Nowak, Jingting C. Yuan, of Dana-Farber; and Emma C. Fink, Bethany Berry, Benjamin L. Posted on August 01, If you are a journalist and have a question about this story, please call and ask to speak to a member of the media team, or email media dfci.
The Media Team cannot respond to patient inquiries. For more information, please see Contact Us. Read disclaimer about translations Please note that some translations using Google Translate may not be accurately represented and downloaded documents cannot be translated.
Dana-Farber assumes no liability for inaccuracies that may result from using this third-party tool, which is for website translation and not clinical interactions. Within three days the leprosy had gone and skin lesions healed. When the patient stopped taking the thalidomide the leprosy returned. The drug seemed to be able to suppress the disease, although it was not a cure. And after more positive results, thalidomide was used as a treatment for leprosy in many countries.
More recently, it has been used successfully to control some AIDS-related conditions, and as a targeted cancer drug for treating cancers such as multiple myeloma. From mental health to epidemiology, discover the people and events who have shaped medicine as we know it today. Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries is the magnificent new home for the most significant medical collections in the world.
Explore a variety of artefacts revealing the understanding and treatment of physical disability from the 16th century up to today.
Javascript is disabled. You are here: Home Objects and stories. Published: 11 December Story Content Introduction Thalidomide in the marketplace Thalidomide and pregnancy The thalidomide scandal The consequences of thalidomide Uses of thalidomide today Find out more.
Thalidomide changed our relationship with new medicines for ever. Their advertisement claimed that Distaval can be given with complete safety to pregnant women and nursing mothers without adverse effect on mother or child.
Thalidomide and pregnancy In the s, scientists did not know that the effects of a drug could be passed through the placental barrier and harm a foetus in the womb, so the use of medications during pregnancy was not strictly controlled. The thalidomide scandal The first time the link between thalidomide and its impact on development was made public was in a letter published in The Lancet from an Australian doctor William McBride, in Six pairs of prosthetic limbs made for Tracey Baynam, whose limb development was affected by thalidomide, throughout her childhood and teenage years.
The consequences of thalidomide Thalidomide forced governments and medical authorities to review their pharmaceutical licencing policies. Now, decades later, thalidomide Thalomid is being used to treat a skin condition and cancer.
It's also being investigated as a treatment for many other disorders. As research into thalidomide continued, doctors found that it helps regulate the body's germ-fighting immune system and helps control inflammation. Studies also showed that thalidomide slows the process the body uses to create new blood vessels. Cancers use this same process to get the fuel they need to grow and spread. That research led the U. Thalidomide research continues as doctors find new uses for the drug.
Research has shown some promise in using thalidomide to treat inflammatory skin conditions, such as cutaneous lupus and Behcet's disease, Crohn's disease, and many types of cancer.
If you take thalidomide, it isn't safe for you or your partner to become pregnant. So if you and your doctor decide that thalidomide is appropriate for you, you'll need to take extra precautions to avoid pregnancy.
In the United States, the FDA has special requirements to reduce the risk of harm to babies born to those taking thalidomide. Before you can begin taking the drug, you must undergo counseling about the potential side effects, sign a consent form and agree to use multiple forms of contraception. You may undergo periodic pregnancy testing during treatment.
If you suspect that you've become pregnant, stop taking thalidomide and contact your doctor immediately. Take your medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
Check with your doctor before taking any other medications, including prescription medications and medications that are available without a prescription. Researchers are working to create drugs that work like thalidomide but have fewer side effects. Drugs that are chemically similar to thalidomide are available, including:. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about thalidomide. Other uses for this medicine What special precautions should I follow? What special dietary instructions should I follow?
What should I do if I forget a dose? What side effects can this medication cause? What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication? Brand names. Risk of severe, life-threatening birth defects caused by thalidomide. For all people taking thalidomide: Thalidomide must not be taken by women who are pregnant or who could become pregnant while taking this medication. Do not donate blood while you are taking thalidomide and for 4 weeks after your treatment.
For women taking thalidomide: If you can become pregnant, you will need to meet certain requirements during your treatment with thalidomide.
For men taking thalidomide: Thalidomide is present in semen fluid containing sperm that is released through the penis during orgasm. Risk of blood clots: If you are taking thalidomide to treat multiple myeloma a type of cancer of the bone marrow , there is a risk that you will develop a blood clot in your arms, legs or lungs. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking thalidomide. Other uses for this medicine. What special precautions should I follow?
Before taking thalidomide, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to thalidomide or any other medications. Be sure to mention the medications listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and any of the following: antidepressants; barbiturates such as pentobarbital Nembutal , phenobarbital, and secobarbital Seconal ; chlorpromazine; didanosine Videx ; medications for anxiety, mental illness, or seizures; certain chemotherapy medications for cancer such as cisplatin Platinol , paclitaxel Abraxane, Taxol , and vincristine;reserpine Serpalan ; sedatives; sleeping pills; and tranquilizers.
Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. Do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other activities that require you to be fully alert until you know how this medication affects you. Alcohol can make the side effects from thalidomide worse. To help avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up. Anyone who may come into contact with these fluids should wear gloves or wash any exposed areas of skin with soap and water.
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet. Thalidomide may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away: drowsiness confusion anxiety depression or mood changes difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep bone, muscle, joint, or back pain weakness headache change in appetite weight changes nausea constipation dry mouth dry skin pale skin uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection Some side effects can be serious.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment: rash itching hives blistering and peeling skin swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, or eyes hoarseness difficulty swallowing or breathing fever, sore throat, chills, cough, or other signs of infection slow or fast heartbeat seizures Thalidomide may cause nerve damage that can be severe and permanent. What other information should I know?
0コメント