Guest guest Posted September 27, 2000 Report Share Posted September 27, 2000 I was under the impression that PTU was the drug of choice for pregnant women. Antithyroid Drugs What do antithyroid drugs do? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- _____Antithyroid drugs block pathways leading to thyroid hormone production. _____Antithyroid drugs used in this country are Propylthiouracil (PTU) and Tapazole®. Some physicians will recommend antithyroid medication as a first line of treatment to see if the patient is one of the lucky 30% of patients who go into a remission after taking antithyroid medication for one to two years. (Patients are said to be in remission if their hyperthyroidism does not recur after discontinuing the antithyroid drugs.) If antithyroid drugs do not work for the patient, then physicians usually recommend radioactive iodine. _____Antithyroid drugs are also used to treat very young children, older patients with heart conditions, and pregnant women. For severe or complicated cases of hyperthyroidism, especially in older patients, PTU or Tapazole® can be given for four to six weeks to bring the hyperthyroidism under better control prior to administering radioactive iodine treatment. _____In cases when women are diagnosed with Graves' disease while they are pregnant, PTU is prescribed. The smallest dose possible is given because the medication does cross over to the fetus. The mother should be checked every three to four weeks during the pregnancy so that the lowest possible dose can be given. Too much PTU can cause fetal goiter, hypothyroidism, and mental retardation. From http://the-thyroid-society.org/faq/24.html Elaine in Virginia (who takes 50 mg PTU and is not pregnant <smile>) Re: Wouldn't you know it..(long) > Caroline: > > 100mg of PTU is a maintenance dosage, and is considered very low. If your > symptoms are so severe, I wonder why you are not taking a higher dosage to > calm everything down. Did the endo say not to? The beta blockers can calm > your heart down but you have to lower the hormones so that it doesn't keep > happening (high metabolism). > > Good luck. > > At 11:15 PM 09/27/2000 +1000, you wrote: > My endo is very concerned that I don't > >fall pregnant on PTU, or at least on the amount I seem to need (100mg at > present, which I don't think is enough). > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 27, 2000 Report Share Posted September 27, 2000 > I was under the impression that PTU was the drug of choice for pregnant > women. > I think it is the drug of choice if you are already pregnant when one gets Graves. My previous doc was adament that I NOT get pregnant while taking the PTU. I think it was becasue 1) I was already looking at a possible high risk pregnancy (over 35 and twins run in the family) and 2) while PTU is less likely to pass the placental barrier than Tapazole, what would it do to a egg just getting fertilized and starting it's split into cells, which I haven't read about anywhere. C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 27, 2000 Report Share Posted September 27, 2000 That is very interesting, didn't know that. I knew that PTU was less likely to pass the placenta, but never thought about being on it before pregnancy. Interesting question!? Debbie ---------- > >To: graves_supportegroups >Subject: Re: PTU and pregnancy >Date: Wed, Sep 27, 2000, 10:13 AM > > > > >> I was under the impression that PTU was the drug of choice for pregnant >> women. >> > > I think it is the drug of choice if you are already pregnant when one > gets Graves. My previous doc was adament that I NOT get pregnant while > taking the PTU. I think it was becasue 1) I was already looking at a > possible high risk pregnancy (over 35 and twins run in the family) and > 2) while PTU is less likely to pass the placental barrier than Tapazole, > what would it do to a egg just getting fertilized and starting it's split > into cells, which I haven't read about anywhere. > > C > > > > ------------------------------------- > The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not > intended to replace expert medical care. > Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments. > ---------------------------------------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 27, 2000 Report Share Posted September 27, 2000 Hi Jean My endo was also very concerned about pregnancy and the first few times I saw him his first question was - 'you're not pregnant are you?'. I don't know anything about the effect of PTU on a newly fertilised egg. I do know that getting pregnant whilst hyper and with GD is difficult due to the hormone environment being completely wrong and I also read about a protein that is involved in the antibodies or the thyroid hormones (can't remember which) that bounds the ovum and stops the release of the eggs. So it is difficult to get pregnant in the first place - but I do remember that classic line in Jurassic Park " Life will find a way " and if you do ovulate and have a successful fertilisation then it is a very hostile environment trying to make its way to the relative safety of the uterus. I had 2 early stage miscarriages, one at 7 weeks and another at 5 weeks in the last 12 months. I'm sure I had undiagnosed GD then. I don't want to take risks or chances. We may not be blessed with more children. I can only give it my best shot and trust Go to do the rest. Take Care Caroline Bonnie Crawford wrote: > > > > I was under the impression that PTU was the drug of choice for pregnant > > women. > > > > I think it is the drug of choice if you are already pregnant when one > gets Graves. My previous doc was adament that I NOT get pregnant while > taking the PTU. I think it was becasue 1) I was already looking at a > possible high risk pregnancy (over 35 and twins run in the family) and > 2) while PTU is less likely to pass the placental barrier than Tapazole, > what would it do to a egg just getting fertilized and starting it's split > into cells, which I haven't read about anywhere. > > C > > > ------------------------------------- > The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace expert medical care. > Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments. > ---------------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.