Thalidomide Research Paper

Words: 924
Pages: 4

The world is troubled. There are evil men, with evil ideas.There are evil inventions, with evil purposes. There are good intentions, with evil outcomes. One such thing would be a drug called thalidomide. Thalidomide came out to the world in Stolberg, Germany, in 1954. It was patented that lasted for 20 years. It was created by a pharmaceutical company called Grüenthal. It was originally marketed under the name Grippex, and it was a combination of thalidomide, vitamin C, acetylsalicylic acid, quinine, and phenacetin (History of Thalidomide). Thalidomide was introduced to the rest of the world and was licensed in 1958 in the United Kingdom. It was withdrawn shortly after due to the health affects later proven to result from taking thalidomide. Thalidomide was also the first example of a drug that passed legal specifications and regulations without receiving full evaluation of the safety issues it may provide to breastfeeding and pregnant women. After 1961, drug regulatory authorities tightened laws …show more content…
It affects both the taker and -in cases of pregnant women- the unborn child. Side-effects for the taker include: neuropathy, which leads to pain, tingling and numbness, fatigue or tiredness, constipation, refractory hypotension, which is a severe and permanent drop in the takers blood pressure, deep vein thrombosis - when thalidomide is mixed with certain other drugs (usually dexamethasone, used in the treating of multiple myeloma), dizziness, confusion, vertigo, lightheadedness, anxiety, depression, mood swings, insomnia, bone, muscle, joint or back pain; dry, itchy skin, and swelling in the hands, ankles, and / or feet (Thalidomide Side Effects). Women who took thalidomide while pregnant also risked their children. These children faced the risk of missing or abnormal limbs, feet or hands, missing or abnormal ears, heart and kidney problems, cleft palate, spinal cord defects, and digestive disorders (Thalidomide Side