Can some people be more susceptible to placebos?

I think rubylady if you are still breathless and you are using the Ventolin according to the instructions you should go back to the doctor. Well done for giving up smoking

Galen That is interesting about aspirin. I am sitting here with mine dissolving in my glass. I take it for my heart condition but for some time now I have been complaining of breathlessness and wheezing and have recently been prescribed a ventolin inhaler. A visit back to the quack maybe?

I have ordered a sisal bath scrub on an extended handle to whack myself on the back to help ease this breathlessness, thinking it could be the rubbish on my lungs from smoking, gave up nearly 21 weeks ago. I do feel like it needs pounding like in cystic fibrosis to loosen the catarrh but noone to do it for me so I'll try my bath brush when it comes and let you all know how it goes.

I don't care if something is a placebo as long as it works on pain.

I think that Placebo's and the benefits of a caregiver with a "positive bedside manner" have been known for many centuries of medical practice. It probably reduces stress which gives the physiological benefits of relaxation less muscle tension etc.

A "kiss it better" method known to work by most parents.

I develop an apparent allergy to Aspirin when in my thirties. All I can relate it to was that these swelling only occured after taking Aspirin. First half my tongue swelled up. Another couple of months later when I had another aspirin all my tongue swelled up and after the third one, the whole of my face ballooned up. A big jab of antihistamine sorted it , but it was unpleasant.
I did have some allergy tests but it was suggested that Aspirin was a likely cause and since I stopped taking it I have never had a recurrence. The problem is I can't take NSAIDS either so no voltarol type rubs allowed. I havent yet found any heat rub type product without any salicilates in.

In answer to the question of this theme in the manner of the Churchill dog 'Oh Yes'. In my early student nurse years we were allowed to give an injection of sterile water for pain if it was thought by the doctors the patient needed to be weaned off - worked every time. Not allowed to do anything like that now its unethical and probably illegal. I do it to DH though - not with jabs but with other subtle ways. He's such a hypochondriac!!

Sorry anya I didn't think hand cream could cure a disease. But you do see folk claiming all kinds of things for the placebo effect e.g. cancer cures

My physio uses Polar Frost gel and I swear by it. It also comes in a roll on form which is very handy for popping in your handbag-also prevents your fingers from freezing!!

jingl what eminent brains?

I can't take aspirin, people with asthma should not take NISAIDS of which aspirin is one. They can trigger asthma

Researchers found that pretend meds don’t do much for people who tend toward hostility. They work best for those who are naturally resilient, and altruistic.

That's interesting bags. I remember reading about trials of new medications always being performed on men, including those for pain relief during labour. The article was suggesting that this would explain why some treatments were less effective for women who responded differently but on whom no tests had been done.

I remember that report that ibuprofen was more effective for men than for the women, and the reason that it had not been picked up on first testing it - the early testing was on medical student volunteers, who were mostly men.

My GP agrees with me that ibuprofen is less effective for many people (including me) than aspirin. Years ago I read about a study which suggested that ibuprofen was more effective for men than for women. It seemed reasonable at the time but I can't remember what the different effect was ascribed to. Hormones?

It's prescribable, and no good reason why you shouldn't get it on prescription if it works for you!
Bully him! It works!

Volarol or Ibuprofen gel have absolutely no effect on me, although so many swear by it- perhaps I'm too thick-skinned!
I'm interested in your ideas durhamjen, especially as I grow most of them, and even if it's the rubbing in that relieves pain at least it reduces pill popping.

I agree about Voltarol Galen. Unfortunately it's quite expensive so Gp's don't prescribe it as much as they used to but I swear by it. It's better than everything else. We had one Dr that used to say that rubbing talc onto your skin had the same effect as most creams as it was the warmth that helped but he didn't suffer from arthritic pain himself and wasn't the most sympathetic of people.

Well, we all get it don't we durhamjen?!

To be honest, I've never tried Voltarol Emugel because it's got diclofenac as the active ingredient, and I'm scared of that stuff. I know you don't get much when you take it through your skin, but still...

You sound very authoritative on the subject of pain, jingl.
I believe capsaicin can be rubbed in for pain, and eating chilli peppers can also reduce pain. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in chilli peppers.
If I have a headache, I just rub neat lavender oil into my temple and it goes away. I only rub it on for a short time, so it's not the action of rubbing that works.
Both Jane and Anya mention rosemary in their handcreams. Nothing wrong with eating rosemary. I believe that basil also helps with pain relief.
Lots of vegetables contain salicylin, which is aspirin.
(There are six different ways of spelling salicylin, none of which are accepted by spellcheck.)

Voltarol emugel DOES WORK! The active ingredient is actually absorbed through the skin so it's the same as swallowing it, but minus the gastric side effects that NISAIDS give.
I swear by the stuff!
Incidentally thanks to whoever it was that reccommeded magnesium spray for cramp. I've only had one attack since I started using it, and that was when I forgot for a few nights.

I think the thing with soldiers was placebo. Some of them got the real deal, and some of them had the pretending stuff. The pretending stuff worked because of the placebo effect.

Not whatever was in that cream though!!!

No rubbed on ointment can help pain. You need to swallow the drug itself.

Hush Anya. Your case is being discussed by the eminent brains of GN.

I think it was coincidence. The pain would have gone off anyway. The rubbing of the fingers would have helped. A bit.

I'm starting to salivate!