Warnings & Recalls for Thalomid
Black Box Warning
Thalomid | Thalidomide can cause severe birth defects in children or even result in the loss of the fetus. This drug should never be used by pregnant women or women who expect to become pregnant. A patient’s doctor will enroll them in the S.T.E.P.S program, configuring all aspects of the treatment with
Thalomid | Thalidomide before beginning a regimen with this drug.
Contraindications
The contraindications of this drug are usually limited to:
- Pregnancy
- Hypersensitivity to any components of this drug
Who Should Not Take This Drug
Thalomid | Thalidomide use is reserved to people who adhere to the specified S.T.E.P.S program protocols as any possibility of refills of this drug depends upon following the guidelines of this regimen. The following precautions, preexisting conditions and warnings hinder a prospective patient’s ability to take this drug:
• Concurrent use with central nervous system depressants or any alcohol use should be avoided
• The use of available contraceptives for both male and female patients is recommended so as to avoid pregnancy
Thalomid Treatment and Use
Thalomid | Thalidomide is a drug that is prescribed along with dexamethasone for the treatment of multiple myeloma, a cancer that starts from the plasma of blood cells that progresses to the bone marrow, for patients who have just recently found that they have this disease.
The FDA-labeled indications for this drug are for treating:
The non-FDA labeled indications for this drug are for:
How This Drug Works
The mechanism of action for Thalomid | Thalidomide is still yet fully not known. Although Thalomid | Thalidomide was recognized first of all as a sedative agent, there was scant information available to gauge as to why Thalomid | Thalidomide had this effect and so this drug is no longer prescribed for sedation. There are several hypotheses that explain the teratogenic effects (animal experimentation) of Thalomid | Thalidomide that mimic some of the same effects upon humans, however this has remained inconclusive. It is thought that the clinical uses of Thalomid | Thalidomide are thought to reside in its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties.
Please refer to the “Warnings” section of this article for the “black box” warning associated with this drug.
Dosage Information
For anyone to be prescribed this drug, they must be enrolled in the S.T.E.P.S program enacted by the makers of this drug as well as the regulators of Thalomid | Thalidomide. A patient admitted to this program will only be given an allotted 28 days of medication before refills.
Depending upon the condition, Thalomid | Thalidomide is usually started off at 100mg per day to a maximum of 400mg per day in divided doses.