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Drug Recalls Announced
I recently read a brief article about the FDA removing yet more medications used for the treatment of migraine pain.
The article was short and I noticed that it pointed out the drugs that were not effected/pulled -- rather than those that were pulled. I was wondering why, since I would think people would want to know if they were taking any of the drugs that were pulled.
Ergotamine is a powerful vasoconstrictor. I remember being hospitalized many years ago for migraines and receiving an ergotamine preparation. I went numb in a part of my body which they attributed directly to the dosage of the ergotamine. Fast action reversed the condition and I was soon fine. Had I not known and had a reaction to that drug at home, I might have experienced irreparable damage or long term adverse effects because of it. It was the fast action of the healthcare team that recognized what was occuring and what needed to be done to reverse a sudden onset downhill course.
I feel the FDA did the right thing. The pulled drugs never should have been in circulation to begin with if they hadn't been through the complete review and approval process. I can appreciate the frustration, pain and suffering people go through when they are unable to find a drug regimen that works for their condition. However, patient safety must come first and drugs need to be reviewed for safety and efficacy.
Since many of the commonly used migraine drugs remain uneffected by this recall, hopefully this announcement should have less of a panic response than some of the others have in the past. Let's hope that this recall will enable the FDA to do a proper and effective review that will enable these drugs to return to the market -- properly tested and labelled.
Related Topics:
The article was short and I noticed that it pointed out the drugs that were not effected/pulled -- rather than those that were pulled. I was wondering why, since I would think people would want to know if they were taking any of the drugs that were pulled.
Ergotamine is a powerful vasoconstrictor. I remember being hospitalized many years ago for migraines and receiving an ergotamine preparation. I went numb in a part of my body which they attributed directly to the dosage of the ergotamine. Fast action reversed the condition and I was soon fine. Had I not known and had a reaction to that drug at home, I might have experienced irreparable damage or long term adverse effects because of it. It was the fast action of the healthcare team that recognized what was occuring and what needed to be done to reverse a sudden onset downhill course.
I feel the FDA did the right thing. The pulled drugs never should have been in circulation to begin with if they hadn't been through the complete review and approval process. I can appreciate the frustration, pain and suffering people go through when they are unable to find a drug regimen that works for their condition. However, patient safety must come first and drugs need to be reviewed for safety and efficacy.
Since many of the commonly used migraine drugs remain uneffected by this recall, hopefully this announcement should have less of a panic response than some of the others have in the past. Let's hope that this recall will enable the FDA to do a proper and effective review that will enable these drugs to return to the market -- properly tested and labelled.
Related Topics:
- WebMD Video: Pure Relief: Oxygen Therapy Eases Cluster Headaches
- WebMD Video: Removing Frown Muscles to Treat Migraines
Labels: chronic pain, drugs, headache, migraine
