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How to tell if a drug is a placebo?

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Z

Zolty

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2005
3,603
0
0
Speak to the doctor in charge of the study, they might tell you if you have your mother's consent and you sign some sort of confidentiality agreement. Don't expect anything though.
 
GasX

GasX

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
29,033
6
81
Pretend you are an AIDS patient in the early 80's. Throw a party for everyone else in the trial and have everyone put their pills in a bowl and then divvy them out equally.

That way everyone gets half a useful dose and no useful data is obtained from the trial. Awesome!
 
B

BD2003

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
16,815
1
81
Originally posted by: dullard
Originally posted by: BD2003
He's not an idiot...he's asking a very rational thing. His mom is in some sort of experimental study, and obviously she wouldnt be if there wasnt something wrong. The study needs the control group, but no individual actually wants the placebo...

Its not as if it matters though...the docs don't know either. Theyre going to give her the pills she gets, and theyre not going to change her group, even if she did find out.
Click to expand...
Sometimes you want the placebo, sometimes you don't. It just depends on what type of study we are talking about. If you are a healthy person and they are testing if a new drug is harmful, you probably want to be paid to take the placebo. If you are a sick person and they are testing if a drug helps a disease, you probably want to have the drug.

I'm just pointing out that your bolded statement is only true half of the time. So far, we don't know which situation she is in.
Click to expand...

This is true of course, but I dont think he'd be asking if it wasnt a matter of disease.
 
GasX

GasX

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
29,033
6
81
Originally posted by: Zolty
Speak to the doctor in charge of the study, they might tell you if you have your mother's consent and you sign some sort of confidentiality agreement. Don't expect anything though.
Click to expand...

Drug trials are typically run under a "double blind" design in which neither the patient nor the physician knows if the patient is on drug or placebo. The only way to find out is if there is an adverse event which warrants breaking the blind to find out if the study drug is causing it.
 
GasX

GasX

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
29,033
6
81
Originally posted by: dullard
Originally posted by: BD2003
He's not an idiot...he's asking a very rational thing. His mom is in some sort of experimental study, and obviously she wouldnt be if there wasnt something wrong. The study needs the control group, but no individual actually wants the placebo...

Its not as if it matters though...the docs don't know either. Theyre going to give her the pills she gets, and theyre not going to change her group, even if she did find out.
Click to expand...
Sometimes you want the placebo, sometimes you don't. It just depends on what type of study we are talking about. If you are a healthy person and they are testing if a new drug is harmful, you probably want to be paid to take the placebo. If you are a sick person and they are testing if a drug helps a disease, you probably want to have the drug.

I'm just pointing out that your bolded statement is only true half of the time. So far, we don't know which situation she is in.
Click to expand...
Phase I trials involving healthy volunteers are rarely placebo controlled.
 
B

BrownTown

Diamond Member
Dec 1, 2005
5,314
1
0
it would be easy to find out, just run it threw in IR machine, or mass spec, or anything like that.
 
mugs

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
1. Have her take the drug as instructed until the end of the study.
2. They will probably tell her at the end of the study which group she was in.
3. ...
4. ?

What do you plan to do if you find out it is a placebo? Have your mom stop taking it and screw up the study? If she wants to be in a drug study, she needs to play by the rules.
 
C

Compton

Platinum Member
Feb 18, 2000
2,522
1
0
narzy

narzy

Elite Member
Feb 26, 2000
7,006
1
81
a lot of us have access to sophisticated lab equipment or at least know someone who does, for a fee I could tell you what was in it...
 
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