There probably are many short term studies, but I wouldn't take drugs based
only on that, nor do I think the FDA would approve them. My wife has participated in several long-term, blind studies of various drugs (that may be one reason she has stayed with me so long!
). At any rate, they have been done my many specialists, some of whom don't even know whether they are administering the real drug or a placebo, the preliminary background health checks, continuing contact and information provided is tremendous. She is currently participating in a study sponsored by the Canadian Department of Health (or whatever the Canadian equivalent of the FDA is called). While it is true that all drugs have side effects, that is part of the reason for long-term studies. Obviously, effectiveness is quite important, also!
And these types of studies do require money because of the number of people and equipment involved. As a matter of fact, support for this kind of activity might be an excellent way to have spent what is called a "stimulus" package, but I digress...
Personally, I would never take any 'medication' from anyone, be they a doctor or not, without a prescription and some kind of verification that the drug would be safe for use with others I might be taking and with full knowledge of any known side effects. This includes any and all herbal 'remedies' that never seem to undergo anything other than anecdotal "studies." Much of medical care involves 'art.' But none of it is 'magic.' Prove it works or tell me it's experimental or forget it, I'm not a genie-pig... Thank you, very much.
