A placebo is a pill or other treatment that has no real effect. Once called "sugar pills," doctors would give them to patients because even though they contained no medication, they often worked. Today placebos are commonly used in clinical trials to test the effectiveness and sometimes side effectiveness of true medications.But now researchers at the Harvard Medical School have found a new twist on the effect of placebos. In a small (80 patient, 3-week) study of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), participants were randomly selected to receive no treatment at all, or be given a placebo - and be told it was a placebo. In other words, patients receiving the "sugar pills" were specifically given the information that there was nothing in the pill that would help their symptoms.
The results were remarkable. About a third (35%) of the patients receiving no treatment reported improvement of their symptoms, but a whopping 59% of the patients receiving placebo treatment said their symptoms got better. Even if we assume that around 35% of the second group would have improved anyway - the same amount as in the group who remained untreated - it still means almost a quarter of the second group apparently got relief from pills that they knew had no reason to help them. Indeed, final questionnaires showed that the patients did indeed understand that the pills were placebos.
The researchers' conclusion is: "Placebos administered without deception may be an effective treatment for IBS. Further research is warranted in IBS, and perhaps other conditions, to elucidate whether physicians can benefit patients using placebos consistent with informed consent."
Researcher Ted Kaptchuk was quoted as saying, ""It wouldn't work on a tumor or kill microbes, but it's likely to affect illnesses where self-appraisal is important, such as depression."
What do you think? If a doctor told you honestly that he was handing you pills that had nothing in them to help depression, would you still get relief? Why or why not?
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I have recently read a book on bipolar spectrum disorder, that stated that around 30% of those unknowingly given a placebo to treat bipolar, reported improvement! This is attributed by the author as the power of the brain or wish-ful thinking. I am not sure how long this positive affect lasts, but it is very interesting.
I do not know how it works when it is known to be a placebo, but possibly there are those who believe it is more than just a sugar pill. It would be interesting to find out. But overall, the mind is the strongest medicine, positive or negative.
Hey, Debbie. Come to my house, stay with me 2 weeks, give me sugar pills for the first week. I dare you……………..
I would vehemently protest this practice. In fact, I would find another psychiatrist because this disease is considered a chemical problem within the brain. I think it is dangerous to “mess around” with this!!!