Thalidomide

[Bill B.]

The drug Thalidomide, which was the 1960's sedative and sleeping pill given to pregnant women, resulting in "Thalidomide" babies, has been found to be effective in treating some cancers. If you are not old enough to remember, the "Thalidomide" babies were born with a number of different defects. Many were born without arms or legs or one arm was half the size, those kind of defects. Thalidomide is being used quite often for the treatment of Myeloma, it has helped in many cases, myself being a good example. I was on 150 mg for 10 months but had to get off because of neuropathy. Average effectiveness remains 8 to 10 months. It is not a permanent effective treatment. Later I was put on a daily low dose of 50 mg. a day. I am still on this amount. The International Myeloma Foundation recently reported that some Thalidomide users are beginning to have "Deep Vein Thrombosis." From what I understand this is blood clots in the legs. Anyone who is on, or has friends being treated with Thalidomide should be aware of this new info. Some patients take as much as 800 mg per day, they are better known as Zombies. I imagine the higher dosage, the more risk of the thrombosis. I will dig for more information.
Bill