Is Prometa a promising miracle drug for the treatment of addiction or just another scam with preposterous claims. I am looking forward to watching 60 Minutes’ Scott Pelley do a feature report on the controversial drug Prometa this Sunday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. ET/PT. I just wish CBS would facilitate the embedding of their videos, I have posted a screenshot but you can go here to view it yourself.
Prometa is touted as new treatment for methamphetamine, cocaine and alcohol addiction. It is a combination of three drugs already approved by the FDA. Mendelson says none has been proven effective individually against addiction. Could there be something special about taking them in combination? "So far, the evidence would suggest no," says Mendelson, who tests addiction treatments for the National Institute on Drug Abuse. What’s special, says Mendelsohn, is the way its marketers have sold Prometa. "Their pathway…has been to…open Prometa centers so they can…dose people in their special clinics," he tells Pelley, "and to stay completely outside the scientific and regulatory framework."~CBS News
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While one can always hope, I must admit that I am very skeptical. I am thrown off by the total lack of recognition by any credible organizations such as the NIDA and the fact that no independent testing has been done. Another thing that really raises the old snake oil warning flag is the slick and expensive marketing campaign that including an internet blitz that would make Ron Paul jealous. Notice many of the videos and testimonials you will find searching the web make the statement that they are not affiliated with product. I would assume that is probably so they don’t have to add the caveat that accompanies other official press releases.
Except for statements of historical fact, the matters discussed in this press release are forward looking and made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that may cause actual results to differ materially from stated expectations. These risk factors include, among others, limited operating history and lack of statistically significant formal research studies, the risk that treatment programs might not be effective, difficulty in developing, exploiting and protecting proprietary technologies, intense competition and substantial regulation in the healthcare industry; and additional risks factors as discussed in the reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on its website at http://www.sec.gov.
You know what they say, if it sounds to good to be true… it probably is. Addicts, alcoholics, and their families are one of the biggest and most vulnerable markets out there so I would not be surprised to see my worst fears validated. But as with most recovery tools and treatments, I intend to give it the benefit of the doubt until I know more. Please contact me if you have more info or an opinion you would like to share.
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but as an individual I must say it will take a lot to convince me that this is not an elaborate scam.
I am of the definitie opinion that Prometa is a scam. I hope I am wrong and would love to have egg on my face, but this smells rotten.
I am living proof that the pro meta program really works. I am 43 and in recovery from meth crack cocaine and alcohol. I would be happy to testify of the true positive results from prometa. I was also skeptical before treatment and had tried everything possible.
I would be happy to prove that it really does work
will you share with us your experience?
Still waiting for proof or even just a little info!
Hi there, I read your post on the board.. I am going to be rying Prometa soon and would love to hear anything you have to say about it. Or any advice you have for me. I am a 25 year old female from Maui , Hawaii. Thanks, Tiff
What is up with constanly changeing the math question and saying the last one was wrong?
It is unfortunately necessary because of the recent wave of spam we have been recieving. Creating an user name makes posting much easier.
I want to give Prometa a try. I have been smoking meth for about 10 years and Prometa sounds too good to be true. I really want to live a normal healthy life. Its really difficult to stop using. I wish I had never of tried it. Its ruining my life! I recently learned of Prometa from that true life show on MTV. A few weeks later I made an appointment to be treated. It going to cost $6,700. My mother is going to pay for it. I hope it works, I would feel terrible about her spending all that money if after they infuse me with "Prometa" It doesnt make a difference.
The doctor told me that "Prometa has not been unsuccessful for anyone that has been treated (with Prometa)".
Any advice would be much appreciated. Please email me at prometaadvice@yahoo.com
DOUBLE-BLIND METHAMPHETAMINE STUDY CONFIRMS PROMETA TREATMENT PROGRAM SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN CRAVINGS COMPARED TO PLACEBO
Hythiam, Inc. announced that the results of the first double-blind, placebo-controlled study utilizing Hythiam's PROMETA® Treatment Program (PROMETA) that were presented June 18 at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico by addiction expert Harold C. Urschel, III, M.D., M.M.A. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study confirms the significant impact of the PROMETA Treatment Program on cravings, and a consistent trend toward decreased use during the initial treatment of methamphetamine dependent individuals who concurrently receive psychosocial therapy.
The 30-day study focused on evaluating the impact of PROMETA on cravings during the treatment of methamphetamine dependence. The results were analyzed using an intent-to-treat analysis, which includes all randomized participants, and demonstrated that PROMETA achieved a statistically significant reduction in the combined craving score for methamphetamine when compared to placebo over the study duration.
During the period of this 30-day study, urine drug screens and timeline follow back self-reports assessed methamphetamine use. The intent-to-treat analysis utilized the worst-case-scenario, which counts missing data as positive for methamphetamine use. Across the duration of the study, the PROMETA subjects averaged a lower number of positive urine drug screens than the placebo group. On any given assessment day, the PROMETA subjects had a lower proportion of positive urine drug screens. An evaluation of the number of consecutive clean urines showed statistical significance in that 42% of the PROMETA subjects and 27% of placebo subjects had 2 consecutive clean urines during the 4 week study (p=0.03). Throughout the study, the PROMETA subjects had a lower frequency of self-reported use than the placebo group.
For more info please visit http://www.prometainfo.com
So over thirty days Prometa showed a 15% positive improvement over a placebo- and this is supposed to be impressive how?
The study was geared at 30 days for several reasons. Studies like this seem easy to do, but they're not. First of all, you're working with active meth addicts, a very difficult group to manage. How do you keep your placebo group engaged?
Next, they can't be on any other meds or have been through any other medical treatment for addiction for a period of time.
Next, to use the standard 90-day period would unnecessarily replicate the Ling study at UCLA which has been ongoing for the past several years, has recently been completed, is in the data analysis phase, and the results are due out in a relatively short time.
Finally, the researchers were trying to validate two things that they noticed in their open-label study from the prior year: that the cravings reduced almost right away and that patients were also able to think more clearly. They were trying to measure the short-run effect on acute symptoms, not long-term recovery, which is driven more by the follow-on psycho-social therapy such as relapse prevention and building new reward and coping mechanisms and lifestyle changes.
So, in short, there are a bunch of good reasons to measure the immediate impact of a treatment protocol for 30 days when what you're trying to gauge is the immediate impact on acute withdrawal symptons.
Hopefully that makes sense.
However, if you continue to look for the fly in the ointment with Prometa, you're on a long road to nowhere..this will be the standard of care for alcohol and stimulant dependence. It's just a matter of time..
Oh, and the 15% comment suggests that you may need to do further study about what is considered statistically significant in studies of this type.
good luck and keep up the good work..
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