Bendectin And Birth Defects (Page 10) (Top voted first)

I took this drug in the 1970's while pregnant. Am looking for the side effects to the babies. Drug has been off the market for many years. Not sure on correct spelling. Used for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Thank you for any help you can send me. Sincerely, Dana.

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emtridoc, I concede that the analogy twixt peanuts and teratogenicity may, prima facie, seem somewhat tangential, so I'll expand upon where I was headed and hopefully join some dots along the way_ward. Remember, terato'gen_ius likes company I believe!

All mature [prudent] persons [or pharmaceutical companies], when hosting a party [or marketing a drug], should enquire if anyone attending, particularly children, is allergic to anything [peanuts for but one example, but don't rule out ANY drug either], because some of us know just what may prevail [and has many times, with even fatalities sometimes resulting] if no such inquiry is made. Even when the cited inquiry has been made unequivocally and ad nauseum [no pun] to everyone attending these parties, perniciousness has still come a'calling as is her [sorry girls] wont.

Statistics are fine, but not a veritable panacea, except perhaps for courts of law (which must [read: choose to, because some leave an open finding] rule on a finding), or anyone who'll nonchalantly accept statistics' import.

To me, and possibly indeterminable others, the aetiology of these myriad deformities/alterations should not necessarily be permitted to infuse itself with statistics as their [statistics] being the only or predominant agency that will lead us to resolution. We've heard about lies, damned lies and statistics...and it may well prove to be the very essence of statistics that is damning our quest of an answer.

My belief is that some mothers/foetuses in cohort [it takes 2 to tango remember] were susceptible to Debendox/Bendectin/Diclectin to a greater or lesser amount than were other mothers/foetuses at that particular time of the respective gestations. And I'll defy our very best actuaries to have a stab at that one, c'OZ' they wouldn't have a statistician's hope in hades.

Just as you have said that you happened across this forum looking for something else, I believe that this problem may be simply solved serendipitously, as many have been, and hopefully will continue so if that be the only hope they may hold of revelation. Even though I have a deformity, and I presume that you don't, I won't permit myself to become so inured to a point that my sights are only set on an 'ad hominem' argument with Debendox per se or its maker, or even that too of my own heaven forbid. To do so would only be to participate in that 'exercise of futility' writ large.

Given that some of the deformed/incapacitated and their loved ones -- for whatever reason, not that there has to be one so declared -- aren't able to voice or post their concerns on this matter, I'd much rather keep all options [and a mind] open eternally in their honour. It's the very least one can do for what I consider a good cause in deed.

emtridoc, I not only acknowledge your efforts to date but soundly salute you in the process. Thanks.

missdebbie61, the severe nausea you refer to has been known to be fatal to both mother and unborn child. My Mum was very ill indeed whilst carrying me[with 3 young boys to look after too] and more so during labour, and she said I was born with an exhausted heart. But I'm here today to say that you aren't to blame in any way. You did what you thought to be the best you could under the circumstances at the time, as did my dear Mum, who also felt guilty since I was the 4th and last child born to her and Dad, with the first 3 having no deformity. I was somewhat miffed as a child knowing that I was different to my brothers and other kids but I now carry it as a badge of honour. Please do remember this if you will, "Nothing last forever", except perhaps only the concept of ephemeralness [short-livedness], if ever. My deformity means that I can't hear in stereo or where sounds are coming from, and I have to continually re-position myself if in company when another person joins the throng. Some of them [who don't know of my deformity] take offence when I move c'OZ' they think I don't want to stand next to them. Sometimes I must even detach myself from them all slightly so that their speech emanates from a more localised source, so in effect, I become a self-imposed outcast to the group.

From all of this there is a bright side, which I believe there to be for all of us if we persevere, and it's that I do prefer to speak to one person at a time, and in doing so I'm able to give them my undivided attention as it's mere bagatelle to do so compared with my having to contend with a group, which is demanding of me, but I'm maintaining a vigil nonetheless...see here!

