It's not a controlled experiment.
That is what they do when they give you a antibiotic when you have a viral fever.
Original post by TensorTympani
That is what they do when they give you a antibiotic when you have a viral fever.
😅😅 I think they give in to patients constant pestering.
Original post by Arher john
Can a doctor prescribe placebo without you knowing
They cna give you things that have some amount of placebo effect (so giving you an antibiotic could both help the infection directly and make you feel some placebo effect because you feel like you are actively doinh something about the issue). They could give you things that they aren't certain will work which could end up just being placebo (sometimes doctors don't know exactly what will help so use some educated trial and error). They shouldn't knowingly give you just a placebo though. And if they think that something is just having placebo effect they should really want to take you off it. Well if it's an actual medication at least cos they can have side effects that aren't worth it for just a placebo. Not something like an apple a day to keep the doctor away. Apples are fine to be eating anyway so if there's a placebo there too it's just a bonus really. There no reason a Dr would need to stop you eating apples just cos it gives you a bit of placebo.
Some people would argue that some things doctors use are just placebos (like some people think that anxiety meds aren't much more than placebo), but I'm not talking about that kinda stuff. That's something that is a recognised treatment and is given for that reason. It's not given with the intent of being just a placebo.
I'm talking about if things were given for no other reason than placebo. A doctor should not be giving you sugar pills for an infection and telling you they will cure it. That's knowingly giving somebody something that has no real potential to help just for placebo. That's not something a doctor should do.
Is there any particular situation or type of situation you're thinking of here? The term placebo can often be used in slightly different ways so what I've said up there might not be totally relevant to what you're thinking of.
Original post by TensorTympani
That is what they do when they give you a antibiotic when you have a viral fever.
No, it is not. Giving antibiotics for a viral infection is against NICE Antimicrobial Guidance. Heck it's against their most basic medical training. It would only increase the risk of antibiotic resistance and is malpractice if (and I am aware, when) it occurs.
Doctors can prescribe any drug but the point of a placebo is not knowing it's a sugar pill...i watched a programme about 100 people suffering from pain were all put on morphine or a placebo none knew which they were having after a period of time the statistics were 40 percent on the placebos thought it was morphine feeling no pain so in my eyes they can....hope this helps
Original post by Marsden1967
Doctors can prescribe any drug but the point of a placebo is not knowing it's a sugar pill...i watched a programme about 100 people suffering from pain were all put on morphine or a placebo none knew which they were having after a period of time the statistics were 40 percent on the placebos thought it was morphine feeling no pain so in my eyes they can....hope this helps
Although interestingly I believe some research shows that a placebo can be effective even if the person knows its a placebo. I guess maybe that comes down to them believing in the placebo effect just as much as real medicine so getting a placebo placebo effect. That or sugar is really a brilliant medicine.
Original post by RegisteredBMS
No, it is not. Giving antibiotics for a viral infection is against NICE Antimicrobial Guidance. Heck it's against their most basic medical training. It would only increase the risk of antibiotic resistance and is malpractice if (and I am aware, when) it occurs.
It still happens constantly because so many people feel antibiotics solve everything. That’s why we have such a problem rising with bacteria becoming resistant.
Original post by Bio 7
It still happens constantly because so many people feel antibiotics solve everything. That’s why we have such a problem rising with bacteria becoming resistant.
I did state in the post you quoted that I am aware it happens.
It isn't why we have antimicrobial resistance occurring. Resistance was always going to occur naturally and some bacteria are intrinsically resistant to some antibiotics.
It is a contributor to increasing resistance mechanisms. MRSA is barely the edge of the antibiotic resistance picture. 10 years ago Extended Spectrum B-Lactamase's were the worry in regards to resistance and now they're common. Laboratories don't even flag them to the Infection Control Nurse's anymore. Carbapenem Resistant Bacteria are the worry now, mainly because if they combine with other mechanisms than we have a big issue since Carbapenem's are often used as a last resort.
We've still got plenty of antibiotics to use, and bacteria resistant to Carbapenem's are still uncommon nevermind bacteria that are resistant to them and more, but in 20 years I wouldn't be surprised if they're common.
Original post by RegisteredBMS
I did state in the post you quoted that I am aware it happens.
It isn't why we have antimicrobial resistance occurring. Resistance was always going to occur naturally and some bacteria are intrinsically resistant to some antibiotics.
It is a contributor to increasing resistance mechanisms. MRSA is barely the edge of the antibiotic resistance picture. 10 years ago Extended Spectrum B-Lactamase's were the worry in regards to resistance and now they're common. Laboratories don't even flag them to the Infection Control Nurse's anymore. Carbapenem Resistant Bacteria are the worry now, mainly because if they combine with other mechanisms than we have a big issue since Carbapenem's are often used as a last resort.
We've still got plenty of antibiotics to use, and bacteria resistant to Carbapenem's are still uncommon nevermind bacteria that are resistant to them and more, but in 20 years I wouldn't be surprised if they're common.
It isn't why we have antimicrobial resistance occurring. Resistance was always going to occur naturally and some bacteria are intrinsically resistant to some antibiotics.
It is a contributor to increasing resistance mechanisms. MRSA is barely the edge of the antibiotic resistance picture. 10 years ago Extended Spectrum B-Lactamase's were the worry in regards to resistance and now they're common. Laboratories don't even flag them to the Infection Control Nurse's anymore. Carbapenem Resistant Bacteria are the worry now, mainly because if they combine with other mechanisms than we have a big issue since Carbapenem's are often used as a last resort.
We've still got plenty of antibiotics to use, and bacteria resistant to Carbapenem's are still uncommon nevermind bacteria that are resistant to them and more, but in 20 years I wouldn't be surprised if they're common.
I know it was always going to happen, but with people wanting antibiotics for absolutely everything, even viral infections, it doesn’t help the problem.
I dread to think what the case will be within a few decades.
Original post by Kindred
Although interestingly I believe some research shows that a placebo can be effective even if the person knows its a placebo. I guess maybe that comes down to them believing in the placebo effect just as much as real medicine so getting a placebo placebo effect. That or sugar is really a brilliant medicine.
Or is it about being listened to? One of the major differentiators between complimentary medicine (and also the private practice of conventional medicine-but here there is the added complication that a private consultant may be doing things of clinical value in the additional time) and ordinary NHS conventional medicine is the time spent with a patient.
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