Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with placebo

How to tell if a placebo group is taking regimen as they're supposed to?

ilovehistory — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:15:18 -0800

In double-blind clinical trials, is there a common drug put into the placebo group and the test groups drug to test to make sure the participants are taking the drug correctly? I understand that the administers of the drug are blind, and can't know WHICH group you're in (placebo v. active drug), but is there a way they test your urine to know IF you're taking the drug?

Perhaps somebody has worked in clinical trials or participated in them and knows.

This question is purely out of concern that I didn't report a few food allergies I have and I'm concerned they might put something else in the pills to make sure I'm taking them.

How long did it take you to adjust to taking Synthroid?

specialfriend — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:51:10 -0800

How long did it take you to adjust to taking Synthroid/levothyroxine? I just began taking 25mcg this week and I'm feeling weirder by the day! I've tried googling for info, but all I can find is hysteria-filled message boards claiming levothyroxine is manufactured by Satan himself.

Is homeopathy good for society?

Arcaz Ino — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 04:42:45 -0800

Is homeopathy good for society? How should it be regulated? Are there any good studies to this effect? Possible pros: placebo, reduction of burden on healthcare system, economic benefits of the industry.

Possible cons: rejection of conventional medicine and science, exacerbation of untreated medical problems, scope for "fraud", reduction of money spent on conventional medicine.

How do these things balance out in real life? What are your experiences?

Placebo

zek — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 12:53:43 -0800

Is it possible to buy placebos (sugar pills) online? I tried Googling and get nothing but music albums named Placebo. I want something that looks like a pill, not a Pez or Sweet Tart. The idea is to use it in a home experiment with some herbals and OTCs.

placebo effect.

verisimilitude — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 13:36:27 -0800

PharmaFilter: is the placebo effect halved in a randomized trial when half the patients think there is only a 50% chance they are taking an active compound? Assuming that this hyperthetical trial is double blind randomised and placebo controlled, and that the patients are a aware that half of them have been given a placebo... Would those sub-conscious suspicions, that I assume cause the placebo effect, be reduced as the patients rationalise that there is a good chance that just taking a sugar pill?

Examples of mechanical or software placebos?

grumblebee — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:11:04 -0800

Part One: I've heard people say that the "close doors" buttons in elevators don't work. They certainly don't seem to do anything in my building. Do they not work because of poor design or are they literally (purposefully) not hooked up to anything?

Part Two: Are there other examples of mechanical (or software) placebos? I've heard that the "progress bar" you see when Windows boots doesn't actually mean anything. Microsoft just discovered that people were happier if there was some sort of animation going on while their computer was starting up.