Homeopathy doesn't do shit, why do doctors prescribe it?
233 replies, posted
[QUOTE=sp00ks;30779861]What about giving people real medicine that actually works? That way they'll get the benefit of the medicine and all the positive thoughts because they believe they'll get well.[/QUOTE]
I'm talking more about people who either suffer from or feel they suffer from pain or illness, but which turns out to have no medical cause. You can use placebo to help treat these 'symptoms' and more importantly try and reduce anxiety and stress in the patient, before trying to tackle the underlying cause, which is generally linked to mental health, such as excess stress, depression, etc.
In the specific case of people who want antibiotics for colds or flus, placebos can help alleviate the symptoms, without the complications of antibiotics (which obviously would have no affect on colds and flus, which are viral in nature) such as the suppression of the immune system or increasing the resistance of dormant strains of bacteria in the body, which can help the creation or spread of superbugs such as MRSA.
What I'm basically saying is that if a placebo and an actual drug would have exactly the same effect on a condition, then a placebo should always be used, if appropriate.
While we're on this subject though, can placebos have any side effects? I mean ones created by the brain, in a sort of opposite to it actually curing.
[QUOTE=Camundongo;30780244]I'm talking more about people who either suffer from or feel they suffer from pain or illness, but which turns out to have no medical cause. You can use placebo to help treat these 'symptoms' and more importantly try and reduce anxiety and stress in the patient, before trying to tackle the underlying cause, which is generally linked to mental health, such as excess stress, depression, etc.
In the specific case of people who want antibiotics for colds or flus, placebos can help alleviate the symptoms, without the complications of antibiotics (which obviously would have no affect on colds and flus, which are viral in nature) such as the suppression of the immune system or increasing the resistance of dormant strains of bacteria in the body, which can help the creation or spread of superbugs such as MRSA.
What I'm basically saying is that if a placebo and an actual drug would have exactly effect on a condition, then a placebo should always be used, if appropriate.[/QUOTE]
Then here's the idea, Placebos should be cheap, a bunch of 'medicine' can be made and given very 'medical' name like nosifex or something, and they can be just cheap sugar pills.
Homeopathy is too expensive and wastes money while a 5$ sugar pill scrip will do the same job just as well.
[editline]29th June 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Nerbil;30780270]While we're on this subject though, can placebos have any side effects? I mean ones created by the brain, in a sort of opposite to it actually curing.[/QUOTE]
yep, if the patient believes it to be.
[QUOTE=Nerbil;30780270]While we're on this subject though, can placebos have any side effects? I mean ones created by the brain, in a sort of opposite to it actually curing.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, the nocebo effect. Tell someone they're going to take a pill that makes them feel sick and there's a chance that they will.
[QUOTE=Nerbil;30780270]While we're on this subject though, can placebos have any side effects? I mean ones created by the brain, in a sort of opposite to it actually curing.[/QUOTE]
If you are told the placebo will have side effects, then you'll feel them whilst taking them. I remember rightly, it happens with actual drugs as well - if you're told the side effects, you're more likely to feel them
[QUOTE=Camundongo;30780244]I'm talking more about people who either suffer from or feel they suffer from pain or illness, but which turns out to have no medical cause. You can use placebo to help treat these 'symptoms' and more importantly try and reduce anxiety and stress in the patient, before trying to tackle the underlying cause, which is generally linked to mental health, such as excess stress, depression, etc.
In the specific case of people who want antibiotics for colds or flus, placebos can help alleviate the symptoms, without the complications of antibiotics (which obviously would have no affect on colds and flus, which are viral in nature) such as the suppression of the immune system or increasing the resistance of dormant strains of bacteria in the body, which can help the creation or spread of superbugs such as MRSA.
What I'm basically saying is that if a placebo and an actual drug would have exactly the same effect on a condition, then a placebo should always be used, if appropriate.[/QUOTE]
I don't think there's anything inherently wrong about the placebo effect. It's uncontrollable really. I remember reading somewhere that a study showed that the placebo effect was proportional to the efficacy of what it was standing in for but they still didn't have the same impact as the actual drug.
[QUOTE=Jabberwocky;30780816]I don't think there's anything inherently wrong about the placebo effect. It's uncontrollable really. I remember reading somewhere that a study showed that the placebo effect was proportional to the efficacy of what it was standing in for but they still didn't have the same impact as the actual drug.[/QUOTE]
But I'm talking about circumstances where a drug would be as efficient as placebo, and effectively would be one, just with side-effects to boot.
