An invitation to do Medical Research.
By DINNERLADY
@lazydaizee (6735)
United Kingdom
July 12, 2023 6:21am CST
The other day I got a letter from the NHS saying that I had been randomly selected to volunteer for some medical research tests. These test would involve getting a blood test and then the results would be passed on to a charity who are doing some research into future health.
I do not like anything medical because it makes me nervous, so I am really unsure weather to volunteer for these tests or not. Have you ever volunteered for medical research, and would you take part if they invited you?
8 people like this
9 responses
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
13 Jul 23
I don't do clinical trials because they are usually in Cleveland which is 40 miles away. Is this local? If it were local and I was being paid, I would probably do it. Good luck! Enjoy your day.
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
13 Jul 23
@lazydaizee If you can't drive, that may be a problem. They should at least pay you for expenses.
2 people like this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
17 Jul 23
@LindaOHio This is another thing that I will have to look into before I make my final decision
1 person likes this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
13 Jul 23
Actually, they have not mentioned any money changing hands for this research, so maybe I should look into it because I may be able to earn myself a bit of extra cash. Somebody else on this discussion mentioned payment , but until then I had not thought about money at all. It did say that I would have to attend a local clinic for a blood test at some time, but they did not say where. I would not like to have to go too far anyway because I do not drive.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137602)
• United States
12 Jul 23
I donate blood any time it's allowed. (I've had two types of cancer so my blood is not always allowed to be donated.)
I just finished a month-long program for dry eyes. The study was testing Restasis, a product to help dry eyes.
I don't mind studies as long as they aren't invasive.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137602)
• United States
13 Jul 23
@lazydaizee The Restasis is helping. But it won't do anything about my eyes swelling closed. It's just for dry eyes.
2 people like this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
13 Jul 23
@DaddyEvil Oh dear that sounds bad, I have been diagnosed with Cataracts, so I know what it is like to have eye problems. I also have had a lazy eye since being born with it. When I was four, I had to go into hospital for an operation on the lazy eye and I can remember waking up afterwards with a bandage over my eyes. I started to cry because I was frightened and a nurse told me off because I was not supposed to get the bandage wet.
2 people like this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
13 Jul 23
How did you get on with the Restasis program, was it any good.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (93933)
• United States
12 Jul 23
I was supposed to be involved in a medical research study for migraines, but at the last minute I found out I could be given a placebo, and if that placebo didn’t work, I was still not to take another medicine. I knew about the placebo, but was completely unwilling to just suffer if their medication did not work the first time around. The money wasn’t enough justification at all.
2 people like this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
17 Jul 23
@AmbiePam Wow that is awful, have you any idea what could be causing them?
1 person likes this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
13 Jul 23
Migraines can be awful and a placebo would probably not have worked, leaving you in a lot of discomfort. Do you get them often?
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (472060)
• Switzerland
13 Jul 23
@lazydaizee I did not need extra tests and I would have refused extra tests.
1 person likes this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
13 Jul 23
Did you have to do extra tests for their research or did they just use information from your medical records?
2 people like this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
17 Jul 23
@LadyDuck It is good that you did not need any more tests.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30541)
• United Kingdom
12 Jul 23
I'm a regular blood donor so as part of that I was involved in a trial to evaluate what was the best interval between donations. And ages ago I did participate in some sort of study about shoulder problems (or lack of them). That's it though.
It's up to you; if you're not comfortable then there's no need to do it, I'm sure they will have asked plenty of people and hopefully a large enough proportion will say yes.
2 people like this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
13 Jul 23
I think a lot of people have already volunteered but none of my friends or family have ever done anything like it before. I wish I knew somebody who had done this sort of thing so that I could talk to them about it. What sort of tests did you have done on your shoulders, and what problems were they looking for?
1 person likes this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
17 Jul 23
@Fleura That is a good idea, I shall have another look at the paperwork and find out what the trial is called. Maybe there is a forum or something similar online where people can discuss their experiences.
1 person likes this
@hillhjill (23714)
• United States
12 Jul 23
No I have never been a part of a study like that. I don't know if I would either, I guess it all depends on what it was for.
2 people like this
@hillhjill (23714)
• United States
13 Jul 23
@lazydaizee hard telling, is there a way you could find out before the study is done?
1 person likes this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
13 Jul 23
In the letter that they sent me they did not say what they were looking for, but I think it is something to do with our health in the future. Maybe they want to know how many people from a specific target group are going to get certain problems in the future.
2 people like this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
17 Jul 23
@hillhjill I will need to do some more research.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (90474)
• Arvada, Colorado
12 Jul 23
I have never done it no..if you do, make sure you are safe friend.
1 person likes this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
13 Jul 23
I don`t think it will affect my health apart from the stress that it would cause me.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
13 Nov 23
@lazydaizee Blood tests, lots of surveys, paperwork, and an MRI.
1 person likes this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
15 Nov 23
@CarolDM I expect that was scary especially the MRI. My husband has had 3 MRI scans and he says it was boring because he had to lie still for such a long time.
1 person likes this
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
13 Nov 23
What did it involve, if you don`t mind me asking?
1 person likes this
