Medical trials and studies

Hi all

Just wondered if anyone else takes part in medical trials and studies and what they are for ?

In January last year I signed up for one to see if people that self catheterise and took a daily antibiotic had less infections than those that were given antibiotics as and when needed . It's almost at an end . Although I'm still taking part it's hard to know for me because of all the antibiotics I've had to have this year for ther issues .

I've signed up for another one though starting in January . This is to test different intermittent catheters each month to see if any are better or worse for drainage , pain on insertion or removal and whether her any cause or reduce infection .

Nikki

Hi Niknoks I have not participated in any clinical trials myself .I have however collected information for a clinical study in my clinical environment . It was for a new type of antibiotic infused central lines. Very interesting study which like yours was interested in ease of insertion, resistance to infection at site and from use (IV's bolus and infusion), ease of use, ease of removal etc. The doctors, nurses as well as the patients all provided feedback to the trial.

When I undertook my Advance Diploma in Health Service Research , I had to design and submit a research proposal as part of my assignment. It would have been interesting to actually perform the research and tested the hypothesis clinically.

I am a bit surprised that members here have not participated in any clinical trials given their interest in all things medical .

Nik,

I have participated in many clinical trials for asthma meds, allergies, as well as NSAIDS. I have always had very good experiences with them, I enjoyed them. learned a lot of information. Some of the trials also gave financial compensation. The clinical trials I have participated in are always at the final stage of testing. It is only after the end of the trial that it is revealed if I received the actual medication or the placebo. I have also done clinical trials for asthma, allergies and arthritis where they are comparing various drugs against each other as well as dose for the same symptoms, diagnosis and prognosis.

To those considering doing clinical trials, fully understand what you are doing, what the study is about, the phase the study is in, the potential risks etc, how emergencies are handled if you have any emergency at may at all be possibly related to the drug you are taking. When seeking emergency care or after hours care make sure to inform the medical staff you are part of a study and if possible have the drug with you to give them and the paperwork on it. Inform your personal physician and make sure your physician feels you are healthy enough to participate in the trial, and that it is relatively safe for you to participate. Make sure you understand and follow the protocol you are given for the study you are participating in.

Medical trials are interesting. My mom participated in quite a few of them, probably a good 20 or so. She enjoyed doing them and learning things. I don't think she had any adverse reactions to any of her trials with the exception of one which was for the drug Primpro which is now been taken off the market for it's adverse side effects and what not.

In Ohio we have 2 of the largest and most active research facilities in the US which are Ohio State Medical Center, and The Cleveland Clinic. My mom always went to the Cleveland Clinic as it was the closer of the two.

Mashie

I have never had the chance to participate in any sort of medical trials or studies. The closest I ever came to that was during my undergrad years when I took a psychology class. Part of the requirement of the class was that we had to participate in a certain number of studies that psych majors were doing. Most of them involved interviews or doing some sort of psychologic test like word association or stuff like that.

But the one kind of study that I would love to be involved in is where you have to get regular injections in the butt for the study. I've heard they do this for some things like antibiotics and a few other meds. I learned awhile ago that they actually developed an HIV medication that could be given as an injection. When I looked into it, the study drug was actually combined with another HIV medication that was also given as an injection. Looking into the details of the study, it looks like both drugs have to be given intramuscularly into the butt, and each dose requires it to be given as 2 shots. So during the study, there are times when the participants would have had to get 4 shots in their butt at one time. I would love to be able to get that done to me and to also get to watch it done to other guys.

Mashie, that product that your mom got was Prempro, a combination of Premarin and a progestogen. I used to sell it. I didn't know that it was taken off the market. Estrogen replacement therapy back in the 70's was done by all Docs all the time. Then the cancers started showing up; breast, uterine, ovarian. With the Mal-practice "frenzy" going on, most Docs are running away from it, or using it for minimal time. Too bad, cause estrogen did many positive things for women, from good heart health to better eye sight, as well as stopping menopausal symptoms. C'est la vive.

Andie,

I did not mean that I want to get HIV in order to get the medications. What I meant was that I would love to be part of the studies that they are doing with these medications. The studies initially involved HIV negative individuals.

If they do work well, they could also be used as a potential way to prevent people form getting HIV too (kind of like birth control so to speak).

Anyway, sorry about the confusion.

I signed up for a study on hyperemesis. I suffered from HG during my pregnancy. It was horrible and not so many people seem to know too much about it. It was highly frustrating to hear random comments "Just get some crackers"," think positive", "if you want to stop vomiting you can" and so on...

Years later, I'm thinking about having a second baby and the thought of getting hyperemesis again haunts me and terrifies me, so I decided to learn more and to educate everyone around me just in case I would experience it again...friends and family would know it is a real uncontrollable condition that has nothing to do mental status or weakness.

I'm proud to be part of it and I hope they will make a breakthrough. It is sad to see how many unborn babies are lost and the hell that moms have to go through.

I signed up for a study on hyperemesis. I suffered from HG during my pregnancy. It was horrible and not so many people seem to know too much about it. It was highly frustrating to hear random comments "Just get some crackers"," think positive", "if you want to stop vomiting you can" and so on...

Years later, I'm thinking about having a second baby and the thought of getting hyperemesis again haunts me and terrifies me, so I decided to learn more and to educate everyone around me just in case I would experience it again...friends and family would know it is a real uncontrollable condition that has nothing to do mental status or weakness.

I'm proud to be part of it and I hope they will make a breakthrough. It is sad to see how many unborn babies are lost and the hell that moms have to go through.

Many years ago, I worked at a plant nursery in southern California and one of our regular customers was this lady who was one of those women that from the split-second sperm met egg, she would have to run to the toilet and stay there vomiting for the next nine months. Man, that must be nasty.

Where do you sign up I have never seen a trial advertised other than pharmaceuticals but not involving anything that would excite me.

There are advertisements in the hospitals . I seen them on the noticeboards in the relevant clinics .

I also seen some advertised online too. They were for asthma .

Also Google medical trials in the UK and see what comes up.

Hope that helps

Nikki

I don't think I would ever do a medical trial, I would definitely want to be a standardized patient.

I would like to take part in medical trials but i have not found any, am i looking in the wrong places?

Try calling your local medical schools. I know Ohio State University has lots of facilities that they work with on trials. You have to figure out who's in who's back pocket so to speak if you know what I am saying.

Mashie

There's a web based listing of clinical trials searchable by disease and location. I'm on my phone or I'd post the link.

There's a web based listing of clinical trials searchable by disease and location

Try this one:

http://www.centerwatch.com/

Try this one:

http://www.centerwatch.com/

That's the one. Thanks.

If someone has posted this already, apologies - but I've joined two through www.clinicaltrials.gov , usually thousands of trials to wade through. US government (NIH) site, so I'm relatively confident that they monitor and vet this shtuff.

First trial was an Eli Lilly experimental drug, second was Gilead collecting data for a drug just released for sale, and both companies were running the trials through local dr's offices. Both were completely above-board and professional, substantial correspondence came with the company's letterhead and contact info. No worries either time.

I am 67 with ED--and a medical fetish! I participated in a clinical ED trial last year and loved it--they attached a Rigiscan device to my penis to measure erections, gave me pron to watch and rubbed a cream that was like viagra on my penis--very hot! Afterwards a nurse came in to examine my poenis. I just enrolled in a new study to study shock treatment for ED. cannot wait!!

I am starting a new clinical study next week. It uses low dose shock waves to the penis for ED.

I am starting a new clinical study next week. It uses low dose shock waves to the penis for ED.

That's already been approved by the FDA. What are they studying?