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My daughter was also born with two cervixes and two uteruses. I took benedictin during my pregancy 1980 I was told the drug was safe. I wondered if the abnormalty was related, but never looked into it. I was shocked to read your thread. Please let me know what you know, if willing you can call me at 301-620-2101 Thank you Wendy

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A close friend took Bendictine in latter first trimester into second in 1977. Daughter born with tongue-tie and protruding ears. Currently, has bouts of depression, anxiety, difficulting concentrating with very little motivation; has lost many jobs, abdominal issues, bouts of IBS (was also born lactose intolerant), has had issues with addiction to prescription drugs; attempted suicide and was 'confused' as to her sexuality--from announcing she was 'gay' to being 'in love' with a guy and back again, Heard that some drugs can have affect on hormones of mother and that some kind of 'surge' of a certain hormone or combination of hormones and that this 'surge' can cause reproductive abnormalities and/or sexual identity problems. Anyone else heard of this 'connection' to Bendictine? Her life has been difficult emotionally, has had protruded ears surgically 'corrected' at age 5; her tongue-tie was also corrected prior. Worried that this drug, Bendictine, has caused these problems. It is heartbreaking and frustrating to see her and more so her daughter go through these problems which have clearly caused more than little 'setbacks' in their lives. She also has episodes of anger and mood swings. No one in her family or her father's family (to my knowledge) has ever had any of these problems. So sad and frustrating and my heart also breaks for all of the mothers/parents who have contributed posts to this site. God Bless and see you through...but, i think a good lawyer may also help, but haven't seen any 'class action' suits or otherwise due to the harm this drug seems to have caused--how could so many problems/birth defects be 'coincidental'? ..the only thing that seems to be a common thread in most all of the posts on this site is the drug Bendictine. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

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Sorry, but I re-read some of these prior posts more thoroughly and noted other similar symptoms which I have seen in her daughter--very sensitive and sometimes hypersensitive and is offended easily;and also mom tells of being "spacey" and unable to 'connect' with many people, has bad headaches as well as debilitating menstrual cramps and joint problems. Apologize for any redundancies. I don't care if there was former lawsuits dismissed; there has to be something someone can do to compensate (although money certainly won't give these poor kids back their health) those who have suffered because of this drug. These wealthy chemical/drug companies should not be able to get away with things like this. You know what, it seems that 'infertility/reproductive/sexual' issues have been 'cropping' up in record numbers involving daughters/sons whose mothers conceived and were given this drug, Bendictine, in the 1970's and prior--the ages of these people in their twenties, late twenties/early thirties or so--this just cannot be mere 'coincidence', especially when doctors shy away or completely refuse to prescribe this med or who will come right out and state that Bendictine is likely the culprit.or actually state that it was the culprit. Will the courts dismiss all of these doctors, or just the ones hired by the drug manufacturer?--well, we know the answer to that when considering the past suits. I guess at least one couple got something "a small settlement"--so someone must have not had their case dismissed--likely Dow will claim they were not guilty, but wanted to avoid further legal costs of a trial...so they 'settled'...yeah, right! This just is not fair! By the way, from all I have heard or read, alcohol causes fetal alcohol syndrome and smoking low birth rates, but i've never heard that either one has caused birth defects such as mentioned here with Bendictine. Let's try andget these creeps and if no lawyer will take up this issue again, perhaps the best idea would be, as others have metioned, to start some kind of fund/foundation to help those that DOW and the courts likely will not and who obviously really don't seem to care at all that this drug has caused so much misery and likely financial ruin for some of these poor families!Thanks for 'listening!' (again)

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Hey, guess I'm 'on a roll', but could someone please tell me if the FDA, prior to 'approval' of a drug must be presented with clinical studies/etc. which conclude the safety of the drug which is being considered for such approval? If so, and if these studies are, in fact, a necessary/mandatory requirement prior to the FDA giving their famous/infamous seal of approval, why is it that many of these drugs which have been 'approved' by the FDA have ended up in the courts and have been subsequently declared 'unsafe?' If so, could the same be said of Bendictine? I'm sorry, but it seems to me that, perhaps, further studies, and not those of DOW, may prove that, in fact, Bendictine did/does (for those areas where it is still peddled) cause these or some, or even a few, or even one of the aforementioned 'birth defects' or conditions presented later on in life. Forgive my many posts or my ignorance (I humbly confess to being ignorant of 99.99999...% of everything in the universe) and also my obvious emotionally charged 'rantings' against this drug, but I happened onto this site after some emotionally charged discussions with friends today and it hit a nerve. . Also, weren't some of the abnormalities/defects found to be caused by Thalidomide (sp?) also found in other children of mothers who did not take it? Just curious. I knew for years that Darvon was a monster--had all the 'side effects' and after all of these years, decades.....finally....gone! I guess some things just take a very long 'sweet' time! Again, thanks for 'listening' and for any input... I promise to go to bed (it's 1:53 am EDT) and so will stop 'hogging' this forum 'today.'

