Propylthiouracil can cause hypothyroidism necessitating routine monitoring of TSH and free T4 levels with adjustments in dosing to maintain a euthyroid state.

Propylthiouracil is used to treat hyperthyroidism (a condition that occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone, speeding the body’s metabolism, and causing certain symptoms) in adults and children 6 years of age or older. Propylthiouracil is in a class of medications called antithyroid agents.

Propylthiouracil (PTU) is an oral medication that is used to manage hyperthyroidism which is due to an overactive thyroid gland. It is an anti-thyroid drug that has a mechanism of action that is similar to methimazole (Tapazole). Graves’ disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism.

Propylthiouracil inhibits the production of new thyroid hormone in the thyroid gland. [2] It acts by inhibiting the enzyme thyroid peroxidase, which usually functions to convert iodide to iodine molecule and incorporate the iodine molecule into amino acid tyrosine.

You will need to have blood tests from time to time to check that you are on the correct dose and that your liver is working well. This is because propylthiouracil can occasionally cause serious liver problems. Propylthiouracil should have some effect on your symptoms around three to four weeks after treatment starts.

Thiouracil induces hypothyroidism, which results in a decrease in low density lipoprotein receptor activity and hypercholesterolemia.

Thyroid storm is a very rare, but life-threatening condition of the thyroid gland that develops in cases of untreated thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid). The thyroid gland is located in the neck, just above where your collarbones meet in the middle.

Radioiodine, or RAI, is given as a pill, to treat hyperthyroidism by gradually shrinking your thyroid—ultimately destroying the gland. Yes, RAI is the same as radioactive iodine threapy, which was the formal medical term.

Methimazole is used to treat overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). It works by stopping the thyroid gland from making too much thyroid hormone.

To make sure that you always get the same effects, try to take methimazole at the same time in relation to meals every day. That is, always take it with meals or always take it on an empty stomach.

After methimazole treatment, body weight was initially increased (0–8 weeks), subsequently plateaued (8–24 weeks), and gradually decreased in the later period (24–52 weeks) despite the decreased food intake.

Even sips of coffee can affect your thyroid medication if the two aren’t spaced apart enough. In studies, coffee reduced the body’s absorption of thyroid medications by about 30%. That’s why experts recommend that you wait at least 60 minutes after drinking coffee to take your thyroid replacement medication.