1.08.2008

48% of Doctors Prescribed Placebos

Doctors said placebos can calm a patient; supplement other treatments; satisfy a patient's unjustified demand for medication; control pain, etc. A few doctors said they give placebos just to get the patient to stop complaining.

Placebo treatments included vitamins, herbal supplements, saline infusions, dummy pills and doses of medicine too low to be effective.

One of the most common placebo treatments was giving antibiotics for viral infections that don't respond to antibiotics... read on.

Second Epinion: There are a lot of therapies and treatments that have no scientific evidence, yet I find myself and see other doctors turning to them for especially difficult patients with unreasonable expectations.

When all other scientifically proven methods have failed, turning to alternative or complimentary treatments may be beneficial. Even if they have not been proven scientifically, it does not mean they have no merit. While I would never prescribe antibiotics when contraindicated, I would consider chiropractics for someone who has back pain if other methods have proven unhelpful.

1 comments:

  1. This doesn't surprise me one bit and I support them 100%. Some people just can't get enough of their drugs. If you think you know so much Mr. Patient, why aren't YOU the one with the MD?? I'm thinking of one of my hypochondriac friends in particular. Can you spell P-S-Y-C-H-O?? And she can't figure out why it seems like no doctors want to treat her. Duh.

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