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Cheers from Western Australia Alexa, and sweet dreams. It's only 2:33pm Sun here. From all that I've managed to glean off the Net inter alia, it seems to me that Dow was very parsimonious with the information concerning Bendectin that they supplied to your FDA and courts of law.

It's an unfortunate truth that only the victors get to write history, but then wars are usually comprised of more than just one theatre...and as the Bard said..."All the world's a stage...", and the beauty is that we never know just who is 'casting' their eyes over these posts!

Dow may be just trying to paper over the cracks...but there's always room for extras...read all about it!

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Any one that has commented on women with multiple cervixes, do you mind my asking, have they got flat chests? Facial hair? One eye a little off? Deformed teeth/ no enamel, just wondering? Not looking to blame anyone for my problems I feel a little comfort in knowing I am not a complete alien... Until the outrage hits me....

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Cheers hanni. I'd suggest that it's your outrage that makes you just as human as the rest of us, although there are myriad ways that outrage can manifest itself if given free rein.

We really don't know what constitutes the make-up of a perfect* human being c'OZ' we're all different in some way yet we're all still perfect creations in our own right. Even Narcissus only got to see what he looked like from the front. Upon reflection, if he'd had eyes in the back of his head he may have got a slightly better perspective of things, which methinks he needed to...c'OZ' he certainly had a lot of front. And still waters run deep...as they finally did for him.

I guy I know purchased a brand new large truck of Japanese manufacture circa 20 years ago. He ordered that the new truck come with a specific type of motor as there were several options. He used this truck for many years without any major problem whatsoever and he did all the servicing of it himself. He looked after it very well. When came the time to put a complete new motor in it, he ordered another motor of exactly the same type as he had done originally, only to find that the wonderful motor he'd been using for many years and had given him great service all the while was not of the type he'd ordered. Now he was in a bind. When told by the supplier that he'd be getting the new motor free of charge anyway, because the supplier had messed up with the original order, he chose to take another one of the same type as the one he'd been using, because he'd become accustomed [no pun] to it, but they didn't have one ready, as they now only had one of the type that should have been supplied with the truck in the first place, [not unlike a drug that should only do what it's prescribed to do, and nothing else, but even they (drugs) take liberties, and sometimes worse besides, like life itself!] He said that they could put the motor in that they had ready and he'd give it a go, but if he wasn't happy with it they'd have to exchange it for the one he preferred, and he wanted a refund [read: compensation] on the money he'd paid for the original motor that was factored into the purchase price of the whole truck, and they complied. He then started to check every major component of the truck to see if he could unearth any other anomalies. As one does. It pay$ to check these things out___of pocket!

*Many years ago, somewhere in the USA, two men who'd been at loggerheads for quite some time, as to just what constituted the anatomy of a perfect man's physique, finally agreed on all the measurements that composed this 'wonderful' creature...except for one, so, since they were so close to bringing this conceptual creation to fruition, they finally and wisely agreed that they should consult Honest Abe Lincoln to help put them out of their misery. They asked him: "Abe, how long should a man's legs be?" His answer, "They should be long enough to reach the ground!"

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Hi Hanni,
I have been affected by the drug Bendectin. Sorry to hear that you may have been too. You can contact me if you would like to chat some more.

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Hi Alexa,
You can't imagine how badly I want to "get those creeps". About a month ago someone created a facebook group and said they were trying to retain a lawyer to fight for the victims of Bendectin. There have been no updates to the page. I would really like to pursue this. I just don't know where to begin....

