Placebos Work -- Even Without Deception

An anonymous reader writes "For most of us, the 'placebo effect' is synonymous with the power of positive thinking; it works because you believe you're taking a real drug. But a new study rattles this assumption. Researchers at Harvard Medical School's Osher Research Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have found that placebos work even when administered without the seemingly requisite deception. The study was published on December 22 in PLoS ONE."

Comments

Homeopathic Medicine

[Sonny Yatsen]

If deception isn't necessary for placebos to work, does this mean the homeopathic medicine advocates can admit it's bullshit now?

Re:Homeopathic Medicine

[happylight]

If it works, how can it be bullshit?

Re:Homeopathic Medicine

[Sonny Yatsen]

The theory is bullshit. They dilute a compound until they're essentially giving somebody water and claiming that the water will have some memory of some compound being dissolved in it and that will cure people of their illnesses. Placebos might work, but the theory is pure bunkum.

Re:Homeopathic Medicine

[MartinSchou]

People insist on antibiotics, but antibiotics are no better than placebos on viral infections, and placebos don't cause antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria to evolve.

Well, sure, you say that now, but just you wait until we get placebo-resistant strains of bacteria! What'll you do then?!? ;)

Re:Homeopathic Medicine

[EllisDees]

From the New England Journal of Medicine:

"Among 74 FDA-registered studies, 31%, accounting for 3449 study participants, were not published. Whether and how the studies were published were associated with the study outcome. A total of 37 studies viewed by the FDA as having positive results were published; 1 study viewed as positive was not published. Studies viewed by the FDA as having negative or questionable results were, with 3 exceptions, either not published (22 studies) or published in a way that, in our opinion, conveyed a positive outcome (11 studies). According to the published literature, it appeared that 94% of the trials conducted were positive. By contrast, the FDA analysis showed that 51% were positive."

Re:Homeopathic Medicine

[Abcd1234]

I'm glad the internet can prove me wrong. But try it. It's shocking how much energy you have.

Ironic you should cite your anecedotal claims, based on personal, subjective perception, in an article about the placebo effect...

Same Deception

[Anonymous Coward]

The lack of misinformation doesn't negate the plethora of ignorance - their probably thinking "they're just saying this is a placebo to test if it's really working".

I can relate...

[dejanc]

I have allergies each spring. After I tried several different medications, I finally found one which advertises as "non-drowsy" - essentially a low dose of loratadine. I started taking it and yeah, it both worked and didn't make me feel sleepy all day long.

A couple of months later, I talked to a friend who is a doctor, and he told me (not knowing that I take that medication) that clinical studies for the medication showed that it worked for about 50% of people who took the drug, as well as for around 50% of people who were on placebo (I can't remember if it was 50, but the percentage was about the same). I read some more upon it, and the conclusion most knowledgeable people made was that the dosage of loratadine in the drug is too low, and that it works only as a placebo.

Knowing what I know, I still take that medication and it still helps me. Perhaps the low dosage really works for me, but more likely, I keep being fooled by a placebo I know about...

I feel better already!

[boristdog]

I'm cured by just reading about these amazing placebos!