Thalidomide
Introduction
The calamity of thalidomide is one of the worst disasters in pharmaceutical history. During a post-war era, when people were commonly experiencing insomnia, there was high demand for sedatives like thalidomide. The drug was retailed as a sleeping pill that you could never overdose on. It was even considered safe enough for pregnant women. It helped them with morning sickness. It was “the only non-barbiturate sedative known at the time” (Fintel et al.) which gave the drug tremendous allure. However, in 1962, evidence revealed that the drug caused babies to be born with malformed/missing limbs (Figure 1). This classified the drug as a teratogen. Thalidomide is composed of alpha-phthalimido-glatirimide (“Recognition of Thalidomide Defects”) and was created by a German company by the name of Chemie Grunenthal. It was originally created as an anticonvulsant drug meaning that it was originally intended to treat epileptic seizures. But early trials showed that it did not work for this but it had sedative properties. It’s most noteworthy property was that no one could
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In my opinion, I think there should’ve been more research done before it was distributed so freely and people were told that they could take it even when pregnant. Especially since this is based on giving a rat large doses and having it never die. I don’t believe this was enough evidence to consider it such a safe drug. I am glad that it is still available to those who do need and are ensured that it will not do any harm to them, if it is very restricted. From this disaster, we can take away that people should be very careful when it comes to administering and approving a drug. There should be multiple tests done that include all sorts of variables to be completely certain of its safety so that we can keep another tragedy like this one from happening ever
Before they knew its effect to animals, they were spreading this substance to all places. Even in eating places and swimming pools. The public thought it was safe and effective as endorsed by its manufacturer. Media really plays a role on the health of a lot of people, and science too. The manufacturer was hesitant that it was really safe for us.
Treating depressive and bipolar disorders with antidepressants remains a popular option in clinical practice. Most clinicians choose the drug or class of drugs, usually selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRI's, that is most effective and best tolerated with fewer severe side effects. These drugs are beneficial because they specifically target serotonin-based areas of the brain without affecting other neurotransmitter systems. SSRI's largely replaced tricyclic antidepressants which work by blocking the absorption (reuptake) of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, thereby increasing the levels of these two neurotransmitters in the brain. Tricyclic antidepressants present severe side effects and thus are usually only used when other treatments have failed. If SSRI's or tricyclics are not effective Monoamine oxidase inhibitors may be prescribed. MAOI's, enhance tyramine to increase norepinephrine and serotonin. While taking MAOI's you must abstain from foods and alcohol that contain tyramine such as, yogurt, aged cheese, and substances such as cold medications. This is because a potential toxic reaction could occur. Additionally, other antidepressants may be utilized such as Wellbutrin (bupropion) an NDRI-
The drug was tested thoroughly on mice, with no ill effects to the mice from the drug before it was sold. Around 10,000 children were born with severe birth defects during that time period due to mothers taking Thalidomide during the pregnancy.... ... middle of paper ... ... Is it right to kill one species to save another?
...ve physical deformities, decreased birth weight and respiratory difficulties. The drugs can also carry adverse behavioral effects, including high pitched crying, abnormal sleep patterns and decreased attention. Studies have determined that some infants can rectify these behavioral inconsistencies, but that the change is dependent upon a responsive caregiver in a nurturing environment.
Imagine being in a family that is expecting their first child. Articles in the newspaper are showing how the chances of miscarriages are increasing. As soon as anxiety starts to take over, a flip of a page in the newspaper changes everything. An article about a new drug called Diethylstilbestrol seems to be on the next page. Diethylstilbestrol, also known as DES, is a medicine that helps prevent women from having pregnancy complications including miscarriages. “This is amazing!” one may say, but do they really know the consequences of taking this new medication? Diethylstilbestrol was a huge turning point for most pregnant women in the early twentieth century; however, it had many underlying negative consequences that would later affect the mother and child with the word no one ever wants to hear; cancer.
