Will you be a guinea pig for US$1350 a month?
@lordwarwizard (35747)
Singapore
March 31, 2007 2:05pm CST
How's that for a deal? One month in hospital, all play and no work. You pop some pills they give you and they monitor your health. You get a broadband connection and can watch various popular channels on TV. For those hardcore gamers, you can even play xbox games. On top of all these, you get $1350 for your help.
I am NOT advertising this opportunity. Yet neither am I making up this offer. One of my friends in Australia told me about this and he went for it. It was for some pharmaceutical company testing some drugs that had already been successfully tested on animals. So humans were the next logical step before they can apply for a patent.
When I first got wind of this, I asked my friend how he could possibly exchange his life for money. He argued that mice and monkeys had all tried the drugs and there was no adverse effect. To substantiate his claim, he even posted me the many-page document the company provided him. I must confess that I didn't even bother to do more than flip through it within 5 secs.
To me, no matter how safe the company claims the drugs to be, I just feel that my life and health are more important. US$1350 (or rather AUD 1650) is a nice sum of money for doing nothing (lol.. you probably need to myLot a few years to get this amount) but what if the drugs have some unknown adverse effects that only surface years down the road?
I am not sure if I would end up being the odd one here again. So let me pose the question to you. Will you be a guinea pig for $1350 a month?
44 people like this
65 responses
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
31 Mar 07
its actually pretty common here in North America and yes I would definately do it without a doubt...The way I see it is this, I dont have that $1350 but could very well use it and if its just to pop pills and be monitored (which is nothing compared to the other crap I've put in my body over the course of 20 yrs) then why not ya know....
5 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
31 Mar 07
Yup, it is more common is the more "liberal" countries of which North America is definitely one.
2 people like this
@Lauraleigh99 (4718)
• United States
31 Mar 07
No way my health means more to me than that amount of money i would rather work my 40 hour week and earn it versus taking all those different pills!
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
31 Mar 07
I don't know, that guinea pig is awfully cute. Do I get to be cute and furry like that?
Seriously, I could see doing it if I didn't have anyone else depending on me, and I was desperate for money. But I would have to be very very desperate.
Considering my current life situation, I would definitely not do something like this. While that money would be nice, there are a lot of things I have to consider other than myself here. I would definitely not be willing to risk a future with my husband and child to make a bit of extra cash for sitting on my butt all day.
2 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
31 Mar 07
Oh yes.. being allergic to yourself is definitely not a good idea. :P
1 person likes this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
31 Mar 07
I think you are already very adorable as you are, haha! But are you sure you want to be furry too? :P
1 person likes this
@all4ucnc (861)
• United States
2 Apr 07
No can do....You never know what effects they can have on your body. For all you know these pills could cause birth defects to the children you plan on having on the future, or worst yet cause you to be sterile so you can never have children.
I know someone has to be the guinea pig, but it aint gonna be me....No Thanks.
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
3 Apr 07
Oh yes, another valid point there... it might even pass on to your children. :/
@drakan291 (817)
• Ireland
13 Apr 07
Jeez! It is now over a thousand bucks! By hell i defently going to sign up! thanks for telling me this lordwarwizzard! I'm going to be rich! (And have my life in a very high risk of disapering!)
2 people like this
@magikrose (5429)
• United States
1 Apr 07
That is only $337 a week. Honestly I would rather go to work for 40 hours a week and be able to come home every day and be with my family. My health is very important and I would never take an expironmental pill for the sake of science. Like you said who knows what can happen years down the line.
2 people like this
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
31 Mar 07
I guess that depends....if there were adverse effects later on down the road, would they cover the medical costs of complications?
Would they pay a lump sum to my family if I just so happened to die from a side effect? These would come into play...as I would hate to think that would be all the money one would get in exchange for one's life.
Now, with that being said...I could use a good vacation. LOL
I guess that would also depend on what the medication was for. If I felt it was no harm...I too would probably take the vacation. But they best supply me with more books instead of XBox...because I am not a very big gamer.
2 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
31 Mar 07
Haha.. as for books, I guess you need to bring your own from the library or bookstore. :P
1 person likes this
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
31 Mar 07
Would need a really good contract that would act in my best interests if it was found to have a bad effect later on in my life. At my age it would depend on if the effect would be late in my expected lifespan. Too much of what they do does give side effects and the track record is that things are pulled from the shelves of pharmacies due to problems later. It is tempting, it would really depend on the contract.
2 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
31 Mar 07
I didn't really go through the documentation... not sure if they have this covered. Don't think so though.
