BBC Horizon - Chronic Pain

[Buggerbrexit]

AIBU to think it doesn’t help people who already have enough bother getting others to accept their hidden disabilities/conditions are real when the press are banging on about this and placebos?

I get that it’s a study, but it’s a small one and how it is reported and understood by the public are very different to the purpose of programme.

(I’m picturing the DWP handing out magic blue pills instead of PIP now)

Article

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45721670

YANBU.

I have SLE and depending on which GP I see, even they are not inclined to put symptoms down to this, when it is documented everywhere that it is a common symptom, convinced even in the diagnostic criteria. They prefer instead to wait and see, it's probably a pulled muscle etc (yes my dear, in both feet in the same place, it's just a coincidence, I know it makess walking nearly impossible but you have to persevere ).

I can imagine one or two prescribing me tic tacs after reading that... and that's the medical professionals. :/

I'm not sure I'm sitting on the fence.

I suffer from chronic back pain and I take a cocktail of drugs to get through the day. I have two herniated disks and nerve damage. And if a blue and white stripy pill cured that it would give me a new lease of life.

That being said, for such a small study it's sure making some big claims. To get a better idea of the study obviously I'll have to watch the programme. Hopefully it'll reveal what symptoms and diagnosis they had. What investigations they've had.

But it's perfect sensationalist news fodder. Half of all back pain cured by a placebo.

Yezi did wonder how it would affect PIP but they werent saying that the back pain wasent real just that the body released natural endorphins , i did find it a fascinating pepgramme though though most intresting person imo was the women who thought she had, surgery.

They didnt go into to much detail tbh. YouCant

People really don't give the placebo effect enough credit and as discussed in the article the amount of time and personal care you feel you are receiving.

If it works it works! There's a place for it in medicine and I'm sure that's why a lot of mild doses of anti depressants etc are given out before trying a stronger cocktail of treatment.

I hope the show makes it clear that these people will have become mentally reliant on their medication not that half of all people are lying to themselves. I'll watch with interest.

My issue is what’s taken away from it - ie the sensationalist reporting.

I’m also quite curious, if a placebo works why don’t drugs work? Surely there’s the same belief that they’ll work so it should make a difference?

I’d been on opiates for years on increasing doses. I was told opiates do not work for chronic pain, yet they kept prescribing stronger and stronger ones. It got to the point where I was done with it all. I was using a morphine patch at the time, so I just took it off and went cold turkey. I had vomiting and diarrhoea for 2 days and then I was fine, no more withdrawals. I wouldn’t recommend this btw but I wasn't in the best frame of mind. This was earlier this year and my pain levels remain exactly the same. I’m still on non opiate pain medication and I do need them as I notice if I miss doses.

I have non opiate painkillers and opiates. I have tried to reduce the non opiates but at that point discovered how much of a difference they make. I use cocodomol for break through pain and find it helps although I’m trying not to rely on it.

There is already a stigma of hidden disabilities - people’s understanding seems to be “if a placebo works it means the pain isn’t real” which isn’t what the programme is saying. and again, small group.

I see it differently. I see it as saying the pain does not necessarily respond to certain medications but does not mean it’s not real. I do see your point of view though and I don’t disagree, just saw it from another angle.

I’m glad it sounds that way sunny! I think I’m biased against it because it was used as an example of how a friend’s pain is all in their head.