We like to believe the pills prescribed to us are perfectly safe—that each one has passed through rigorous testing, expert oversight, and endless studies. And for the most part, that’s true. But every now and then, history reminds us that even modern medicine can stumble spectacularly. Some drugs once hailed as breakthroughs turned out to have terrifying side effects, causing injuries, illnesses, and tragedies no one saw coming.
From miracle cures that weren’t to painkillers that did more harm than good, here are seven medications pulled from shelves after links to devastating outcomes shocked both doctors and patients alike.