It's basically free and a Placebo. If someone is suffering from some sort of mental problem and the Doctor believes he/she can fix it with a Placebo, not spending taxpayers money on real drugs or therapy then I don't see why it's so bad.
[QUOTE=Nubsy;30781039]It's basically free and a Placebo. If someone is suffering from some sort of mental problem and the Doctor believes he/she can fix it with a Placebo, not spending taxpayers money on real drugs or therapy then I don't see why it's so bad.[/QUOTE]
No doctors shouldn't be lying to patents and giving them sugar pills while saying they're something else
[QUOTE=Zeke129;30781677]No doctors shouldn't be lying to patents and giving them sugar pills while saying they're something else[/QUOTE]
if it's something completely psycological like someone thinking they're completely made out of peanut butter when they aren't then that's completely fine to give them a placebo but homeopathy is seriously a glorified placebo and doesn't need to be so damn expensive
I had a person visit my home some years ago who called herself a "Reiki Master," which falls into this bullshit category. I just politely nodded and said "Oh, wow" while occasionally looking at my mom to exchange eye-rolls.
[B]Her:[/B]"I recently went to a seminar on performing Reiki treatments over long distances and over the phone!"
[B] Us:[/B] "Oh, neat."
[B]Her:[/B] "I had a patient who was complaining about chronic back pain, so I told him to think about [some bullshit] before bed. And that night, I had a dream that I was in his house, which I've never been to, went into his room and saw on his back a glowing red rod. So I reached out and removed the rod. The next day, he called me back and said that he felt a presence that night, and [I](ZOMG RLY?)[/I] his pain had gone away!"
[B]Us:[/B] "Oh, neat."
If I was older, I would have asked her which comic book she cut her certificate from.
Ugh, these people do more damage than they know.
[QUOTE=wlzshroom;30788506]if it's something completely psycological like someone thinking they're completely made out of peanut butter when they aren't then that's completely fine to give them a placebo but homeopathy is seriously a glorified placebo and doesn't need to be so damn expensive[/QUOTE]
No if someone thinks they're made out of peanut butter I think anti-psychotic medication would be a better fit
[QUOTE=Zeke129;30789322]No if someone thinks they're made out of peanut butter I think anti-psychotic medication would be a better fit[/QUOTE]
Yeah, even though I would really love to know how it feels to be completely made out of peanut butter. That actually seems awesome.
[QUOTE=ForgottenKane;30792336]Yeah, even though I would really love to know how it feels to be completely made out of peanut butter. That actually seems awesome.[/QUOTE]
The sounds horrible, imagine getting stuck to the roof of your own mouth.
[QUOTE=Mingebox;30792959]The sounds horrible, imagine getting stuck to the roof of your own mouth.[/QUOTE]
I am crying with laughter! Oh god!
Herbal medicines work. But most of the ones that hippies and such rave on about don't do much of anything at all. One person who used to be a friend of my mother would dilute incredibly fine silver powder in water. They didn't measure the concentration, but considering that it didn't taste metallic and had no visible particles, it was [b]very[/b] low. They used it as a miracle cure for everything. Their children were a bit on the sickly side, and had bad acne. I wonder why.
[QUOTE=Mingebox;30792959]The sounds horrible, imagine getting stuck to the roof of your own mouth.[/QUOTE]
I need to stop browsing FP at work. Covering laughter with a fake coughing fit is starting to hurt my throat.
[QUOTE=DarkendSky;30797297]Herbal medicines work. But most of the ones that hippies and such rave on about don't do much of anything at all. One person who used to be a friend of my mother would dilute incredibly fine silver powder in water. They didn't measure the concentration, but considering that it didn't taste metallic and had no visible particles, it was [b]very[/b] low. They used it as a miracle cure for everything. Their children were a bit on the sickly side, and had bad acne. I wonder why.[/QUOTE]
Which eventually turns you blue:
[img]http://www.citeste-ne.ro/wp-content/uploads/Argyria.jpg[/img]
Silver is a hell of a drug.
[QUOTE=Camundongo;30798160]Which eventually turns you blue:
[img]http://www.citeste-ne.ro/wp-content/uploads/Argyria.jpg[/img]
Silver is a hell of a drug.[/QUOTE]
Hahahahahahahahahaha!
I knew that silver could stain skin but this is rich.
[QUOTE=Jabberwocky;30799265]Hahahahahahahahahaha!
I knew that silver could stain skin but this is [b]rich[/b].[/QUOTE]
Intended? :v:
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