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Health Care Reform Thalidomide is responsible for causing birth defects in more than 10,000 children. A West German Pharmaceutical Company first introduced thalidomide as a sedative or sleep aid in 1957, and scientific testing, before it was introduced, determined that Thalidomide was safe. But you should know that Thalidomide is dangerous (an understatement), and it is being prescribed in the US now. Treat ADHD Thalidomide is being tested and has been used as a part of a drug (a cocktail) to treat ADHD. The North American Health Care Industry presents itself as the scientific way to health, as being caring and wanting what is best for its client patients. My experience with the medical industry has taught me that it owns the science, is not necessarily scientific in the application of its form of health care, and that it cares little about its patients. Industries must make money to survive, and the medical industry can be ruthless in its drive to make a profit. If not, how are the pharmaceutical company stocks doing well in an otherwise economic recession and down Stock Market? THALIDOMIDE IS BACK! Among some names and words that should never be forgotten is Thalidomide. Thalidomide ranks with and should elicit the same negative memory response as: dioxin, carcinogen and poison. A West German pharmaceutical company released Contergan (Thalidomide) into the market, in Europe in 1957 and soon after its release, reports started to come back to the company of instances of neuritis, because Thalidomide had a toxic effect on the nervous system of the user. Thalidomide was first used as a sleep aid or sedative and was available and widely used in Germany, Canada, Japan, Bolivia and Britain. It was mainly contained in those countries, though other countries had access. The United States did not let the drug in, because Dr. Francis Kesey, Medical Officer for the Food and Drug Administration, at the time, was not satisfied that Thalidomide would be safe for pregnant women. This turned out to be one of the best decisions to come out of the Food and Drug Administration and we should be grateful to Dr. Kesey and her decision. Thalidomide was banned from European pharmacies in December 1961 and it not was available in Canada after April 1962. While Thalidomide was in use from 1957 to 1961 between 10,000 and 20,000 babies were affected, many born with deformities: fin-like hands growing directly on the shoulders, stunted or missing limbs, deformed eyes and ears, in-grown genitals, babies born without both lungs, and many stillborn. To make this tragedy even worse, the same birth defects are now being found in second and third-generation Thalidomide users. To state this another way, a pregnant woman could have taken as little as one Thalidomide pill in 1958, had a deformed child, her child became pregnant, did not take any further Thalidomide, and had a deformed child and the same track of deformed children could continue for many generations to come. If the child of the mother that took the one Thalidomide pill was a boy, he also could pass on the tendency to have deformed children to his children. Thalidomide had and has the potential to effect generations of children. It seems to have an affect on human DNA and possibly changes DNA. After reading of the tragic results of using Thalidomide, I find it difficult to express how dangerous this drug was and is. Self Education If you want to learn more, I suggest you read: John Lesso's article in The Guardian Newsletter, winter of 1998; Karl Schulte-Hillen's personal article in the June 1962 issue of Good Housekeeping and Christine Gorman's article in the June 13, 1994 issue of Time. Go to the library and access everything to do with Thalidomide. You will find hundreds of articles that further relate to the drug-induced tragedy. Also, you will find that the Medical (our health care industry) is using part of its $2.8 billion advertising budget to introduce and promote the use of Thalidomide. [ The medical industry likes to equate what it does with Science and that all approved medications are scientifically proven safe. Thalidomide is one of many instances where Science did not assure safety. Medical Science still does not know how it works in the human body.] Thalidomide is back, has been back for some years and now it is available worldwide. The Physicians Desk Reference (PDR) contains six pages on Thalidomide; in the PDR it is called Thalomid. This is an uncategorized drug that is an immunomodulatory agent that has mechanism of action in individuals with leprosy and other diseases. How the drug works is not understood. Yet, it is now being used on individuals and it is not known "scientifically" why and how it works. Please keep in mind at this point that our "Health Care System" is based in science and designed to watch out for us and help keep us healthy. Quite possibly not! Who's Prescribing It? Thalidomide is also being prescribed to or tested for use for patients with aids, cancer Crohn's disease, arthritis, Lupus, ADHD and more. There are cautions listed for the drug that include, that it not be prescribed to pregnant women and