Thalidomid (Thalidomide) for Amyloidosis

Overview
Thalidomid is a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat adults and children with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma or erythema nodosum leprosum on the skin. Thalidomid is sometimes prescribed off-label to treat amyloidosis. Thalidomid is also referred to by its drug name, thalidomide.

Thalidomid is used as a therapy for amyloidosis. Thalidomid is a member of a class of drugs called immunomodulators. Thalidomid is believed to work by blocking the growth of new blood vessels that supply nutrients to the abnormal plasma cells that produce amyloid proteins. Additionally, Thalidomid may stimulate the production of healthy immune cells that fight against abnormal plasma cells.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Thalidomid is given orally as a capsule. It should be taken exactly as prescribed by the physician.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for Thalidomid lists common side effects that include fatigue, low calcium levels, edema (swelling), constipation, difficulty breathing, muscle weakness, rash, confusion, decreased appetite, nausea, anxiety/agitation, tremor, fever, weight loss or weight gain, dizziness, and dry skin.

Serious side effects listed for Thalidomid include heart disease, stroke, hypotension (low blood pressure), slow heart rate, seizures, drowsiness, nerve pain, dizziness, fetal harm, and a potentially fatal skin reaction known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

For more details about this treatment, visit:
Thalidomid — Bristol Myers Squibb
What Is Thalidomid? — Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation