Drugs Withdrawn from the Market

When a drug's risks exceed its benefits, the federal Food and Drug Adminsitration may ask a company to withdraw it from the market, or a company may do so on its own. But not before damage has been to done to the consumers. Here is a list of some of the drugs removed from market, what they were used for, and why they were taken off the market.

Lotronex (Alosetron). Used to treat diarrhea, pain, cramps, and the feeling of an urgent need to have bowel movements caused by irritable bowel syndrome. Withdrawn in 2000 for the risk of intestinal damage from reduced blood flow.

Rezulin. Used as a anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory. Withdrawn in 2000 due to severe liver toxicity.

Propulsid (cisapride). Used for night time heatburn. Withdrawn in 2000 due to the risk of fatal heart rhythm abnormalities.

Baycol. Used to treat high cholesterol, withdrawn in 2001 due to a risk of severe damage and sometime fatal damage to muscle.

Vioxx. Use for chronic joint pain and arthritis taken off the market in 2004 because of a greatly increased risk of stroke and heart attacks.

Bextra (Valdecoxib) a drug used for the relief of joint pain, fever, swelling, and, tenderness and pain caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Removed from the market in 2005.

MyAchingKnees.com comment: Boy, I am glad I did not succumb to either Vioxx or Bextra in my search to reduce my chronic knee pain.

Tysabri (Natalizumab) was used to prevent episodes of symptoms and slow the worsening of disability in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. Taken off the market in 2005 due to life threatening side effects, but return to the market in 2006.

Cylert used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, withdrawn from the market in 2005 due to liver problems including death.

Permax. Used to treat Parkinson's Disease. Taken off the market in 2007 due to causing heat valve damage.

Raptiva (Efalizumab)is used to treat chronic (long-term) plaque psoriasis which is a skin disease in which red scaly patches form on some areas of the body, in patients who cannot be treated with medications that are applied to the skin. Removed from the market in 2009 due to the risk of brain infections.

Mylotarg designed to treat paptients with acute myeloid leukemia, this drug was removed in 2010 due to an increase chance of liver disease.

Some, maybe not a majority, but again some of the people on these drugs or the physicians prescribing them just cannot see the forest because of the trees. They are too quick to reach for the PDR and prescribe some medication to treat the symptoms of people with degenerative disease.

Hey, I have a suggestion, rather then looking through the PDR for some new drug just listed, keeping turning those pages to page 3476 (PDR 64th Edition, 2010) and tell your patients to first build their health through pharmacuetical grade nutritional products and treat the cause of degenerative disease and not the symptoms.