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Hi, Togal: Have had some internet problems...about the Facebook page, maybe a little more time and it will be updated--who knows. In the meantime, sounds like we'll be 'spinning our wheels' and maybe no lawyer will take this on at this point in time and consider it a 'dead issue.' Well, I guess to the people who have suffered, it is surely far from 'dead.' Will try to research some more on it and find other places on the net and elsewhere who perhaps help. Do you know of the studies done by the experts that do show that the problems have a causal relationship to Bendectin? As, I've 'said,' will try and look for more places for any more answers/help and get back to this forum when I can. in the meantime, hang in there---what else can anyone do now but hope and pray that we find answers to what has caused these problems, if it isn't Bendectin, what exactly is it that has? This whole 'exercise' is about the suffering that, obviously, from which there is some cause and it is not about a 'witch hunt' just to 'get DOW,' but to get some answers, some resolution and that these kinds of problems do not occur in the future. But, let's face it; these abnormalities or 'birth defects' have had a great negative financial impact on the families affected, so our goal should be to get answers, find the cause, and, yes, to hold whoever is liable for these damages and to get financial compensation for these real costs borne by the victims. Onward and upward! Will 'be back' when I can. Oh, one more victim I have found--a girlfriend of my dear friend's daughter has discovered during an OB exam (pregnant) that she has a double cervix and her womb is split in two, separated by a membrane and her Mom took Bendectin during her pregnancy! Just yet another "coincidence!?"

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I'll sit tight for a bit longer and hope the facebook page gets updated. Otherwise I will pursue it on my own. I think there are enough people on here whose health has been affected that can come together to make a strong case.

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Listen here I am not saying that any time any child is born with defects, the maker of bendectine is to blame. I just am positive of the fact that if you ask every woman and child that was affected by bendectine being prescribed for nausea, that all will have very similar instances of afflictions to the children that were in the womb when the bendectine was taken. Families with other children will likely not have the same problems. Just love to see a study done on all past users of the medication and the results, well you get it!?

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Ok so you like to sidestep the REAL issue and talk in riddles and such but imma put it down real simple for ya right here. No not every child born with abnormalities can point a finger at the anti nausea 'medication' but.... You can bet your butt that out of all the women prescribed it, the kids in the family that were subjected to bendectine, debendox, or dilectin all have a similar bunch of problems almost in harmony the side effects would scream out... We aren't like our siblings, something is wrong with that not being acknowledged

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I also took bendictine in 1976/1977. My 33 year old daughter was diagnosed last year with rhuematoid arthritits and has an auto-immune disease. Her life has been a constant round of specialist ansd it took a year to diagnose her. I had read that this type of autoimmune is very prevalent amoung women in their late 20's to early 30's. This aroused my suspicion of drug related medical problems with children wgose mother took this anti-nausea drug. I would appreciate any info from parents whose daughter/son has auto-immune disease. would also like to know of any studies or lawsuits. Thank you.

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I would like to know where the facebok page is and will help in any way I can to bring this to a just and fair conclusion. This drug has caused real heartache and financial strain. I appreciate the info I have read here today as I was nor quite sure where to begin. Thank you all.

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Shanie writes about "side stepping" and "speaking in riddles". Not sure at whom that was aimed? Also asks about doing studies. Well the studies have been done - lots of them. This is from Kutcher, Engle, et al at the U. of Michigan 2003: "Bendectin was the primary pharmaceutical treatment of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) in the United States until the early 1980s. Its manufacture was then discontinued after public allegations that it was causing birth defects. Subsequently, meta-analyses of the many epidemiological cohort and case/control studies used to examine that hypothesis have demonstrated the absence of a detectable teratogenic effect. This study presents an ecological analysis of the same hypothesis that examines specific malformations.
The temporal trends in prevalence rates for specific birth defects examined from 1970 through 1992 did not show changes that reflected the cessation of Bendectin use over the 1980-84 period. Further, the NVP hospitalization rate doubled when Bendectin use ceased"
Meta-analysis is a way of pulling together multiple studies to gain a larger pool and sometimes demonstrate a difference where none was perceived to exist because the numbers were too small. But even with the meta-analysis no effect from Bendictin was found. So this was another way of examing the question - did the rate of birth defects change after Bendectin was pulled off the market? Answer: no. But hospitilization for complications in pregnancy due to vomiting doubled since it was discontiued.

