Thoughts from a Lab Rat

There’s a lot of misconception amongst the lab rat population about whether a clinic can call another clinic and confirm if someone has done a study within a certain timeframe. Well, the answer is yes. In accordance with the FDA and the protocol of each and every study, the clinic is required to make sure that you meet all study requirements. One of the major requirements is that you have not participated in a research study in the last 30 days and that you do not participate in more than one study at a time. Doing more than one study at a time or two studies within 30 days can greatly increase your chances of having side-effects including life-threatening conditions. Unless you’re a doctor, you don’t know what will happen if you combine multiple drugs. It’s even more dangerous when you take experimental drugs with the side-effects not even known yet! That is why the FDA, sponsors and clinical research organizations are concerned about washout periods and ensuring that participants are only doing one study at a time.

There have been increasing instances over the past year where volunteers have been “busted” for not obeying the washout period and for doing more than one study at a time. The consequences of getting caught are severe. You will most likely be banned for life from BOTH clinics. Is making some extra cash now worth not being able to do anymore studies? Think about that next time you are tempted to breaking these rules. These rules are in place for your safety as well as the integrity of the study results.

I know I make it sound like you can do studies full time, which you technically can, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be compensated to your satisfaction. Every year is different and the amount of money you may make is going to vary. Under normal circumstances, it is fully possible to do 6 to 8 studies with the 30 day washout in-between each one. It is important to note that you must be on the ball and getting ready to do your next study right at the 30 day mark but provided you are following the study guidelines, you should have no problems. However, in the end, it all comes down to luck. Sometimes a better study comes out after you check in. Sometimes studies get cancelled. Sometimes you don’t quality. Well, it happens But you have to keep trying.

By following the washout and one study at a time guidelines, not only are you helping to keep you safe, you’re also helping to give lab rats a good name. It’s always just a few bad apples that spoil it for everyone so it’s up to all of us to conduct ourselves professionally and to follow all of the rules of the study and clinic.

I’ve seen it happen several times to several people and heard about it happening to dozens more. Disqualified and or banned from a clinic for testing positive for alcohol or drugs during the check in process. Many studies require partial or full retesting at check in. At the very lest, most studies require a UDS (Urine Drug Screen) at check in.

I know it can be tempting to “go out for a good time” or “one last hurrah” before checking into a long study. Just don’t do it the night before! A lot of people think that all they need is 8 to 12 hours to clean out but that is for a small amount of alcohol and there may still be trace amounts and depending on how sensitive the testing equipment the clinic is using, can still detect trace amounts. And for more enjoyable drinkers, it can take up to 24 hours to eliminate all traces. Most clinics require a 48 hour cut off for alcoholic beverages and that is to be 100% sure that there is no alcohol in your system.

If you can afford to lose $3000 for a night out, then by all means, go ahead. But for most people, it’s just wise to wait till after the study and all study restrictions have been lifted to go out and have a good time. You’ll probably find it more enjoyable because there will actually be something to celebrate.

Blood pressure is the main component of vital signs. Vital signs typically exclude 5 to 10 percent of screening volunteers and 2 to 5 percent at check in. Just because you have an out of range reading at a screening doesn’t necessarily mean that you are unhealthy. It just means that you were out of the range that the study was looking for.

In general, most studies require a range of 90-140 and 60-90.

Below is a general explanation for adults
systolic/diastolic
Hypotension <90/<60
Normal 90-120/60-80
Prehypertension 121-139/81-89
Stage 1 Hypertension 140-159/90-99
Stage 2 Hypertension >160/>100

If your reading at screening is at Stage 2 hypertension, you will more than likely be referred to your doctor for follow-up.

Most of the time, you will sit for 3 to 5 minutes before the blood pressure reading in order to obtain a resting reading. Sometimes you will lie down (supine) for your readings. And sometimes you will do orthostatic which involves sitting, lying and or standing.
In the event that your first reading is out of range, you will typically do a repeat. If the repeat is out of range, you will probably be excluded from that study. Occasionally, but more common once you check in, a manual reading will be done.

Many people suffer from white-coat anxiety. Just knowing that the reading determines whether they will get into the study or not can cause artificially high readings. Unfortunately, there is nothing the clinic can do about this. They have to go by what the machine reads. It is important not to think about the test!

Here are some simple things you can do to improve chances of an accurate reading (during the sit or supine):
Make sure they are using the proper cuff, say something if it’s too tight
Don’t think about the test!
Don’t look at the machine. Focus on a spot on the wall or floor
Do not talk during the test
Keep your feet flat on the floor and do not tap or kick
Relax your body and your arms
Breathe normally
Deep breathes are good but don’t put too much effort into it because that can be counterproductive

There are a lot of arguments as to the accuracy of the machines and the blood pressure test itself. It is true that it’s tough to get an exact reading at any given time. You can take the test 3 times in a row and get different readings. But in general, the test gives a ballpark figure to where you are at. Again, white-coat anxiety can vastly affect your readings and most people with time, can overcome this problem. But keep in mind that your blood pressure constantly changes from minute to minute and day to day.

