Prescription drugs have done wonders for the field of medicine. They’ve healed suffering patients and relieved chronic pain, in addition to causing serious health risks and side effects that inevitably caused them to be pulled from the market. Many of the so-called “miracle drugs” of our lifetime proved to be more dangerous than the original condition itself. Here are 10 prescription drugs pulled from the shelves and why:

1. Vioxx
   In 1999, Vioxx was the most heavily marketed pharmaceutical in the world. A potent arthritis pain killer, Vioxx, promised to improve the lives of millions of aging baby boomers suffering from the terrible pain of arthritis and an aggressive marketing campaign made Vioxx an overnight sensation. However, this success soon turned into a nightmare for manufacturer Merck when reports of increased risk of heart attack and stroke began to pour in. The drug was retired in 2004, and has since been linked to over 27,000 deaths.
2. Thalidomide
   Thalidomide was a popular morning sickness medication prescribed worldwide under several different brand names throughout the 1960s and 1950s. The FDA, however, refused to approve the drug due to possible safety concerns. The drug was soon linked to catastrophic birth defects around the world. This regulatory success by the FDA was instrumental in shaping the drug approval process in the United States. The rest of the world, including 13 highly developed nations, was not so lucky.
3. Rezulin
   From its inception, Rezulin, intended to treat diabetes, was clouded by controversy. A leading FDA physician, Dr. John Gueriguian, cautioned that Rezulin could be dangerous and urged the FDA not to approve the drug. The FDA responded to his warnings by firing him and discarding his report. Soon after its approval, Rezulin was linked to sudden liver failure and over 390 deaths.
4. Duract
   The FDA had a plan for Duract, a pain killer that had already been shown to have potentially fatal side effects if taken longer than prescribed. The plan was simple: add a warning label that urged patients to take Duract only as prescribed. The problem was that patients did not follow this warning. After 68 deaths were linked to Duract it was pulled from the shelves.
5. Redux
   In the 1980s, Redux, commonly known as “Fen-Phen,” was a revolutionary diet treatment that helped users drop pounds and keep them off. The drug would later be linked to over 100 deaths due to heart valve disease brought on by continued use. The drug was removed by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in 1997, but not before extensive litigation cost the company billions of dollars in settlements and damages.
6. Zelnorm
   This treatment for irritable bowel syndrome was perhaps best known for its strange marketing campaign showing women with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome written on their stomachs. The drug was widely prescribed and eventually approved for men before it was linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke and pulled from the shelves.
7. Seldane
   In 1985, Seldane was introduced as the first non-drowsy antihistamine. However, not long after its initial release, Seldane was shown to be highly cross reactive with other prescription drugs, over the counter medications and even foods such as grapefruit juice. Seldane was retired as other less reactive drugs entered the market, but the problems associated with its cross reactivity led the FDA to mandate extensive initial testing of chemical interactions before a drug could win approval.
8. Propulsid
   Propulsid was a successful heartburn medication used in the treatment of severe gastric reflux. In 2000, however, it was linked to severe heart rhythm abnormalities and over 80 deaths. It was pulled from the market shortly thereafter.
9. Posicor
   Posicor’s approval as a treatment for cardiovascular disorders came with a list of three other medications that could cause deadly drug interactions if taken simultaneously. Needless to say, this list grew immediately, and Posicor’s benefits were soon outweighed by its list of over 25 potentially fatal drug interactions. It was replaced by safer alternatives and voluntarily removed from the market in 1998.
10. Reglan
    Reglan is widely prescribed acid reflux treatment that only recently has been linked to a terrible disorder called tardive dyskenisia, which can lead to uncontrolled movement and permanent disfigurement. The FDA has applied its “black box” warning to Reglan, and numerous lawsuits have been filed in connection with Reglan’s devastating side effects.

During bad economic times, the medical field has always been a secure place to be. However, the current recession has led to some major employment changes that have given some healthcare positions an upper hand. Here are 10 recession-proof healthcare careers:

• Medical and Health Services Manager
  Medical and health services managers, also known as healthcare administrators or healthcare executives, plan, direct and oversee the delivery of healthcare in entire facilities or specific clinical departments. Medical and health services managers have withstood the recession because all healthcare settings need management and direction.
• Registered Nurse
  Despite the recession, registered nurses are still in high demand. People will continue to get sick, if not sicker, during bad economic times, causing a growing need for generalized and specialized registered nurses to treat the ill. Registered nurses are also needed to balance the expanding population and increasing life expectancy of the elderly. RNs have great job security, favorable pay and plenty of room for advancement opportunities.
• Physicians and Surgeon
  Despite the health care reform and changes to the health care system, physicians and surgeons have maintained their spot as a recession-proof career. Physicians and surgeons are the most direct leaders in health care, and will continue to be needed because of their expertise, knowledge and training in treating the ill.
• Physical Therapist
  Physical therapists have withstood the recession because of their specific training and specialized area of care. People have continued to seek physical therapists’ services because of chronic pain, injuries and rehabilitation needs.
• Dental Hygienist
  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental hygienist is one of the fastest growing occupations today. Even in bad economic times, people will still need teeth cleanings, oral exams and dental services, in which the dental hygienist is a big part of.
• Pharmacist
  Pharmacy is another area of health care that has survived the recession. Along with treating the ill, pharmacists are needed to administer medications to those who are sick. Their specialized training and knowledge in pharmacology makes them an important, irreplaceable aspect of the health care system.
• Physician Assistant
  Physician assistants have a less obvious, but extremely important role in the health care system. They are responsible for providing diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive healthcare services under the direction of a physician, as well as recordkeeping, interpreting laboratory tests and taking patients’ medical histories. Physician assistants have survived the recession because of their importance to physicians and delivery of effective health care.
• Occupational Therapist
  Like other specialized therapy services, occupational therapists have withstood the recession because of their specific training in treating patients with mentally, physically, developmentally or emotionally disabling conditions and helping them perform tasks in living and working settings. With the growing understanding of disabilities and physical conditions, more people are seeking the care of occupational therapists who can help them learn or regain everyday living and working skills.
• Health Educator
  The field of health education continues to be an important factor of the health care system. From educating the community on health care topics to teaching medical students, health educators play a direct role in health care awareness and preparing future health care professionals.
• Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor
  Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors have survived the recession because of their specialized area of care. As people become more aware about addiction and behavioral disorders, they have begun seeking professional treatment to help cope with their condition, therefore, increasing the need for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors.