if there ever was an under statement, these cautions are an excellent example. From the time that it was first introduced over "40" years ago, Thalidomide has been a tragic mystery; it worked well as a tranquilizer, was sold with and without prescription, was recommended by doctors, was available in pill and liquid form. Why does Thalidomide still exist? The scientific medical community's thoughts on this question seem to be that Thalidomide has not been scientifically proved to be unsafe. Thalidomide passes animal-testing qualifications for being a safe medication and passed animal-testing prior to its introduction in 1957. Modern medical science also thinks that Thalidomide can be prescribed and taken safely, if it is not given to women of "child-bearing potential". The women prescribed this hazardous medication must meet all of the conditions as set forth in the (System for Thalidomide Education and Prescription Safety) S.T.E.P.S. program, which attempts to insure that the medication will not be used improperly. The woman being prescribed Thalidomide must be counseled concerning the precautions in taking the medication and must sign a statement that she understands the information and will comply. Also, the individual must not get pregnant while taking Thalidomide, therein lies the problem and real danger. I have worked with and counseled individuals of all ages and social economic backgrounds and have found that counseling, education and expressed understanding are not 100% effective -- far from it. Sexually mature males must also adhere to the strict S.T.E.P.S program, if they are to be prescribed Thalidomide. The chances of men following the prescription conditions for the medication are even farther from 100% than with women. Along with the given human propensity to not follow directions all of the time, there is also the rare human that is careless or has other than honorable intentions concerning Thalidomide. What about Thalidomide as a part of a drug/chemical cocktail to treat children with ADHD? As of 1994, Brazil had at least 50 new instances of birth defects caused by Thalidomide. One can only wonder how large this tragic number is now. In Brazil, registered and unregistered and regulated and unregulated pharmaceutical laboratories are producing Thalidomide. The medication can be easily purchased on the street without prescription. So much for regulation and the S.T.E.P.S program. Thalidomide is being prescribed in the United States, so let us hope the S.T.E.P.S program works better for us Americans than it is for Brazilians. How long after an individual stops taking Thalidomide does it stay in the body? How much Thalidomide does it take to cause birth defects? Will Thalidomide be found in our drinking water as Anti-Depressants and Anti-biotics are now? Many dangers remain to be explored concerning Thalidomide. Did the FDA change its mind? Doctors Complacent Thalidomide seems to exist because the Medical Industry wants it to exist, and certainly is not being prescribed and used because it is scientifically proven to be safe. Most people with whom I have spoken, who are old enough and have memories of Thalidomide, do not believe that it still exists. Some organizations are designed to protect us from being exposed to the dangers of medications or drugs like Thalidomide -- like the FDA. However, our protection does not seem to be their main concern. The tens of thousands of Thalidomide-affected children, parents, relatives, friends and even medical doctors are individuals separate from the "they." The fact that Thalidomide still exists demonstrates that all of these affected individuals only represent collateral damage to "them," as they continue on their way to more fortunes and power for themselves. They are the Medical Industry. Individuals within these powerful organizations that make up the Medical Industry can and do care for what these organizations started to be, represent and do. In my research of Thalidomide, I did not find a statement from "them" that even hinted or said anything to the effect that a tragic "mistake" had been made. A constant sad but inspiring message of love and caring from the victims was given along with a pervading sense of arrogance on the part of the Medical Industry that seemed to say that Thalidomide still exists and that they are checking it out and you will need to live with that fact, because "we" are in control and our authority should not be questioned. Hope Exists in Knowledge The most important thing you can do for yourself and the people you care for is to, therefore, become knowledgeable, healthy and as independent from the Medical Industry as possible. Learn about and use alternative forms of health care. Go beyond the Medical Industry for your health and you will help the Thalidomide's of our world to "not exist." To find more articles and information of medical excesses and the Medical Industry, as a business, do an AOL search to "Health, Greed, Power." About the Author(s): You may contact the author via e-mail at rbrownchoice@yahoo.com See under Our Contributors to find out about the Author(s) of this article. |
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