This Pill Will Change Everything

The Future of Personal and Medical Placebos

A book project in progress by

Uwe Heiss Master of Science ETH Zurich

Uwe Heiss, MSc. ETH, Disclosure:

Honest Placebo Pills Placebo App

Self-Tracking Apps

Founder of Track & Share Apps, LLC

Founder of Zeebo Effect, LLC

Chapter  I  

Placebo  Terminology  

Placebo  Generations  1  –  2  –  3  Scienti4ic  Method  and  Placebo  Placebo  Use  Today  

P  -­‐  Pure  Placebo  O  -­‐  Open  Placebo  B  -­‐  Branded  Placebo  

Examples  p[‒]  o[‒]  b[‒]:  Ancient  remedies  p[+]  o[‒]  b[‒]:  The  classical  sugar  pill  p[‒]  o[‒]  b[+]:  Drugs  used  off-­‐label  p[‒]  o[+]  b[+]:  Drugs  used  on-­‐label  p[+]  o[‒]  b[+]:  Placebos  in  FDA  trials  p[+]  o[+]  b[+]:  Pure,  open,  branded  placebo  

Integrated  Placebo  

Chapter  II  

Placebos  Work  

Doctors  trust  placebos  while  facing  a  dilemma.  News:  Placebo  without  deception  enhanced  treatment.  

Focus  matters.  Design  works.  Price  works.  Meaning  works.  Experience  works.  Adherence  works.  

Strength  of  the  Placebo  Effect  Nocebo  Effect  

Chapter  III  

Placebo  Value  

Relief  symptoms.  Chronic  Back  Pain  Acute  Migraine  Irritable  Bowel  Syndrome  (IBS)  Stress  and  Anxiety  Depression  

Permit  self-­‐healing.  The  Modern  Healing  Ritual  

Enhance  performance.  Knee  Function  Chronic  Fatigue  Parkinson's  ADHD  Respiratory  Function  ED  Cognitive  Performance  Athletic  Performance  

Nurture  Well-­‐being

Chapter  IV  

How  Placebos  Work  

Placebos  work  on  our  mind.  Expectation  Conditioning  Meaning  Appeal  

Neurobiological  pathways  link  mind  and  body.  Endorphins  Dopamine  Serotonin  Cytokines  Cortisol  

Hacking  into  a  Complex  System:  The  Mind-­‐Body  

Chapter  V  

Placebo  Manual  for  Patients  

When  does  it  make  sense  to  try  placebo?  Keep  it  safe.  

Who  is  likely  to  respond  to  placebo?  

How  to  Design  your  Placebo  Experience  How  to  4ind  out  if  you  respond  to  placebo.  How  to  track  your  experience  

Top  5  Ideas  for  Using  Placebos  

Chapter  VI  

Placebo  Manual  for  Patient  Care  Providers  Patients  are  open  to  placebos.  

More  Care  Options  Alleviate  Side-­‐effects  from  Medical  Treatment  Protect  the  Ef4icacy  of  Antibiotics  Fine-­‐tune  Dosage  Weaning-­‐off  drugs  Customize  Care

The  Doctor's  Placebo  Effect.  Tone  of  physician  feedback  Frequency  of  visits  Consultation  time  Impression  of  physician  Eliciting  Expectations  Of4ice  environmentReview  your  use  of  placebos.  

What  are  your  placebo  ethics?  Can  you  provide  more  balanced  care?  Do  you  measure  individual  effects?  What's  your  logic  for  using  placebos?  

Chapter  VII  

Beyond  Placebo  3.0  

More  Ways  to  Well-­‐being  Exercising  Hydration  Sleep  Skillful  Eating  Meditation  Meaningful  Life  Healthy  Environment  

Chapter  VIII  

A  Five-­‐step  Plan  for  Everything