Most of us are fortunate enough to live healthy lives without having to worry about the perpetual symptoms of a debilitating disease. Even if you happen to suffer from a common disease, chances are you’ve encountered opportunities for treatment and peers that are enduring the same journey. But have you considered what it would be like to have overgrown fingers, or undeveloped facial nerves that hinder you from making facial expressions? How would you react to being just one of hundreds of people in the world with the same disease? Below are 10 diseases you didn’t know existed, but you’re lucky not to have.

• Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (Ondine’s Curse)
  People who suffer from CCHS are unable to involuntarily breathe sufficiently during sleep. It’s acquired at birth or during severe trauma to the brain stem. In the most serious cases of the disease, people are unable to sleep because they would die. Typically, this occurs among newborns, but there have been cases where the disease progressed from minor to life-threatening – those people are required to use ventilators.



• Fields’ disease
  Just two people in the world suffer from Fields’ disease, making it the rarest in the world. It was discovered in four-year-old Welsh twins – Catherine and Kirstie Fields – who exhibited signs of progressive muscular deterioration. At the age of nine, they were unable to walk on their own and perform simple tasks like writing. During the process, their brains and personalities have remained normal. Because such a disease has never before been treated, doctors are unsure of what to expect in the future.



• Microcephaly
  Microcephaly sufferers have smaller-than-normal head circumferences because their brains either failed to develop properly or stopped growing. Typically, the condition starts in the womb during early fetal development and it’s caused by genetic abnormalities, foreign substances like radiation, or excessive exposure to drugs and alcohol. The disorder can result in severe mental retardation, or just minor disability.



• Kuru
  Kuru appeared in New Guinea during the 1950s, affecting the Fore people in the highlands. The cause of the disease was cannibalism; it was a tribal ritual to devour the tissues of dead relatives. Symptoms included tremors and slurred speech because the cerebellum was primarily affected. In its most severe stages, sufferers lost the ability to stand and eat on their own, became comatose, and died six month to a year after they were initially infected.



• Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria
  Roughly one in four million newborns suffer from Progeria, which is a genetic condition that causes rapid aging. As babies, they maintain a normal appearance, but as they grow older, they develop bulging eyes, protruding ears, small chins, thin noses and poor skin. Their arteries harden, increasing their chances of enduring a heart attack or stroke. People with Progeria typically live until their early-teens, though some can live until the age of 30.



• Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva
  Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is the ossification of connective and muscle tissue, resulting in the loss of mobility. People with FOP often become unable to open their mouths, which hinders their ability to speak and eat independently. Further injuries to areas affected by FOP can cause more rapid ossification. FOP sufferers typically have deformed big toes, and sometimes uncharacteristically short thumbs. First signs of the condition occur during early childhood when it affects the shoulders and neck.



• Moebius Syndrome
  Nobody knows the exact cause of Moebius Syndrome; a disorder that inhibits movement of the facial muscles. Sufferers are unable to make facial expressions or control their eye movement and blinking. First symptoms are apparent after birth when the baby isn’t able to suck. Eventually, they experience problems feeding and swallowing. It’s estimated that roughly 30 to 40 percent of people with Moebius Syndrome have Autism.



• Proteus Syndrome
  The rare condition – just 50 cases worldwide – was named after the Greek god Proteus, who could change himself into any shape he desired. It’s characterized by atypical growth of bones and skin, resulting in an asymmetrical body. Gigantism of certain limbs and overgrown fingers are typically observed in sufferers. There are just more than 50 cases reported worldwide, and all of them have been isolated occurrences within different families.



• Porphyria
  Porphyria occurs when there’s an excess buildup of porphyrins in a person’s body caused by an inherited mutation. During attacks, sufferers endure cramping and abdominal pain, problems with the nervous system like seizures and personality changes, and blisters, swelling, and itching when their skin is exposed to sunlight. Visible scarring is common after the slow healing process of the skin. Another peculiar result of Porphyria is red or brown urine.



• Morgellons
  People who are diagnosed with Morgellons disease experience crawling and biting sensations under their skin, rashes and sores, severe itching, lesions and the presence of black, blue or red fibers on their skin. Additionally, they may suffer from short-term memory loss, severe fatigue and behavioral changes. Specifics about the disease are unknown. In fact, it isn’t widely recognized within the medical community, and research is just now being undertaken.