Is this even possible?

Were you using a brand name originally? My insurance company cut me off the Wellbutrin brand and had me use a generic version. I went spiralling into a bad depression for a month. It wasn't until someone made an offhand comment about generic medication that I realized that was the cause. I went to the doctor and she put me on "No Substitutions" and I immediately started feeling better. The pharmacist insisted there was no difference in the chemicals in the generic, but perhaps the dye. The generic brand had a rough texture to it while the brand name had a smooth coating. So obviously something was different because the difference in my mood changed dramatically. Is it possible you were switched from brand to generic?

Blame the pharmacy when talking to him. Say "Could the pharmacy have made a mistake? This pill doesn't seem to be working". Sometimes a generic replacement will not work as well. Could that be the problem?

Only if you are willingly in a trial of medications, you might not be able to know if you're on a placebo. However, if your doctor prescribed a specific medication, then ONLY that medication can be filled. He might be able to approve a substitute such as a generic, but he cannot authorize and get them to give you anything other than what's on the label. But, even though generics are basically the same as name brand meds (I swear by them), there are the occasional instances where their formulation (how they're put together) is such that your body reacts differently to the generic than it does to the brand name. It isn't that the generic is a placebo - it's just that it is breaking down differently in your system. You might want to look into that. Otherwise, what you think might be happening is called fraud and is highly unethical and illegal.

Hi my sweet "lil' sis"! I don't think that would even be possible or ethical for your doctor to do that! But, it is definitely possible that the pharmacy might have been "duped" by the manufacturer into taking a batch of pills that are no good! I would definitely speak to them about it! Sometimes I notice that my prescriptions "look different" and I call to question the pharmacist and he tells me that "they used a different manufacturer", but the medication is the same. If you are truly not feeling the effects of the medication that you usually feel, it is possible that there is something wrong with the "batch". I would definitely speak to the pharmacist and voice your concerns! There may be a problem and they might not know about it!

Hi, I am just wondering if you might be better off asking the pharmacist if your perscription was mistakenly filled using a placebo. The doctor has limited control once the perscription reaches the pharmacy.

Hello AmbiePam Just ask your doctor if you have been placed on a placebo. This isn't an accusation, it's a question. Let the doctor know that you don't feel that the medication is working, and this made you wonder. There is nothing at all wrong with that, there is nothing accusatory about it. If you are not on a placebo, you and your doctor can discuss other options. If you are on a placebo, well, that's a whole other issue. Peace

I would take it to the pharmacy and ask them if it is the right meds. I would explain that it is not working since starting the refill, and was just wondering. It may be a mistake and you are taking something else.

I would call and simply ask....Is it possible the pharmacy messed up my prescription? Ask him to double check to make sure and tell him that it's not working and you really need the situation straightened out.

Another option might be that your body has become immune to this medication. Have you been taking it long? If so, you might need somethign different, I would talk to your doctor about it.

Is that generic or something ?! You can ask him or tell him that its not helping you or something, in a plain tone. You are a patient after all. But you have to observe too. Like for two moths or something. Like what have you said, sometimes it is only our imagination. Stay positive and always think that this pill can help you a lot. I am quite confuse too, but you do trust the doctor right? Just don`t be afraid to ask him

This is an interesting theory. I have been taking a anti-depressant for several years now and, if I didn't know better, I would also think I was getting a placebo. Are you sure it isn't working? Perhaps you have just gotten used to it. You may have developed a tolerance for it. But think of what would happen if you quit? And you need to speak to your doctor. Meds do this. My daughter who is bi-polar has to change her meds periodically because they do stop working or she developes a tolerance to it. I would definitely check with your doctor. And a doctor would have NO reason to give you a placebo. It is just the way meds work.

If any prescription medication isn't working like normal, I'd always call and speak with the pharmacist. It might be a difference in brand, strength or even lot number. More than once that happened to my mother, and the pharmacy would swap her remaining medication for new ones. Hope you're feeling better!

Are the pills in a sealed or blister pack or the kind that the pharmacist counts into a bottle? If the former then it would be unlikely they are a placebo but even if the latter would be the point of giving you a placebo? As others have said, it may be a bad batch or the formulation might have changed. I'd check with your doctor and pharmacy and explain that the pills seem to not be working, they should be able to give swap them for some from a different batch the same way you would return anything that was faulty.