Your article could not have been more timely. My doctor decided to try steroids for my pain. I was excited. I kept a journal and graphed the results on MS Excel. In addition to graphing the data, I graphed the trends. The pain level trend looked like a smilely face - high at first slowly going down and slowly going back up. The activity trend looked like a frown - low at first slowly going up then slowly going back down. This is the first time I have experienced the placebo effect. It probably has something to do with the fact that I have been in pain for 10 years now - even on opoids. I am so desperate for hope.
Thanks for the article
Wayne
Not really. I work at the schizophreniaconnection.com site for HealthCentral so I have a kind of related experience. My pdoc switched me from my old medication to a new one called Geodon. As soon I took the first dose, I told myself it was going to work out. Indeed, I noticed an improvement within three days whereas sometims it usually takes a couple weeks for these drugs to kick in.
I'll never be certain if the power of my immediate positive thinking caused the drug to work so quickly, yet I always wondered about this.
Regards,
Chris
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In my own experience I've found that a positive atitude is very important.
I know it's very hard to do sometimes especially if someone has tried several
meds with little or no relief.
Having a good relationship with your MD is very important too.
Just my 2 cents.
C Murray
I agree, Chuck. I've always believed in the importance of a positive attitude in feeling better, but it's exciting to see just how much difference it can make in the effectiveness of a treatment.
Thanks for sharing your 2 cents. :) – Karen