The Student Room Group

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Reply 1
Read the information sheets they send you very carefully and judge the risks based on that - that's all I can really say.
Loads of the websites that offer trials to volunteers (in my experience atleast) are just pointless.

You have to register with them and then they constantly spam you with emails that are irrelivant to you even when you tick the boxes that say you dont want any other information.
Reply 3
undersecter
Should I go to a clinical trial and has anyone ever been
Anyone knows any websites were I can get further information on clinical trials or any forums just made for clinical trials.


Are you at or near university? If it has a medical school then teaching hospitals often do this sort of research.

To get ethical approval they have to be considered "minimal risk" (either high likelihood of transient mild harm e.g. in pyschological type experiments or low likelihood of more severe harm - comparable to the chances of harm on a scheduled aircraft flight I think was the analogy they've used).

They should tell you what could happen to you - that's part of the informed consent they need.
There was a pretty horrific incident recently where a mistake was made.
I seem to recall the sum of money was not all that great either? I wouldn't risk it. How much are they offering you?
Reply 5
Depends what it is as said. There was that drug that nearly killed six people recently.

I work in a hospital so I see clinical trials all the time. If your going to do one, try doing something like, measuring the cholesterol levels of men between the ages of 45-60 who are overweight. Or asthmatics who smoke, usually there's nothing being injected with these, just blood samples and lung function tests. They pay time and expenses, so you can make quite a bit with absolutely no real risk to your person.

Contact your local hospital to find out if they run any trials and what they are.
Reply 6
Current trials: We are currently recruiting male volunteers for a hayfever trial. We also require volunteers with a BMI between 30 and 41 for an overweight study (there is a BMI calculator on the website).


These sound pretty non invasive. Go fo something like this first maybe?
Reply 7
undersecter
My bmi is nowhere near 30 unfortunately so cant do that one.
I am thinking of changing to the Potential treatment for blood disorders


Scientists are a responsible bunch, if you have any questions about an experiment, then email or write to them, they would I'm sure be happy to discuss any possible difficulties or concerns. The last time I took part in one - for free I might add, I work in a med phys dept - they laid out everything very simply so you knew exactly what was going to happen. I did an ultrasound experiment on the Main arteries that lead to the neck to help in research on strokes. And it was very professional. I also have taken part in an ultrasound experiment to determine bone density for osteoporosis studies. Since I have asthma I could of taken part in several asthma studies but it would of meant taking time off work, I could of used holiday time, or it may well of been unpaid leave so I decided not to. Yes my boss is a bit of an idiot :smile:
Reply 8
I'd be scared to go on clinical trials - you never know the side effects or what can happen :s:

If you want to earn some money, why not contact your local uni and see if they need volunteers for psychology experiments, they'll pay you for doing memory tests and seeing how you're effected by alcohol or caffiene - not so scary things!
Remember, many clinical trials will involve a large number of injections and blood samples. There is a possibility that this could lead to permanent scarring.
undersecter
Should I go to a clinical trial and has anyone ever been
Anyone knows any websites were I can get further information on clinical trials or any forums just made for clinical trials.

Why I want to go?
I need the money and want the money
I will like the food and the entrainment they provide there.
There will be lots of doctors and nurses there if anything happens (safe hand)


Why should I not go?
Don’t know what could happened rot o me
I think they may give loads of money because it could be very dangerous.
What excuse will I make up to my family where I am going for the week?
Friends are advising me against it.
Your friends are right. A few months ago it was reported in the news that 3 men became very ill from participating in a clinical trail which wasn't supposed to be risky at all. I think one died and another lost all his limbs. There are safer ways to make money. If they are offering a lot of money it is dangerous. I find it suspicious they don't say exactly what it is in the info you have.
Reply 11
I would NEVER EVER do it. How much money are they offering and what kind of trial is it?
Some people :rolleyes:

I did 2 clinical trials 2 years ago and I would do it again tomorrow. So there was a freak accident. Do you guys know how many clinical trials are carried out in the country every day? Saying you shouldn't do clinical trials because of that is like saying you shouldn't cross any roads in case you get hit by a bus. C'mon!

The trials I took part in were very well run, I felt extremely safe and knew I was in good hands. Both involved a small amount of blood testing, so if you don't like needles choose something non-invasive. There was quite a lot of sitting around, so take a book to read or something. I met some interesting people, got paid a couple of hundred quid plus travel expenses.

One of my friends did a week long one, for which they got paid over a grand. I don't know if I'd like hanging around with a bunch of strangers for a week though, but for a day it was good fun.
Reply 13
pinkpinkuk
Some people :rolleyes:

I did 2 clinical trials 2 years ago and I would do it again tomorrow. So there was a freak accident. Do you guys know how many clinical trials are carried out in the country every day? Saying you shouldn't do clinical trials because of that is like saying you shouldn't cross any roads in case you get hit by a bus. C'mon!

The trials I took part in were very well run, I felt extremely safe and knew I was in good hands. Both involved a small amount of blood testing, so if you don't like needles choose something non-invasive. There was quite a lot of sitting around, so take a book to read or something. I met some interesting people, got paid a couple of hundred quid plus travel expenses.

One of my friends did a week long one, for which they got paid over a grand. I don't know if I'd like hanging around with a bunch of strangers for a week though, but for a day it was good fun.

Surely if there was no risk, they wouldnt be paying so much in the first place...so i guess its pretty much a question of how much you value your own life :smile:
pinkpinkuk
Some people :rolleyes:

I did 2 clinical trials 2 years ago and I would do it again tomorrow. So there was a freak accident. Do you guys know how many clinical trials are carried out in the country every day? Saying you shouldn't do clinical trials because of that is like saying you shouldn't cross any roads in case you get hit by a bus. C'mon!

The trials I took part in were very well run, I felt extremely safe and knew I was in good hands. Both involved a small amount of blood testing, so if you don't like needles choose something non-invasive. There was quite a lot of sitting around, so take a book to read or something. I met some interesting people, got paid a couple of hundred quid plus travel expenses.

One of my friends did a week long one, for which they got paid over a grand. I don't know if I'd like hanging around with a bunch of strangers for a week though, but for a day it was good fun.
Actually it was reported in the news a lot of people get ill from clinical trails but it's something not mentioned in the news normally. To the sound of it your blood only got tested which is quite different from having drugs pumped into your body. No it is not like crossing the road. For starters we all have to cross roads and the results of doing so are far more predictable.
Reply 15
So what are the best ways of getting into this? I wouldn't mind doing one or two over the next few months to help me with my overdraft :smile:
Reply 17
Wikipedia
one trial volunteer is said to be showing signs of developing cancer


I don't care what the odds are - I would never do it...
Reply 18
vector
I don't care what the odds are - I would never do it...

Wise words :yy:
vector
I don't care what the odds are - I would never do it...

worse still:

Some of the men involved in the trial are said to have been told that they face "a lifetime of contracting cancers and all the various auto-immune diseases from lupus to MS, from rheumatoid arthritis to ME."