1 person likes this
@minnie_98214 (10557)
• United States
2 Apr 07
Well for me i could not do this. I value my time with my kids to much. Plus i could not stand being in a hospital for a long period of time. Now i have seen programs that will pay you to try a pill that treats a condition you have and that i would be willing to do if there was a chance it could treat a preexisting condition. But darn it im healthy so no paid medical testing for me thats just to bad i was hoping to get rich. Guess ill just keep trying to get rich thru mylot.
2 people like this
@Darkwing (21583)
•
1 Apr 07
Good to see you back in the swing of things, Wizard. I'm really glad you decided to stay with Mylot. We would have missed you, for sure.
I agree with you on this one. The after effects are to be worried about far more than what is being fed to your system right now, and the money. What is money if you're too sick to spend it, and a month shut in a hospital or test lab, whatever it is, doesn't appeal to greatly to me either. I would much rather have the quality of life and leave the pill-popping to somebody else.
This is a very interesting report from your friend though, and thank you, too, for bringing it to our attention.
Brightest Blessings, my friend.
@tammyr (5946)
• Etowah, Tennessee
31 Mar 07
NO WAY!!
My mom had an unusual type of Diabetes, every time she went in the hospital they wanted to keep her so they could take tests and compare them to others and such. She hated going to the hospital and I do too. I think if it is something that you want to do go for it, but not me. I have 2 children to think of and do not want them to be with out a mom anytime soon.
2 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
31 Mar 07
And those people didn't even offer to pay your Mum?
1 person likes this
@complexvanilla (653)
• India
1 Apr 07
I was aghast when I read your post topic and I still am. While the money seems to be a tidy sum, I wouldn't dream of doing something like that, but I can well imagine a lot of people signing up for something like that. I know of people who are commercial blood and sperm donors and for them, this might be one step ahead and this seems to pay a lot more than blood and semen donation, and while the risk seems to deter people like us, the money would be sufficient to tilt the balances of many people. I still feel that it is highly dangerous. I bet these people have tons of legal documents making the entire procedure perfectly legal, but it seems unethical to me. I never felt comfortable about animal testing either, so this is making me feel all the more uncomfortable.
2 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
1 Apr 07
There are really such opportunities and they are genuine and perfectly legal.
Blood and semen donations pay practically nothing. Blood donation is "free" in Singapore. As for sperm donation, I think it's about $100-$200 and you are only allowed to do it like 3(?) times.
When times get desperate, sometimes they is no choice. People will jump at $1350.
1 person likes this
@crackhead (1826)
• India
1 Apr 07
Never i dont want to put my life on an axe. Who would be ready to take medicines without knowing the effects that come in the late future. Let them pay a huge amount but still i'm not going to help the pharmaceutical company test the medicines on human beings. Thats what all you people were talking till now.
But from the other side there should be some one who can help the pharmaceutical company to test the medicines. What ever the cause the madicines are produced i suppose that could help many patients recover from serious troubles if the medicines are that important.
What if the medicines are AIDS or CANCER or many some other discease which is worser and claims many lives every year. I Would say let them test their medicines on me for free of cost they dont need to pay me the money which they promise. I am ready to sacrifise my life if those medicines are of any good cause for the public. Why worry about one life when they are going to save many lives.
Hey wizard you just made me respond from my heart. Dint get emotional for a long time now and this discussion made me feel a bit more emotional.
2 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
1 Apr 07
Need a hanky?:P
But hey, there are quite a few such "opportunities" out there..
1 person likes this
@tishabest (602)
• Belgium
31 Mar 07
While I was at university I participated in a few studies however I never had to consume anything and that would definitely have set off an alarm in my mind because as you said you never know what effects that may have on you.
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
31 Mar 07
If it is just some surveys (?), then they definitely wouldn't pay you too much...
1 person likes this
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 07
Hmm that is definitely food for thought, although last year I heard a horrific story about people doing just that and the terrible side affects. I would definitely NOT volunteer as a guinea pig for whatever amount of money because I don't want to take unnecessary risks, ok they may be safe, but there is always an element of risk, risking your health for money is not my idea of fun!
2 people like this
@avs189 (1030)
• India
31 Mar 07
If one life can several thousands and millions of others then i would feel defenitely is worth doing that too considering the fact that it wont affect your health significantly since the companies who are manufacturing also have to be taken care of their won reputations and their market value and people..so what i feel is that its more important to take care and notice what others are doing for humanity rather than justthinking of money...
2 people like this
@hadimohammedshakir (171)
• United Arab Emirates
1 Apr 07
i am not ready to be a experiment man, because i dont want to risk my health. but some poeple who love thier family and even be ready to die for them may earn money in this was if no other way, and some kind people who are courageous and for helping the medical field they work in this position.
2 people like this
@JvilleKid (131)
• United States
31 Mar 07
I would have to pass, nothing is worth "testing" on me! Plus, $1350 is hardly enough to make up for what I would lode from my normal job.
2 people like this
