The drugs don't work...

[milly143]

Or do they? I've been thinking about this over the past few days as I've been feeling a little off colour. Do you think that painkillers and other remedies actually work or is it all just in the mind. (i know there is a word for it, I just cant remember what it is). I dont mean powerful drugs such as codeine as they have obvious effects. I just wander that maybe it is in our heads 'I have taken something for the pain and now it has gone'. What do you think?

[georgit79]

I think the word you're looking for is placebo and yes I think you have a point.

[Chillum]

psychosomatic, and yes, many ailments are all in the head, though that doesn't make the symptoms any less real.

[Gevs1966]

The placebo effect.

It was widely used in WW2 if someone was fatally wounded they would "pretend" to give them morphine to calm them down.

[jimmer]

all drugs are tested against a control (placebo). the drug must work better or more often than a placebo. this does not mean that the drug will always work on every person or discount a psychosomatic effect in some people. It just means that the drug is statistically better than the placebo. Many other factors must also be considered such as:

- how the drug is administered

- personal factors: age, weight, hight etc

- reaction with other drugs

- loads of other things

 

jim

[jimmer]

sorry to go on but an interesting article on the placebo effect is:

 

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf /pages/Placebo_effect?OpenDocument

[mews64]

I'm sure painkillers do work, but I reckon things like sleeping tablets that you don't get on prescription work if you believe it will.

[jacey]

This might be banned, but I'll try anyway. I once had a b/f who smoked rather a lot of weed. One day I told him that I had scored some 'good stuff' for him, I rolled it myself and yes he got well and truly stoned on OREGANO !!!! ;)

[kazza12345]

as a disabled person who suffers a lot of pain i would say yes, the drugs do work