Thalidomide was a drug that devastated thousands of people’s lives in the 1960s. This happened due to a popular belief that the human fetus was protected from maternal drug exposures in the sanctum sanctorum of the uterus (Annas, et. al.). Thalidomide was developed in 1957 as a sedative and, in 1961, was unfortunately discovered to cause a wide variety of birth defects causing over eight thousand “thalidomide babies” to be born. Thalidomide, “a sedative-hypnotic, withdrawn from general use because of its potential for teratogenic effects, particularly phocomelia, when taken during pregnancy,” (Glanze 1116) also known as alpha-pthalimide-glutarimide, was first developed by Dr. Chemie Gruenthal in Germany, where it was first distributed, in 1957 (Smithells, et. al.). It was created as a drug to prevent convulsions, “a sudden, violent involuntary contraction of a group of muscles,” (Glanze 286) and was soon discovered to be unsuitable for that purpose but was proven to have sedative properties. It was known as a great drug because there was only one overdose side effect: prolonged sleep (Smithells, et. al.). Its second distribution was in the United Kingdom in April on 1958 (Smithells, et. al.). Shortly after, it was also distributed in Canada and the United States (Pelle, et. al.). More than 2.5 million tablets were distributed to one-thousand two-hundred sixty-seven physicians and twenty-thousand clinical trial patients (Annas, et. al.). Thalidomide was definitely considered one of the greatest drugs of its kind by many. Another reason for thalidomide’s greatness was that it could be combined with other medicines and used for reasons other than its intended purpose. It was combined with Asmaval for asthma, Tensival for e... ... middle of paper ... ...with a wide variety of defects, we can still learn from it. “Not all tragedies can be redeemed, but all tragedies can be learned from” (Annas, et. al.). Works Cited Annas, George J., et. al. “Thalidomide and the Titanic: Reconstructing the Technology Tragedies of the Twentieth Century.” American Journal of Public Health 89.1 (1999): 98-101. Business Source Elite. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. Glanze, Walter D. Mosby’s Medical & Nursing Dictionary. Missouri: The C. V. Mosby Company, 1986. Print. Pelle, Michelle T., et. al. “Thalidomide in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus.” American Journal of Clinical Dermatology 4.6 (2003): 379-387. Academic Search Elite. Web. 22 Jan. 2014. Smithells, R. W., et. al. “Recognition of Thalidomide Defects.” Thalidomide Victim’s Association of Canada. TVAC, 2014. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
Dr. John Abramson’s book Overdosed America debunks the myths about the excellence of American medicine. Abramson backs up this claim by closely examining research about medicine, closely examining the unpublished details submitted by drug manufacturers to the FDA, and discovering that the unpublished data does not coincide with the claims made about the safety and effectiveness of commonly used medicines. Abramsons purpose is to point out the flaws of the pharmaceutical industry in order to warn the readers about the credibility of the drugs they are buying. Given the critical yet technical language of the book, Abramson is writing to an audience that may include academic physicians as well as those who want to learn about the corruption of the pharmaceutical industry.
Mary Zimmerman framed that women have not had ultimate control over their own bodies and health as a fundamental assumption underlying women’s health movement. Men control and dominate a huge portion of the of decision making roles in the healthcare field, such as health related research, health policy etc. Whereas women are more seen in social positions. According to the article “The Women’s Health Movement” by Mary K. Zimmerman, the concept of medicalization is the “increasing tendency to apply medical definitions and control to phenomena not previously thought of as medical problems (Zola, 1972; Conrad and Schneider, 1980). In the 1950’s a drug called Thalidomide was created by a German company, claiming that it was safe for pregnant women. Although many women were still using this drug during this time, in 1961, reports began to surface that this drug was causing several birth defects and other health problems. The author presented the Thalidomide case as an example of medicalization by showing us the potential consequences of a style medical
Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering medication marketed by Pfizer is the top seller with sales of $12.5 billion. In 2009 there were a total of seven new blockbuster drugs, with combined sales of $9.8 billion.
Psychotropic medications, also referred to as psychiatric or psychotherapeutic medications, are used to treat psychiatric disorders, such as: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They have been used for many years and oftentimes come with dangerous side effects. The side effects that often occur in children taking these medications can include: fainting, blurred vision, vomiting, extreme weight gain, and even death ("Seroquel information,” n.d.). The use of psychotropic medication to treat mental disorders in children and adolescents is highly controversial because of ethical viewpoints (i.e. parents “drugging” their children to calm them down) and potentially harmful side effects, but one has to take into consideration whether the risks outweigh the benefits when deciding whether or not to give this type of medication to children.
In the early 20th century, depression therapeutic strategies ranged from invasive therapeutics like insulin coma therapy, chemical and electrical shock therapy to administration of some addictive chemicals like chloral hydrate, barbiturates, amphetamines and opiates (Lopez-Munoz & Alamo C, 2009). In 1950s, Ipronizide, which was previously used as anti-tuberculosis, was introduced as the first Mono-amino-oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) and the first antidepressant ever marketed. Then Imipramine was int...
Childbirth is nothing short of a miracle. The placenta—the organ connecting a developing fetus to the uterine wall and allowing for waste elimination, nutrient uptake and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply—filters most harmful substances that threaten an embryo, though some may still pass on to the fetus. These harmful substances, called “teratogens,” range from environmental chemicals to the transmission of maternal diseases, and can negatively impact the normal developmental cycle of a fetus. The title “teratogen,” however, refers to any substance or chemical exposure with the potential to cause birth defects in prenatal development. Exposure to teratogens can result in a broad spectrum of physiological and psychological issues in later life, including malformations of the body.
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.
“According to the General Accounting Office, more than half of the prescription drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 1976 and 1985 caused serious side effects that later caused the drugs to be either relabeled or removed from the market. Drugs app...
"Science Museum. Brought to Life: Exploring the History of Medicine.." Thalidomide. N.p., 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Reinarman, Craig and Peter D. A. Cohen and Hendrien L. Kaal. “The Limited Relevance of Drug
Thalidomide is 90 years of aspartame, a.k.a. NutraSweet, Finn, Zero Cal, and other trademarks. The text of the American researcher Barbara Alexander Mullarkey was aired on the Internet by Betty Martini and his original can be found in http://www.dorway.com. This is a free radical for the Portuguese, made by me, Beatriz Medina in July 1996.
In 2011, the media reported that in US prisons a sedative used for death penalty purposes was not being used as intended by the pharmaceutical company Lundbeck. The drug Nembutal as well as others were mixed into a cocktail and administered to prisoners undergoing the death penalty. Lundbeck got word of this from
King, Imogene. (2012). In Mosby's dictionary of medicine, nursing, & health professions. Retrieved from http://0-search.credoreference.com.patris.apu.edu/content/entry/ehsmos bymed/king_imogene/0
Everyone, at some point in their lives, has made a mistake. Sometimes we get lucky and only falter a little, making it through the problem relatively intact. Other times, we mess up a lot and have to fix what was damaged over a long period of time. However, the same is true for most, if not all cases—those who make the mistake learn from it. Often times, our failures teach us valuable lessons that we only gain because of the experience we gain after messing up.