How many doctors ok the parents eating the extras?
Not a clinical doctor, do have some experience with ADHD medication 
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The fact that the medication helped does not confirm that you have ADHD (they are amphetamines), although the the precise way they influenced your behavior may be suggestive.
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Even if you do have ADHD the placebo effect will still have a massive effect on how you respond to medication.
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Different medications work differently for diffferent people and different people require different doses.
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I have definitely pecieved variability in effects between batches of medication. I discussed this with both my doctors expecting that this was my imagination, but they both suggested that this was entirely possible and consistent with their experience of generic drugs(I’d be interested in the input of any board GP’s on this point). Incidentally when I had a batch of medication suddenly stop working, I was concerned that my doctor had switched to a placebo, so you aren’t unique in your paranoia at least.
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It is vanishingly unlikely that your doctor is giving you a placebo (and you can completely rule it out by checking the tablet markings). It’s much more likely that he is giving you a relatively tiny dose, especially if you are an adult.
I’d suggest that you confess to your doctor that you tried the other medication and that it seemed to be more effective and ask if he can adjust your prescription with that in mind.
Yeah, presumably the person takes the rest of their pills–they don’t get to give them out.
Doctors cannot, legally or ethically (as defined by their profession), prescribe actual placebos.
They can however prescribe medicines that are, in effect, placebos as, while they could on paper at least do something towards treating your symptoms, the biggest effect from them is likely to be the very real psychological affect of taking a “medicine” given to you by a doctor to treat your problem (but are also unlikely to cause any physical side affects).
I’m not a doctor and have no idea what Amphetamine Salts are or if they fall under that category.
EDIT (missed window) - This is only that case if it’s without your knowledge, scientific placebo trials would be illegal otherwise
It’s Adderall.
I’ve been diagnosed by a psychiatrist as having ADHD, I’m not just going based on the fact that the pill worked.
No, it was instead of.
He’s taking Metadate.
And no, I’m not trying to “get off” on the pills*. I have trouble at work keeping focused. I find I get sidetracked until I’m doing 10 things at once and haven’t finished any of them. I have a hard time following the plot of movies and tv shows because I get distracted. I have a lot of really annoying symptoms that I’d like to go away if there’s a medication that will do it.
my drug of choice for “getting off” is alcohol*. When I was much younger, it was LSD. I tried cocaine once and thought it was useless. It made my face numb and that’s about it. Meth just made me talk a lot and stay awake. I may be on a lot of medications but I’m not a drug seeker looking for a buzz.
**no, I’m not an alcoholic. I don’t drink all that often, but it’s what I turn to when I want to “feel different.”
Tell your doctor that your prescription is not helping you and you want to try something else. I’m not sure why you are leaping first to the idea that he’s giving you placebos, instead of assuming that, naturally, not every drug works the same way on every person.
Since I mentioned the trademarked product Cebocap above, I’d be interested to see a cite on the legality.
Placebos in effect. I don’t see how this is ethically superior to, or very distinct from, “actual” placebos.
In the case of prescribing antibiotics for known viral infections, I’d have to say that practice is ethically much worse than straight placebo capsules would be. (However, notice that while most of the doctors surveyed were giving “placebos in effect,” a few did give “prepared placebo tablets” or “sugar or artificial sweetener pills.”)
I’m not assuming they’re placebos. In fact I think it’s highly unlikely that they are. However, the thought did occur to me and then that made me wonder if it’s legal, so I decided to ask here.
Don’t blame the doc; he only deals quality product. Pharmacist must be stepping on your shit.
Actually the doctor changed my dosage yesterday so today was my first day on the higher dose and I seem to have been keeping on track better at work today. Maybe we just need to get the dosage right.
I think Metadate is a form of Ritalin, which is different then the amphetamine salts. Perhaps let your Dr know you tried one of your child’s pills and it works for you while the ones prescribed to you doesn’t and see if he will prescribe Metadate.
Metadate is the same drug as Ritalin; there is an extended release (ER) version that is longer-acting, as well as a CD version that has an immediate dose followed by an 8-hour extended release. It’s possible that just dose or the type of drug action may have made you feel like your old medication wasn’t doing anything in comparison.
She probably shouldn’t cop to stealing her kid’s speed.
nm. double post.
I meant without the patient’s knowledge (just missing edit deadline, added this in next post). Obviously informed placebo is legal otherwise scientific trials involving them would be illegal.
I was thinking of supplements and the like, not antibiotics. I’d agree prescribing antibiotics as “pseudo-placebos” is incredibly irresponsible.
In fact your article backs me up on this:
Do you always have to be this way? I took one pill. That was left over. While he is at his dad’s for the summer anyway. If this new dosage doesn’t work out I probably will tell my doc about the Metadate. Why wouldn’t I? I’m honest with my doctor.
Don’t expect your doctor to tell you it was ok.