Is there an "anti-placebo" effect?

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2007-10-21 07:55pm

By becoming aware of the myriad diseases that we're exposed to do we increase our risk of catching them? Have any studies been done about this?

Civil War Man · Post by **Civil War Man** » 2007-10-21 08:24pm

There are instances of psychosomatic effects that result in manifesting certain symptoms. False pregnancies come to mind, though I don't know about any instances of that happening with diseases. If it does happen, it would probably happen most often among hypochondriacs.

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2007-10-21 08:31pm

You might be referring to what's called a "nocebo." An example I remember learning about was someone who died of fright from being bitten by a harmless snake. The man was convinced it was poisonous, and he actually died from the shock of being bitten.

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-10-22 05:29am

I recall reading a vulgarization comics (published by a pharmaceutical laboratory, IIRC) about the relationship between stress and immune deficiency when I was a kid. Being generally under strain can lessen your immune responses (IIRC because it depresses the thalamus and adjoining glands, which secrete hormones tied to immune response feedback control). That's been known for long.

In my own branch of medicine, the vulnerability to some classes of periodontal diseases is increased by stress, which is an aggravating factor (though the fact that it could be an actual aetiology is AFAIK contested, at least my parodontology course doesn't mention it).

PainRack · Post by **PainRack** » 2007-10-22 07:13am

Civil War Man wrote:There are instances of psychosomatic effects that result in manifesting certain symptoms. False pregnancies come to mind, though I don't know about any instances of that happening with diseases. If it does happen, it would probably happen most often among hypochondriacs.

People who go for HIV testing may also suffer from pyschosomatic symptoms of AIDs such as weight loss, persistent cough, night sweats and etc.

Wyrm · Post by **Wyrm** » 2007-10-22 10:12pm

The placebo effect cuts both ways. You can experience psychosomatic illness that replicates what you think the disease symptoms are. No amount of brainwashing will actually make you catch SARS, however. (Unless you're so convinced that you walk into a SARS quarantine ward in fear of passing it on.)

To my knowledge it's still called the placebo effect.