This assignment will discuss the professional, legal and ethical issues related to the self-use of medication by nurses. It will also explore the importance of reporting this misconduct by both professionals in the scenario and how they might do so. The self-use of medication by nurses is not allowed or justifiable according to the guidance provided to nurses by An Bord Altranais (ABA 2007). It will also be evident throughout this assignment the need for Jack to report Linda’s self-use of the medication or urge Linda to do so regardless of the consequences it may present to both him and Linda as according to Nurses and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI 2013), nurses can now be held responsible for not taking action. This is because delivering the greatest level of care to a patient is an essential role of a nurse and the main focus of the nurse’s work should be on caring for that patient (ABA 2010). There is also an ethical duty upon both nurses to report the misconduct according to the four ethical principles; Beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and autonomy (Edwards 2009).
for example, the animal testing that allowed the drug to be produced never included testing on animals who were pregnant, so they had no idea of the side effects this drug would cause on pregnant women. However, despite this lack of medication testing the drug was still placed on the German market in 1957, thalidomide was marketed as an over the counter prescription and was advertised as being “completely safe” while falsely emphasizing its safety “even during pregnancy” although they had never tested the medication during
Chemotherapy is the use of chemicals to cure cancer. Chemotherapy is also known as “chemo”. The term for chemo came from the German bacteriologist Paul Ehrlich around the year 1900. He came up with the term when he was examining aniline dyes and arsenicals as possible treatments for diseases such as syphilis. He envisioned “magic bullets” that would be able to target invading organisms but still leave the host unscathed. This goal has been providing therapeutic benefits without many side effects in all areas of drug development. There has been a lot of success with compounds that modulate normal biochemistry within the body.
Acid is produced naturally in your stomach to help you digest food and to kill bacteria. This acid irritates the stomach lining so our body produces a natural mucus barrier which protects it. Sometimes this barrier may be damaged thus allowing the acid to damage the stomach causing inflammation, ulcers and other conditions. Other times, there may be a problem with the muscular band at the top of the stomach that keeps the stomach tightly closed and this allows the acid to escape and irritate the oesophagus. This is called 'acid reflux' and can cause heartburn and/or oesophagitis. Proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole stop cells in the lining of the stomach from producing too much acid. This can help prevent ulcers from forming or assist the healing process. By decreasing the amount of acid, they can also help to reduce acid reflux related symptoms such as heartburn.
Throughout history disease has run rampant taking many lives with every passing day. Finding a cure or even just a tool in the battle has been the main focus of scientist throughout time. This focus is what brought us the discovery of antibiotics. Over the years antibiotics have been misused by patients, over prescribed by physicians and have led to resistant strains of bacteria.
Prescription drugs do not always cause addiction, but a specific group of prescription narcotics can increase dependency on the medication and cause a severe addiction. For many people that become addicted to prescribed medicines, it changes their life forever. Prescription drugs are equally as dangerous as street drugs, if not more so. High powered pain relievers are safe if taken properly, but some people pop multiples a day which can cause coma and even death.
Prescription drug abuse has become a major epidemic across the globe, shattering and affecting many lives of young teenagers. Many people think that prescription drugs are safer and less addictive than “street drugs.” After all, these are drugs that moms, dads, and even kids brothers and sisters use. The dangers are not easily seen, but the future of our youth will soon be in severe danger if the problem is not addressed,it will continue to get worse if action is not taken soon. Prescription drugs are only supposed to be consumed by patients who have been examined and have a medical report by a professional, more and more teens are turning to the family’s medicine cabinet to “get high” but what they are actually doing is severely harming themselves, kids today are turning away from the street drugs and abusing the “prescribed” drugs that are that are at their very own home.
The authors quote a vast amount of credible sources from prestigious universities such as Princeton and from well-known animal rights groups such as PETA. I will use this as my main source of information. George, Patricia and Geraldine Wagner. “Point: Medical Experiments on Animals Are an Important Element of Drug Development.” Animal Experimentation 2015: 7.
Waking up in the morning seems to be a task that daunts us all at some point in our lives. Fighting the grogginess that continues to descend upon someone’s waking mind. What if instead of eventually going away, that feeling stayed was there every single waking minute? People who have depression often feel this way, except instead of fighting grogginess they are fighting themselves. According to Merriam Webster antidepressants are defined as “used or tending to relieve or prevent depression” (“Definition of Antidepressants” 2018). Antidepressants are one of the most common remedies for depression. If they work effectively or not is another question. Some argue that people should be allowed to take antidepressants because they boost concentration,
A supplement that is progressively becoming more popular in the United States are diet Pills. The purpose of consuming these pills is to help individuals lose weight in a easy manner. Diet pills come in many different variations that contributes to certain tasks in the body. Diet pills alone can have a dangerous effect on the body let alone being knowledgeable in knowing what diet pills are best for your body is very important. People who are consuming or looking into consuming diet pills often forget to look further into the product due to desperation. Everyone already knows that the best way to lose weight is by exercising and eating healthy; but since people are not taking that into consideration, it’s best to believe they are to the point