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A comment on Even when we know they’re “fake,” placebos can tame our emotional distress. Parent comment

Re:Even when we know they’re “fake,” placebos can tame our e... by Herval_freire on Wednesday April 12, 2023 @12:19PM (#35542186)
There is space for placebos in conventional medicine. Doctors CAN and are allowed to prescribe placebos.

However medicine strives to maintain a separation between an actual body of scientific knowledge and placebo treatments. So, yes, while a placebo can be effective nobody is going to transcribe that placebo onto actual scientific knowledge as if it wasn't a placebo.

Right, so antibiotics work as a placebo, but am I going to put that knowledge down into textbooks that antibiotics can cure the common cold just because such knowledge effectively works as a placebo? No.

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Re:Even when we know they’re “fake,” placebos can tame our e... by flavius29663 on Wednesday April 12, 2023 @12:28PM (#35542323)
> antibiotics can cure the common cold

Antibiotics are not pure placebo. They are also given to make sure there isn't a bacteria ready to take advantage of the weakened immune system. The regular treatment for COVID also included antibiotics, for the reason I mentioned.

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