POLICE SAY IT'S ONLY WORTH $10 BUT THE THEFT THERE INVOLVING A CORPSE IS STILL A FELONY. NEW TONIGHT, COULD KNOWING YOU ARE TAKING A PLACEBO ACTUALLY HEAL YOU? RESEARCH IS SHOWING IT IS POSSIBLE, SOME PATIENTS MAY NOT NEED DRUGS. DICK BRENNAN REPORTS MORE PATIENTS ARE GETTING A PRESCRIPTION PLACEBO. Reporter: IT LOOKS LIKE ANY ORDINARY PILL. BUT IT TURNS OUT IT IS FAKE MEDICATION THAT DOCTORS CONFIRMED CAN CURE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON MEDICAL CONDITIONS. I FELT FANTASTIC. NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE. Reporter: HE WORKED FOR LINDA, SHE SUFFERS FROM IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME WHICH OFTEN STRIKES WITHOUT NOTICE. I FELT HORRIBLE BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE A LIFE. I COULDN'T PLAN ANYTHING. Reporter: WHEN SHE SAW AN AD FOR A STUDY SHE SIGNED UP.
I WAS ALL HAPPY ABOUT IT. Reporter: SHE WAS SHOCKED WHEN DOCTORS TOLD HER SHE WOULD BE GETTING A PLACEBO. WE SAID YOU DON'T HAVE TO BELIEVE IN IT, JUST DO IT. IT'S A CRAZY IDEA. I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED. I WENT, A SUGAR PILL, ARE YOU KIDDING? THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. Reporter: BUT IT DID. HER SYMPTOMS DISAPPEARED. I MADE PLANS, I WENT OUT, NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING.
GOT MY LIFE BACK. Reporter: IN ANOTHER STUDY, MIGRAINE SUFFERERS WERE TOLD THEY WERE GIVEN A PLACEBO AND THEIR PAIN LEVEL WAS REDUCED BY 30%. DR. HARRIS SAYS THERE MAY BE SOMETHING ELSE AT WORK HERE. I BELIEVE THERE'S A LITTLE PART IS THAT IS SAYING, I WONDER IF THIS REALLY IS A PLACEBO. MAYBE SHE'S JUST TELLING ME THAT. THERE ARE PHYSIOLOGICAL REASONS THAT PLACEBOS CAN ACTIVATE THE SAME NEUROTRANSMITTERS AS POWERFUL DRUGS. THE BODY HAS AN INTERNAL PHARMACY FOR CONDITIONS. Reporter: THERE ARE LIMITS TO THE PLACEBO EFFECT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO SHRINK A TUMOR WITH A PLACEBO PILL. Reporter: BUT FOR SOME CONDITIONS IT COULD FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE WAY PATIENTS ARE TREATED. INSTEAD OF PUTTING PEOPLE ON DRUGS FOR LONG PERIODS, IF A.
