Thalidomide(Thalomid®)

Pronounced: [Tha-LID-o-mide]

About Your Medication

  • Thalidomide is an oral medicine that your doctor prescribed for the treatment of your cancer.Please take your thalidomide as directed by your prescriber.

How to Take Your Medication

  • Take your thalidomide at bedtime at least 1 hour after your evening meal
  • Take thalidomide with a full glass of water.
  • If you miss a dose of thalidomide, take the medicine as soon as you remember on that day.
  • Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a missed dose.

Tell Your Healthcare Provider if you have any trouble taking your thalidomide, including:

  • Trouble swallowing pills
  • Forgetting to take doses
  • Trouble affording your medications
  • Throwing up pills
  • Side effects

Additional Information about thalidomide

  • The physician, pharmacy, and patient must be signed up for the S.T.E.P.S.™Program which is a special medication distribution program.
  • You will only be able to get a 28-day supply of your medication at one time and you must have a new prescription each time you pick up thalidomide from the pharmacy.
  • If you are of child bearing potential, you must use two effective forms of contraception.
  • Do not donate blood or sperm.
  • Do not share this drug with anyone.

Important Precautions

  • Thalidomide is a known human teratogen and may cause severe birth defects or embryo-fetal death if taken during pregnancy. Thalidomide cannot be used in women who are pregnant or may become pregnant during therapy.
  • It is not known whether thalidomide passes into breast milk. Nursing mothers should discuss with their healthcare providers whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue thalidomide.
  • Venous and arterial thromboembolic events such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), MI, and stroke have occurred during thalidomide therapy
  • Second cancers have been reported in patients receiving thalidomide

What foods and drugs may interact with my thalidomide?

Please talk to your healthcare provider at your cancer clinic before starting or stopping any medications, vitamins, or herbal supplements, because some of these may interact with your thalidomide.

Storage, Handling, and Disposal

It is important to keep these safeguards in mind when storing and handling oral anticancer therapy to keep you and your caregivers safe.

  • Keep your thalidomide in a safe place, away from other family members’ medications and away from any food or drinks.
  • Store the medication at room temperature in a dry location – avoid storing your medication in the bathroom.
  • Store thalidomide in its original container.
  • Keep the medication out of reach from children and pets.
  • The manufacturer of thalidomide requires that you return expired, damaged, or unused pomalidomide to the company for disposal.
  • Call 1-888-423-5436 for more information.
  • Do not discard into the garbage or toilet, or anywhere that children or pets may have access.

Thalidomide (Thalomid®) Side Effect Summary

This list does not include all possible side effects of thalidomide. If you have an unusual symptom, call the clinic. Below are the most common side effects:

  • Fatigue – lack of energy or feeling sleepy

What are your symptoms? / What can you do…
Mild fatigue (slightly worse than before you started taking the drug) /
  • You may need to adjust your schedule to manage fatigue. Plan out the day, and prioritize activities, so you have time to rest.
  • You should schedule periods of rest into your day, and try to rest before you feel tired. Frequent, short rests are helpful.
  • Stay active – regular mild/moderate exercise can boost your energy level. Try incorporating walking or other activities into your daily routine.
  • Try not to over-exert yourself. Ask for help from family or friends with difficult tasks.

Moderate fatigue (difficulty performing some of your normal daily activities) /
  • Try to manage using the measures listed above.
  • If it does not get better after a few days, call the clinic

Severe fatigue (severely interfering with your normal daily activities or inability to get out of bed) /
  • Call the clinic

  • Decrease in Blood Cell Counts (white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets). This can cause you to be more at risk of infection, fatigue, and bleeding.

What Can I Do? / When to Call the Clinic?
  • Wash hands regularly
  • Avoid close contact with others who are sick
  • Avoid activities with a high potential for injury and bleeding (contact sports, etc.)
  • The clinic will monitor your labs regularly. Make sure not to miss clinic visits or lab draws
/
  • Temperature of 100.5˚F or higher- CONTACT THE CLINIC IMMEDIATELY
  • Any signs of infection
  • Unusual tiredness or weakness
  • Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing
  • Unusual bleeding or bruising

  • Constipation

What are your symptoms? / What can you do…
Mild constipation – bowel movements not on regular schedule, minimal bloating /
  • Stay well-hydrated
  • Eat at regular times each day
  • Include high fiber and “bulky” foods
  • Be as active a possible

Moderate constipation–2 days without a bowel movement and/or mild bloating /
  • Try to manage using the measures listed above.
  • If not improving despite measures listed above, call the clinic

Severe constipation – No bowel movement in 3 or more days and/or abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting /
  • Call the clinic

  • Blood Clots

What Can I Do? / When to Call the Clinic?
  • Your doctor may prescribe a
medication to help decrease your risk of blood clots /
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Swelling/tenderness/redness in the leg or arm

  • Rash–an itchy or red appearance on the skin.

What are your symptoms? / What can you do…
Mild Rash – covering less than 10% of your body (an entire leg is about 10% of your body surface area); no symptoms such as itching, burning or tightness /
  • Avoid direct sunlight (cover exposed areas of skin and use sunscreen)
  • Use antihistamines (anti-itch) medicines prescribed by the clinic
  • Apply non-scented lotion to areas of dry skin
  • The clinic may provide you with additional prescription creams or lotions to apply to the rash

Moderate Rash - covering about 10%-30% of your skin (an entire leg is about 10% of your body surface area); with or without symptoms such as itching, burning or tightness; limiting some of your daily activities, but able to care for yourself /
  • Try to manage using the measures listed above
  • The clinic may provide you with additional oral medications to help manage the rash
  • If not improved within a few days, or you are unable to care for yourself, Call the clinic

Severe Rash – covering more than 30% of your skin (an entire leg is about 10% of your body surface area); with or without symptoms such as itching, burning or tightness; limiting your ability to care for yourself /
  • Call the clinic

  • Peripheral Neuropathy (tingling in the hands, legs, feet)

What Can I Do? / When to Call the Clinic?
  • Discomfort that affects your ability to work or perform normal activities (i.e. unable to grasp a pen/pencil, unable to button your shirt, or unable to feel the bottoms of your feet making walking difficult)

Who to Call With Questions?

If you are having an emergency, call 911

Who to Call With Questions?

If you are having an emergency, call 911

Who to Call With Questions?

If you are having an emergency, call 911

Who to Call With Questions?

If you are having an emergency, call 911

Copyright 2017 Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium, All rights reserved. V.12-14 MOQC-7.31.2018

MOQC makes no representations or warranties and explicitly disclaims the appropriateness or applicability of the MOQC Content to any specific patient's care or treatment. Any clinician seeking to treat a patient using the MOQC Content is expected to use independent medical judgment in the context of individual clinical circumstances of a specific patient's care or treatment.