Dear Pharmacist,

My brother was in a research study and eventually he found out that he was in the placebo group, but he insists his treatment helped anyway. I think it’s all in his mind, don’t you?

--F.B. Santa Rosa, California

Answer: It is, but so what? Placebos are inactive pills/treatments that are tested against ‘real’ medicine to see which works better. Before you dismiss the concept, consider that two groups of people receive knee surgery. One of the groups gets an authentic operation, while the other group just gets sutures placed while under anesthesia. The benefits are similar. And this is mind-blowing: One group of people receives chemotherapy, and another group receives placebo treatment. Both groups lose their hair!

Patenting drugs makes good business sense for companies who need to recoup their money from research and development. But we are missing the most fascinating aspect of clinical trials. There is a miracle happening with approximately one-third of the patients in many research groups that respond to dummy pills. They are getting better because of their belief in the pill they took, even though that pill is a fake! How does a drug that hardly works better than a fake get approved by the Food and Drug Administration? I imagine the conversation goes something like this:

• Scientist at Drug Company: Our ‘Tenbuxapill’ works slightly better than this sugar pill, so we’d like you to approve it.
• FDA: What are the side effects?
• Scientist: Vomiting, seizures, depression, hair loss, headaches, leg cramps and Tourette’s.
• FDA: Can’t we just approve the sugar pill with no side effects?
• Scientist: Shhh.

In recent years, over 150 million annual prescriptions for antidepressants are filled in the United States. Depending on what literature you read, these drugs barely outperform placebos. Some companies have to conduct numerous trials before getting a positive result worth publishing, and then negative studies get filed in dusty cabinets or accidentally shredded. Shhh.

In a recent JAMA study, the researchers poured over 2,100 studies and concluded that the benefits of antidepressants were “minimal or nonexistent” when compared to placebo. I know why too -it’s because medications don’t correct underlying nutrient deficiencies, gene defects, low thyroid or adrenal insufficiency. Lifting the blues will be the subject of a future column. According to this particular study, drugs don’t work any better than duds, yet they cost an arm and a leg!

So what power is within the dud pill that causes it to lessen pain, reduce cholesterol or ease depression? Absolutely nothing, the power is not in the pill, it’s in your belief of the pill’s power. We have an amazing capacity to heal, and we can absolutely generate our own happy hormones, antibiotics, anti-coagulants and pain-relieving opiates. We must get used to the notion that our bodies are the best pharmacy available, but shhh, don’t tell anyone that America’s pharmacist said so.

Did You Know?

Eating oatmeal help you help ‘grab’ and eliminate nasty chemicals that stick to your colon.

 This information is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition.  For more information, visit www.DearPharmacist.com