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Started By
Message
Can you test a pill to see if it’s a “sugar pill”?
Posted on 11/24/23 at 11:57 am
Posted on 11/24/23 at 11:57 am
A friend of mine’s wife is in a medical trial for kidney disease and the trial consists of, obviously, a real drug and a placebo (aka “sugar pill”) and my buddy is frantic to know if she’s getting the drug…
I suggested he test one of the pills somehow but we couldn’t find any “home placebo testing kits” or any information on what May actually be in the placebo.
Any thoughts?
(I’m betting a sugar pill would react differently in water or vinegar or whatever, but he doesn’t have a clue what the “whatever” could be)
eta: I know it’s OT but I’m hoping for at least a few good ideas
I suggested he test one of the pills somehow but we couldn’t find any “home placebo testing kits” or any information on what May actually be in the placebo.
Any thoughts?
(I’m betting a sugar pill would react differently in water or vinegar or whatever, but he doesn’t have a clue what the “whatever” could be)
eta: I know it’s OT but I’m hoping for at least a few good ideas
This post was edited on 11/24/23 at 12:01 pm
11
Posted on 11/24/23 at 11:58 am to yankeeundercover
Put it on the ground and see if an ant shows up
Posted on 11/24/23 at 11:59 am to yankeeundercover
Tell him to snort it and see if the drip is sweet or not sweet
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:01 pm to Chad504boy
quote:not all placebo pills are made of sugar. some are just water pills. some starch. some salt.
Put it on the ground and see if an ant shows up
I'm shocked people sign up for blind studies. no way I'm doing that if disease is fatal.
This post was edited on 11/24/23 at 12:03 pm
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:01 pm to yankeeundercover
She's in a dang trial. If anything, sit him down and explain that. Speak slowly. Then stay out of it.
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:03 pm to yankeeundercover
Break it open and mix with a little kool aid and see if it tastes ok.
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:04 pm to Sao
quote:Try speaking slow enough to a husband of a dying wife for him to “understand”…
She's in a dang trial. If anything, sit him down and explain that. Speak slowly. Then stay out of it.
And I definitely tried that… I’m not like overly invested, but it’s difficult to see long-time friends struggle.
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:17 pm to yankeeundercover
Unfortunately that’s the risk you take in a trial - someone has to be the control group
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:24 pm to yankeeundercover
It's not a sugar pill, it's a placebo and very likely the pill is made up of the exact same binders and filler material as the "real" one.
If she isn't frantic, then tell your friend to chill out. If she is, then she shouldn't have signed up for the trial.
If she isn't frantic, then tell your friend to chill out. If she is, then she shouldn't have signed up for the trial.
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:25 pm to yankeeundercover
quote:
Try speaking slow enough to a husband of a dying wife for him to “understand”…
I imagine that is very hard. Assuming she is participating in this blind trial because other known treatments have failed her, it seems like this may be her only real shot right now. As difficult as it is, him knowing would change nothing. I would invest my time in prayers and taking care of her the best I could. She has my prayers now, too.
ETA And we would rob her of any benefits she may gain from the placebo effect as another poster mentioned.
This post was edited on 11/24/23 at 12:41 pm
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:26 pm to yankeeundercover
quote:
Try speaking slow enough to a husband of a dying wife for him to “understand”…
They have placebo groups for end-of-life drug trials? That seems a bit cruel. But giving away the placebo status of a drug trial. That would make a great ethics class debate.
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:29 pm to yankeeundercover
The placebo effect is freaking real. Your friend should be doing everything possible to convince the wife that she’s taking the actual drug. Even if she isn’t, I’ve seen people respond amazingly to a placebo…the human mind is a wonder, and there are things in this world that we may never understand. The power to shape our reality through belief is one of them. He’s doing her a disservice by encouraging doubt.
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:37 pm to yankeeundercover
Your buddy needs to buy a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. It'll be really easy from there.
This post was edited on 11/24/23 at 12:39 pm
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:39 pm to salty1
quote:
He’s doing her a disservice by encouraging doubt.
This big time. I would also assume before the trial they signed some waivers and what not related to this, and if she stopped taking it due to it being a placebo could be very liable under the control.
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:39 pm to MoarKilometers
quote:
Your buddy needs to buy a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. It'll be really easy from there.
And what would he gain? It wouldn’t make them switch her to the actual med and he would lose any impact the placebo effect could have had for his wife while endangering what could be a life saving medical trial.
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:40 pm to faraway
quote:
no way I'm doing that if disease is fatal.
If disease is fatal and there is really not much else that can be done, you wouldn't want to try something that might help?
Posted on 11/24/23 at 12:42 pm to OweO
quote:
If disease is fatal and there is really not much else that can be done, you wouldn't want to try something that might help?
Right. People who participate in these trials who have a fatal disease often do so because it’s the last resort.
Posted on 11/24/23 at 1:00 pm to LSUGrrrl
Is the control group for this trial/study an actual placebo or are they benchmarking against a separate standard?
Posted on 11/24/23 at 1:05 pm to OweO
quote:
OweO
While we're on the subject, when you were in the Descovy Prep trial, did you get real or Placebo?
#Notjudgingyourlifestyle
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