After initial evaluation in a screening visit at -4 week, patients will be randomly assigned to receive either oral thalidomide 100 mg nocte or placebo. Thalidomide will be obtained from Penn Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Gwent, UK) as 100 mg tablets, and prescribed in accordance with the published guidelines for the clinical use and dispensing of thalidomide [34]. There will be 30 patients on each arm of randomization. Dialysis prescription will be changed only if there is clinical evidence of underdialysis. Both patients and investigators will be blinded from the therapy during follow up assessment. Side effects will be recorded and the drug will be discontinued when clinically necessary.