Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Placebo Effect

This is scary. I guess the vast majority of people take the prescribed medication, and have no desire to know exactly what they're taking but it is no wonder people end up in ER's with allergic reactions and other adverse effects(even antibiotics could react with other meds), they have no clue what they're taking.



I would want my doctor to be honest with me,tell me if there was nothing else that could be done. False hope is worse then no hope.

3 comments:

Lee Ann Thill said...

So many people will demand antibiotics for something like a cold, and don't come across as willing to accept that they just need to ride it out. Doctors concede for a variety of reasons. When I worked in a hospital a few years ago, the hospital was really big on customer service because they needed to be making a profit. There were patients and families who were insanely unreasonable about things (and also just insane), but the hospital would bend over backwards to try and keep them happy. Doctors try to avoid things that will send patients out the door shopping for a new doctor. It's just another example of how capitalism poisons health care, and how people assume they're entitled to things even if those things don't exist (like a cure for a cold).

Cara said...

I HATE going to the doctor. It's no fun. This probably stems from the diabetes. I don't go unless I'm dying or it's my endo appointment.
And, doctors prescript antibiotics for virals all the time. It's stupid and makes no difference at all. Cold = virus = antibiotics DON'T WORK!
If people would just stop thinking that a pill could fix everything it wouldn't be so bad.

Christine said...

Placebo doesn't necessarily mean sugar pill in this case. If you go to the ER with vague flu symptoms, they may give you IV fluids. You don't need IV fluids. You're not dehydrated. But you feel better afterwards, and they did no harm. Placebo.

Antibiotics for a viral infection- placebo.

Telling you to take a multivitamin, often times, a placebo.

Etc, etc.