Medical Studies for Cash

[Kong]

Anyone ever been in a medical study?

I am doing my first one this next week - Study for Men (12 days + 2 follow-up) (http://www.noccr.com/study-for-men-12-days--2-follow-up)

I give them 14 days and take their pill and they give me $2,700.

I have to drive there 5 times - 2 hours each way, and sleep there for 2 one week periods.

While I am there they cook and deliver all meals and I can bring my laptop and work on the site.

If you are interested in finding one near you then check this out - Just Another Lab Rat! - OFFICAL SITE (http://www.jalr.org/)

[Tails]

I haven't but my Dad does them all the time.

[Kong]

Your dad ever have a problem while doing them?

Some of this is guessing but I think what I will have to do is
Day 1 Monday: not eat for 12 hours. Take a pill.
Tuesday - Saturday: have a medical check up to make sure I am ok.
Go home.

Come back 2 weeks later and repeat except this time, instead of not eating for 12 hours I have to eat a big high protein meal before taking the pill.

Then I tell them which one made me sicker (stomach ache, head ache, type stuff) - pill on empty stomach or full.

I think all they are trying to determine is if the pill should be taken with food or not.

[Tails]

He told me he had to attend them from like 8am til like 8pm 7 days a week or something.

[fungusman]

I know some people that did them. You have to realize these are at the basically beta testing phase. They mowed through hundreds of dogs/monkeys/etc before they got to this stage. I wouldn't worry about it.

That said, I wouldn't do it unless I was strapped for cash. It's your body :)

Kong, why don't you just snipe some programming contracts online for side cash ? Loads of noobs on classified sites looking to have a word press set up for $50.

[jim5cents]

My brother did this stuff for a summer after college, we believe that he got mono from doing that stuff.
I know Cracked is a comedy site, but they have a really good article on it.

The 5 Scariest Things About Life as a Human Test Subject | Cracked.com (http://www.cracked.com/article_19809_the-5-scariest-things-about-life-as-human-test-subject.html)

I would highly recommend that you have health insurance beforehand.

[Kong]

Urgg. They kicked me out because I don't eat enough protein even though they said I had enough in the pre-screening last week.

So now instead of making $3k I am out $100 and I lost a couple 3 days for nothing and I am stuck in TN.

Anyone live close to Knoxville and want to take a road trip?

[jim5cents]

4 hrs, but unfortunaely, I can not, have vacation time next week and can not take time off.

[RU Joe]

This is terrible to read, Kong.
I never imagined you as a 1% - er but always thought you and the others were at least 'Ok' in a financial sense.

In a way I'm glad they didn't take you because a person I knew years ago did such tests and ended up with permanent kidney damage.
{would have said so before but figured your mind was made up and/or you already started}
This doesn't happen all the time to be sure but regardless of the odds I call it a poor gamble to take.

At the same time I completely understand your motivation since {unfortunately} we're still under the International Banksters' financial slavery system, and being poor SUCKS.

Just so you know, those kinds of ideas flow through my mind all the time.
I'm left with $20 CAN after my rent and bills every month - for far too long now - barely hanging on in one of the most expensive cities in the NAU.
So yeah, I know what poor feels like - the pain is great and difficult to bear.

I hope something safer comes your way very soon.

[Slime Slayer]

Yeah, a blessing in disguise I'd say. Everthing about the whole thing is a "nope" in my book.

[D.B. Cooper]

I've never done such a thing nor do I know anyone who has but when I read this I'm reminded of the story of Ken Kesey who decided to do something similar to help him get through college. In case some don't know the story, the government was testing this new drug called LSD and it pretty much changed his life forever.

[Kong]

Kong, why don't you just snipe some programming contracts online for side cash ? Loads of noobs on classified sites looking to have a word press set up for $50.I hate doing those. I really hate searching for those little jobs - takes hours to find them and discuss what they want and they usually want something stupid. I'd rather be poor. The big plus of the medical studies is I get paid and I can take my laptop with me and work the same, if not more than I do at home.

I looked into the study some before accepting. It didn't seem too dangerous or difficult.

I got a full physical out of it.

They said everything was great except I should eat more red meat - or more protein and iron - and that my resting heart rate was that of a marathon runner - 40 BPM. They said that was great if I am an athlete and weird if I am not. I was still trying to get into the study at that point so I lied and said I was an athlete. Now I am wondering why my pulse is so low.

I used okcupid.com to find a ride there - just asked random girls if they wanted to go on a road trip. I rode greyhound back. I hate greyhound.

[warghoul]

I rode greyhound back. I hate greyhound.
I never met anyone who enjoyed it.

[Winnebagel]

Bummer about that not working out. Having been in the pharmacy industry in the past, I would be very cautious about doign any kind of drug testing, though. So many drugs are released and then pulled from the market due to danger and inadequate testing. I wouldn't want to be the guinea pig in that. Kind of scary.

[Dudebro]

This could be you Kong!
Toshiba Laptops | Medical Tester Commercial - YouTube

[Slime Slayer]

Looks more like WB.

[Dudebro]

Well yeah he ends up looking more like that guy from Eternal Champions but my point is Kong could end up that way too. No one really wants a unibrow, right?

[520outlaw]

hey i have a unibrow lmao

[Dudebro]

My Xbox avatar has a unibrow, no hate from me. Actually they call it a monobrow on their avatar editor and to me that's just awesome.

[RU Joe]

Give it a rest.
You're not a real man until you have GREY eyebrows, Ok?

[Dudebro]

That's the last refuge for my young hair, eyebrows. Everywhere else I see isn't holding back the tide of white hair. TMI!

[Slime Slayer]

My freaking ears have hair growing off of them.

[Kong]

I'm going to one tomorrow. I will be gone for about 9 days. I should have internet the whole time.

[Dudebro]

Be safe and come back to us.
http://www.retrouprising.com/img/2012_07/1075.jpg

[RU Joe]

Yes, best wishes for you Kong.

DB both your avatar and the pic you posted look like they're watching Kong walk out the door.
It's the most appropriate thing I ever saw.

[Dudebro]

That pic and my avatar are expressing my concern for Kong. I'd rather he not use his body for human experiments but he's a willful SOB.

[DrunkN]

That pic and my avatar are expressing my concern for Kong. I'd rather he not use his body for human experiments but he's a willful SOB.
That kinda sounds like the opposite of The Medic.

To Kong I say: Do it for science!
http://www.retrouprising.com/img/2012_07/1076.jpg

[Dudebro]

That kinda sounds like the opposite of The Medic.

Well you didn't have to tell Kong that, now he might be more apprehensive when he goes for the "free upgrades".
Meet the Medic - YouTube

[Kong]

At first it wasn't too bad. I actually kind of liked it. Was like living in a hotel with a maid and chef and tv, a desk that was way more comfy than my home desk and way faster internet. But I have had a head ache for the past 24 hours and now I can't do anything except watch tv and sleep.

[warghoul]

I don't know man. You got to do what you got to do for money, I understand that but taking non FDA regulated drugs as a guinea pig is probably worse for your body than what I do, and that's saying a lot. If your that hard up for cash just get a part time job and you will still have plenty of time for your other activities. Hell when I have a busy week at work and am stuck their for over 100 hours I still make time to do what I love. Just be careful.

[Kong]

Back home. So far it hasn't been bad at all.

I have to do one more week stay and a couple 1 night stays.

I'm surprised at the amount of negative response. IMO it is totally worth it.

Do my normal day job while living in a hospital for 18 days. Someone else cooks and cleans for me. Take a drug that is brand new and barely tested but doesn't sound too sketchy. Get $4K.

I am the only one here that would jump at that?

[Winnebagel]

Back home. So far it hasn't been bad at all.

I have to do one more week stay and a couple 1 night stays.

I'm surprised at the amount of negative response. IMO it is totally worth it.

Do my normal day job while living in a hospital for 18 days. Someone else cooks and cleans for me. Take a drug that is brand new and barely tested but doesn't sound too sketchy. Get $4K.

I am the only one here that would jump at that?

I'm glad to hear you are doing okay so far. I think my main hesitation about this is that I was in the pharmacy industry for a few years, and I saw alot of studies on drugs that were tested on humans too soon. Some ended up being very harmful, but were tested or released to the market without adequate trials. I'm just concerned for your safety really.

[Dudebro]

I worry this kind of thing will come back to bite you in the ass later. Like "We're sorry Mr Kong but that experimental drug you took back in the day caused your cancer."

[Slime Slayer]

Excatly, your well being is none of big pharma's concern.

[Kong]

Today was the day that they intentionally made us sick.

I had a mild headache and an IV most of the day and I had shivers for 10 minutes.

One guy was very sick all day and still is. A couple guys had shivers for over an hour.

We normally get around $175/day. Today we got $600. Worth it.

[Barra]

Im doing one of these next week. Confinement for 4 days with routine checks etc etc
What drug have they tested on you Kong?

[Kong]

When your immune system is in full blast fighting mode it produces some proteins as a by product. Their theory is that a build up of those proteins can cause diseases in the future. The test drug is supposed to reduce those proteins.

In addition to the test drug they gave us an endotoxin to trigger our immune system. The endotoxin is what made us sick. The endotoxin is very commonly used in medical trials.

I get sick for one day. I have to stay in Duke for about 20 days, spread across about 5 trips, over about 3 months for $3.8K.

What are they doing to you? Good to hear I'm not the only one.

[Barra]

Oh right. Sounds a bit more intense than mine (and a much heavier pay cheque!!)

We are getting doses of Noribogaine (a derivative of ibogaine), in which they are testing for the possible reduction of opioid addiction.
We are confined from friday 8pm til tuesday afternoon where they give us the drug and take all the tests etc and then bloods taken at 24, 48 and 96 hours after release
Payment is $1200 - tax so just under $1000 Id say. Not bad for a few days of doing nothing....also perfect opportunity for me to study (and maybe go on RU ;))

[Dudebro]

Kong and Barra are on performance enhancing drugs we should ban them from competition.

[Barra]

:sweat:

[Slime Slayer]

So... haven't heard from Kong in a while...

[FudgyDRS]

I would be interested to know specifically what kind of drug was admistered, usually you sign a waiver that details such information.

[Winnebagel]

So... haven't heard from Kong in a while...

I have a pretty good source that seems to indicate that he is still alive. My suspicion is that he is on a secret mission for the big N.

I don't know all the details, but I think due to the super strength Kongger gained from the gamma ray pills he ingested in the medical study, his mission has something to do with throwing barrels at plumbers from a great height. I don't know anything beyond that. :-\

[Kong]

The drug is Isis-CRP (http://www.isispharm.com/Pipeline/Therapeutic-Areas/Cardiovascular.htm#ISIS-CRPRx).

I am back. It went smooth enough.

I have to go back for 2 more check ups that will take about 30 minuets each plus driving.

I posted kind of what I will have to do before but it was guesses because I didn't have the paper work in front of me. Here are the exact specifics.

After it is all said and done I will have
taken 1200 mg of their drug.
been really sick for 15 minutes.
had a headache for 2 days.
spent 40 hours in the car - split gas 3 ways. $75 each.
12 nights and 19 days in study.
spent 6 days on couchsurfing.com to stay near Duke and avoid extra driving.
received $3,950.