A Spoonful of Placebo

I'm not feeling well. I'm heading home to take a "placebo"!

Okay Einstein, I have no clue what you're talking about; but I'm curious.

I was surprised to find half of doctors in a recent survey admitted to prescribing placebos to their patients. They do it because, in studies, patients report feeling better.

Yeah... I remember my Aunt Sofie insisted her doctor prescribe a "pill" for all her maladies. I never told her that some were just vitamins, yet she was convinced they did the job!

These pills can be sugar pills, or over the counter medications ' the key being that they have no impact on the disease. Yet in many cases, patients report their symptoms improve!

That's good for them, but they may not realize their doctors face a dilemma every time they prescribe a placebo. That's because it's considered unethical for them to do so without telling the patient.

This is considered informed consent.

The dilemma exists because ' as you're probably thinking ' if patients knew they were taking placebos the effect would be lost. But now a new study suggests that may not be true.

In the study, patients suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS were told they were receiving an inactive placebo. Even the pill bottle was labeled ' "Placebo." However, in many cases, these patients reported positive effects.

At the end of three weeks, patients were surveyed, and there was a significant positive difference between those receiving the placebo and those receiving nothing at all.

Some are critical of the study, suggesting that open-minded people took part in the study and "wanted" a positive effect therefore clouding the results.

Yet the findings remain interesting and may pave the way for informed use of placebos for chronic diseases. The report also adds to the on-going discussion that psychological treatments may lead to physiological benefits.