I recommend for anyone to get into a light exercise routine like walking 3 to 5 miles a day. It’s not strenuous so it won’t effect your labs much but it will help increase the circulation in your body which in turn can help lower or stabilize your blood pressure. Plus it’s just healthy to get daily exercise. You don’t have to sweat and pant to exercise.

Had an issue with the web host. Things should be back up now. Just a reminder, you can view the entire site minus the blog and forum at www.drugspay.com

I am trying to fix this but may take a few days. Apparently people are not able to sign up for the forum. I get a lot of spammers and that crashes the board a lot. I will try to fix this problem ASAP. This shouldn’t affect people who already are signed up and have a user id and password.

Okay, so I have fallen way behind on my bi-annual updates. I have been trying to keep most changes current but I know a lot of the travel information is out of date.

Thanks to all who use my site as their referral source!

There are many studies out there for all types of people. Obviously, the biggest lure of doing studies is the amount of money that you get. While getting a nice chunk of change is nice, not every study requires procedures that merit a large stipend. In fact, most studies are don’t pay that much. Usually the higher paying studies require a specialized population or has extraordinary procedures that not everyone will want to subject themselves to.

First of all, are you afraid of needles? Well, if you are, maybe doing studies isn’t right for you. However, it’s certainly worth a shot and who knows, maybe it won’t be so bad after all. You can quit a study at any time for any reason. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out and people dropout for personal reason. If you don’t mind needles, then there are many studies for you. Most studies require multiple blood draws (pk) which require multiple sticks with needles. If you’ve ever have had an IV at a hospital and didn’t mind it, then an IV study would open up additional choices. Don’t mind big needles in weird places then injection studies may interest you. These may include stomach injections, skin injections and muscle injections.

If you’re not into needles and the like, there are studies out there. Unfortunately they are scattered and you just have to be lucky to run into one. It doesn’t hurt to ask the recruiters if they has minimal blood-draw studies or non blood-draw studies cause they do happen. There are other studies available like skin lotion, flu vaccines, cough medicine and etc.

The best place to look for studies, especially for clinics that don’t list their studies online or don’t even have a website is through the local newspapers, employment magazines and the weekly entertainment rag. Advertisements also may appear on buses and transit vehicles, billboards and local TV and radio. You just have to be on the look out sometimes.

My tip to people who are unsure if studies are for them is to do a short study for a few days long. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to do any more and you’ve made a few bucks. If you find that you don’t mind studies or can’t wait for the next one, then maybe you’ve found what you’ve been looking for. Either way, you’re helping medical science and without people like you willing to give up your time, medical advancements would not be possible.

Okay, time for a reality check. Certainly, I make volunteering for a clinical research study sound glamorous and fantastic, and it is, when it works. Realistically, one can do about seven to eight studies a year. Ideally, you only want to do the “big” studies all the time but in reality, you usually have to take what is available at the time. Rents, mortgages, car payments and bills all have to be paid in a timely manner and the payments of studies don’t always jive with your payment schedules. What does this mean? You need to budget. Okay, so I’m the absolutely last person who should be talking about a budget, but I just don’t want to see others make the same mistakes that I have made and may still be making.

I have always said that getting into the study is the hardest part. It is. Often times, you have to sign up for a study two to three weeks before the study actually begins. That’s a lot of time for things to go wrong. Studies get postponed, cancelled or you may just not qualify for a study. I know many fellow lab rats that have part time jobs or even full time jobs. It’s important to fill your free time with constructive activities. It is not uncommon to go six to eight weeks without a study check. So it’s wise to always keep an emergency stash in case it takes longer than usual to get into a study. Certain times of the year are slower than others. Mainly around holidays and towards the end and the beginning of the year. Lastly, depending on the area of the country you live in, you may only have one or two choices for clinics. If this is the case, you may not be able to reasonably expect to make a living. You may only be able to do three or four studies. If you’re willing to travel, then you are increasing your odds of doing more studies but at the same time, increasing the chance that you may lose money due to travel expenses if out-of-town studies don’t work out.

Am I suggesting that you don’t do studies for a living? No, but I am suggesting that you use care and budget your money like you may not be getting any more.

http://www.anylabtestnow.com/

Sometimes you may have a lab result that is out of range during a screening or check-in which may exclude you from a study. How do you know when it’s back in range? Clinics usually recommend seeing your doctor and bringing a copy of results that are within the range that the clinic is looking for. But many subjects don’t have healthcare insurance (not even going there) or “family doctors”. So where are those to get repeat tests done? There’s a chain of testing centers that allow walk-in lab tests. It’s called Any Lab Test Now. There are locations in many states and cities with major Phase I clinics.

Most simple tests and panels are $49 with more complex and comprehensive tests costing more. You don’t need an appointment or a doctor’s referral which makes this a convenient and cost-effective way to get your own lab tests. You will get your results for most tests within 48 hours. While these centers do allow anyone to get any test done, they do not provide medical advice or consultations. So if you do have any questions or concerns about your lab results, then it may be best to see a doctor. But for many lab rats that are proactive with their personal health, Any Lab Test Now can be an invaluable tool.

Please email me again! I strive to respond to every email but I get a lot of it and from several sources so sometimes an email or two will get lost.
reply@jalr.org