How is it used?

Before taking

While taking

Warnings

Thalidomide is used along with dexamethasone to treat multiple myeloma in people who have been recently found to have this disease. It is also used alone or with other medications to treat and prevent skin symptoms of erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL; episodes of skin sores, fever, and nerve damage that occur in people with Hansen's disease [leprosy]). Thalidomide is in a class of medications called immunomodulatory agents. It treats multiple myeloma by strengthening the immune system to fight cancer cells. It treats ENL by blocking the action of certain natural substances that cause swelling.

Thalidomide comes as a capsule to take by mouth. Thalidomide is usually taken with water once a day at bedtime and at least 1 hour after an evening meal. If you are taking thalidomide to treat ENL, your doctor may tell you to take it more than once a day, at least 1 hour after meals. Take thalidomide at around the same time(s) every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take thalidomide exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Keep the capsules in their packaging until you are ready to take them. Do not open the capsules or handle them more than necessary. If your skin comes into contact with broken capsules or powder, wash the exposed area with soap and water.

The length of your treatment depends on how your symptoms respond to thalidomide and whether your symptoms return when you stop taking the medication. Your doctor may need to interrupt your treatment or reduce your dose if you experience certain side effects. Do not stop taking thalidomide without talking to your doctor. When your treatment is complete your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.

Thalidomide is also sometimes used to treat certain skin conditions involving swelling and irritation. It is also used to treat certain complications of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) such as aphthous stomatitis (condition in which ulcers form in the mouth), HIV-associated diarrhea, HIV-associated wasting syndrome, certain infections, and Kaposi's sarcoma (a type of skin cancer). Thalidomide has also been used to treat some types of cancer and tumors, severe weight loss in patients with weakened immune systems, chronic graft versus host disease (a complication that can occur after a bone marrow transplant in which the newly transplanted material attacks the transplant recipient's body), and Crohn's disease (a condition in which the body attacks the lining of the digestive tract, causing pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fever). Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication for your condition.

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

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