in reply to fenbadger]

I have no idea what you mean

tramadol ?

in virtuality it would be like a banana daiquiri without the tramadol of course!!

[Hidden in reply to fenbadger]

You could have some of my chocolate slimmers milk shake, It`s really yummy

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

hot or cold?

with marshmallows or ice-cream?

cheers sue xx

[fenbadger in reply to Hidden]

Hehehehe. I like the bit on the packet that says

"caution, do not take with alcohol as it may increase the soporific effect".

Isn't that the desired result?

So slimfast, banana, marshmallow AND ice cream umm

Hey look at this creased me up.

youtube.com/watch?v=fvxqnQm...(Not working as expected?)

[Hidden in reply to fenbadger]

I have a few with destructions like that.............. you know the ones that spoil your social life

Can't hit your link maybe needs a tweeking

[fenbadger in reply to Hidden]

Yeah, don't they just.

Hmm. I'm no expert. It still works for me. Try copy and paste it into the address bar. That worked too.

If anyone has an answer please help.

[Hidden in reply to fenbadger]

did you put a space at the end of the link, just I've done it myself before

[fenbadger in reply to Hidden]

Possibly bad badger

[Hidden in reply to fenbadger]

And yes copy and paste too

Very crazy banana song and very entertaining but also annoying so shall show the OH later...... How wicked of me LOL

[fenbadger in reply to Hidden]

Wahay! Perhaps I should have warned you. I got an earworm for weeks. Just could not get the song or the video out of my head. grrr

I wonder what you call the visual equivalent of an earworm?

[fenbadger]

Ta Sian, that was interesting. The trials were double blind after all. It was interesting the lady who knew she was on placebo and got symptoms again when the pills ran out. I think it also links in with Emma's point about opioid receptors some time ago. Too tired to write much now. more tomorrow I expect. Haven't had my dose of daftness today, or posted owt. If I have, then it's def time for the zzzzzzzzzzzzzz s.

So can I have a hot SueSian cocktail with tramadol pls and a fluffie on a stick

- oh better not it contains ice cream,

I'm the nut it doesn't contain : P

ps there's an interesting thread going on over in cholesterol (heart UK) about red wine and flavonoid. I think they're vaguely related to well being too. It's all a bit of a 3 D web. . .

[Hidden in reply to fenbadger]

Very interesting and I agree with you about our previous conversation with Emma about opiods too.

I found it all to be a bit 'state the obvious' in parts but shall discuss later, with some daftness which also has the placebo affect without taking a pill!!!

Interesting studies especially the woman who knew she was taking it...................... power of the mind works wonders doesn't it???

One criticism from me.............. only related to one patient per trial with exception to the racing one at the start not enough in connection to when it didn't work a bit biased in places for me but I do have a strange thought process

[Hidden in reply to fenbadger]

P.S: I fell asleep again and woke at 10:30pm and said to self 'darn it I slept through that programme!! '

[TheAuthor]

Hi zeb73

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you can be today?

Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us, it is really interesting and thought provoking!

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken x

[Hidden in reply to TheAuthor]

Hi Ken how are you? when's the op?

Glad you found it interesting and thought provoking, did you watch Horizon as well as read the article?

If not you can catch it on iplayer

chat soon take care my friend

xxxsianxxx

[TheAuthor in reply to Hidden]

Hi zeb73

I sincerely hope that you are as well as you can be today? My operation is on the 26th Feb so not long to go now! Thank you so much for asking.

I really enjoyed the Horizon Programme and I thought it was really interesting.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken x

[Hidden in reply to TheAuthor]

Hi Ken crikey that's come around quickly I shall be thinking of you and ways to keep you entertained during your recovery xx

I found the Horizon programme interesting too and food for thought though I'm not sure I felt it all to be good but quite worrying in parts

If placebos work then fantastic but my question is.............

If you don't know you're taking a placebo and you get rushed into hospital and they want to know the medications that you are taking, how do you know that you're not being given a specific treatment because of the combination of meds you take?

For example: say you take 5 types of drug A-E, unbeknown to you drug C is a placebo. You get to hospital and they treat you according to your problem but also by what medications you take. New combatent drug G could help you but because of Drug C they cannot give you it!! Now if Drug C is a placebo then you'd be allowed to take Drug G??? wouldn't you? but you would never know!!!

That's what I don't like about it

Food for thought

Wishing you both wellness as always and sending many warming healing fluffies xx

[TheAuthor in reply to Hidden]

Hi zeb73

I sincerely hope that you are as well as you can be today? I agree totally with you on this, as it can affect your ability to get the proper medications as and when you actually need them, especially in an emergency.

Thank you for your kind words about my recovery, I shall really look forward to what you can come up with for me, as I will be spending a lot of time on the computer.

Take care my friend

Ken x