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I was pregnant with identical twin boys in '74 and took this drug almost the entire time as I was horribly sick. One son was only 3SVLVlbs1oz. and we lost him after about a hour due to his lungs. My other son was 6lbs. 3oz. He was in intensive care for a week due to a defect in his heart. He is 37 now but still has a bad heart, able to work but I too wonder if there is a connection.

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Some folk post a comment as nothing more than a veritable rant, and that's ok, as we all have our crosses to bear, although a seemingly innocuous rant -- especially if it's unwittingly interlarded with statistics and personal experiences, or even hearsay -- has the capacity to easily obfuscate an extremely important issue at hand. But only if one permits it to do so, by buying into it. Caveat emptor!

I'll show you one very simple example which may be interpreted as exactly the same thing which occurs with 'Chinese Whispers'. I will even accept that I may be incorrect with my assumption, but I urge the folk who are truly interested, to have a look at it. Here goes...

Comment number #143 was posted by a 'hanni'. I responded in part to a 'hanni' in my post, being #144. Several posts later, two posts, being #149 and #150, a 'shannie' appears, and do take particular note, both 'hanni' and 'shannie' present in lower case alphabetical lettering. Now we proceed straight thru to emtridoc's #154 where, apart from emtridoc not being sure at whom the 'sidestepping' and 'talking in riddles' is aimed at, emtridoc responds to a 'Shanie'. So, what began [from my take on it all] as 'hanni', is now 'Shanie' [Q.E.D.]. One could say that 'hanni', as in 'hannibal', has now been 'cannibalised', into 'Shanie' [Dr Lecter, eat your heart out!] in an uncanni [sic] kind of way! And yes, if I so wish, I can even get 'Clarice' from 'Shanie'! It may have been easy to silence the lambs, but not so easy to silence persons having diligent concern with Debendox/Bendectin/Diclectin.

Now, my proposal is simply this, if we cannot preserve something that is quite simple to do, like a person's [or drug's] name, -- and remember that 'hanni' himself/herself altered it into 'shannie', before it became 'Shanie' -- what hope do we embrace of ever eking out anything of worth concerning this putatively-complex situation, now known wistfully as the 'Bendectin/Debendox/Diclectin' debacle writ large?

emtridoc, it's my firm belief that "shannie's" 'sidestep' and 'talk in riddles' is directed at me, as further in the same post is mentioned the triumvirated 'Bendectine, Debendox and Dilectin' [shannie's spelling, not mine].

I make a deliberate habit of triumvirating the three (3) brand names in comment simply because someone may not be familiar with, say, Bendectin, Debendox or Diclectin alone. I did read of another brand name somewhere which was something like 'Lenofan?' or 'Lenafon?' Don't forget that this teratogenic issue, inter alia, is of international concern, and as far as I'm aware, Bendectin [sold in the USA] wasn't sold here in Australia and the United Kingdom et al.. Debendox was, and I understand Canada copped it for Diclectin. It's very strange that the same drug was/is marketed under so many different names yet Coca Cola seems to get by quite admirably, in a marketing sense, with but only one.

By implementing a multiplicity of names, it's very easy for a company to protect its parent name if something goes wrong, exactly the same as a commenter changing their profile's name or their avatar. And when they get other commenters assisting them in doing this along the way, it's a mere blogger's bagatelle, and just like the aforementioned 'Chinese Whispers', they can just sit back and enjoy the free ride, with no worry of having to face any accountability. Sound familiar?

Folk may also be interested to download information on Dr William Griffith McBride, the Australian gynecologist and obstetrician who was responsible for discovering the effects of the drug called thalidomide. He was also of the firm view that Debendox caused teratogenic result.

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But ILP why would you be acused of "side-stepping"? It's true your prose may sometimes take wide turns, but you don't avoid the question. My thoughts, anyway.

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