Thalidomide (Oral Route)

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of thalidomide in children younger than 12 years of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Dexamethasone
• Docetaxel

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Blood clots or
• Bradycardia (slow heartbeat) or
• HIV infection or
• Neutropenia (low white blood cells) or
• Peripheral neuropathy (nerve problem) or
• Seizures, history of or
• Thrombocytopenia (low platelets in the blood)—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

• Deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in leg), history of or
• Heart attack, history of or
• Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lung), history of or
• Stroke, history of—Use with caution. May cause side effects to become worse.

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

If you miss a dose and it has been more than 12 hours since your scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time.