Re: What are the differences between PTU and Tapez

[Guest guest]

Responding to the message of <82h0cs$pkrbeGroups>

from hyperthyroidismegroups:

>

> Hello,

> Can anyone tell me the difference between Tapezol and PTU? I would

> like to start on medication because my heart is beating rapidly and and

> I feel as though I'm shaking all over, not specifically in my hands.

> The mega doses of CAL/Mag aren't doing the trick.

> Thank you,

>

>

>

,

Upon my diagnosis, I started taking PTU and quickly developed liver disease

from the drug. While taking PTU, I also discovered that the drug has been

categorized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a

" probable carcinogen. " You can access that report on the internet by

searching for " national toxicity report " or " national toxicity program " or by

visiting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services web site. In lab

rats, PTU caused thyroid cancer in rats and another study following people

taking PTU discovered that 4 out of 350 (approx., writing from memory)

developed thyroid cancer after long periods of PTU. Keep in mind that estrogen

is listed as a probable carcinogen too -- my point is that taking PTU doesn't

mean you'll get cancer, but that long term exposure appears to increase your

risk for thyroid cancer, much as unusual exposure to estrogen increases risk of

ovarian cancer (that's why using fertility drugs like clomid increase one's risk

of ovarian cancer).

Both PTU and tapazole fall into the same drug family, but aren't exactly the

same. For example, PTU is the drug (ironically at least and perhaps dangerously

) believed to be safest for pregnant and nursing women and since I was nursing

while diagnosed, it was assigned to me. Tapazole can cause an unusual condition

in pregnancy, in which the fetus' skin on the scalp doesn't develop and the

brain is exposed. However, this is rare -- but possible -- and tapazole is

diagnosed during pregnancy outside of the United States.

From what I've learned, tapazole appears to be more desirable and seems the

least toxic. If I need to try anti-thyroid drugs again, it would be my first

choice.

There's more information on these drugs, I believe, in an online medical book.

I don't have the address but if you search thyroid manager or thyroid text, you

should get it, as thyroid manager is the name of the site, if memory serves. I

have the site bookmarked and am not in that particular program, but if anyone

tries to find it and can't, I'll log on and look up the address. If I'm

remembering correctly, the differences betwee these drugs are discussed in this

online book. It's written for doctors, so it's not particularly user-friendly

to those of us new to medical discourse. That said, I was able to read the book

and benefit greatly from what I've learned there.

[Guest guest]

> There's more information on these drugs, I believe, in an online medical book.

> I don't have the address but if you search thyroid manager or thyroid text,

you

> should get it, as thyroid manager is the name of the site, if memory serves.

http://www.thyroidmanager.org/

Looks interesting!

Me.