[Anonymous August 14, 1997 at 5:47 pm Post count: 93172]

#1054198

Rosela:

I was wondering why you are choosing between surgery and RAI…are anti-thyroid meds
not an option? PTU & Tapezole are the two used in the US. I chose the
antithyroid route almost one year ago and am doing fine.

Glynis

[Anonymous August 14, 1997 at 5:49 pm Post count: 93172]

#1158119

Although it’s been a long road, the anti-thyroid meds have been a pretty good choice for me. I’ve been on Tapazole for 2 1/2 years and I think I’ll be able to go off them soon. I personally don’t know about RAI, but I have read about surgery being more dangerous. Also, you’re left with a nice little scar, but you could just wear pearls alot. Most important is to check all your non-surgical and non-radiation options first . . . That is unless this is an emergency situation.

Good luck and God bless,
Teresa

[Anonymous August 14, 1997 at 9:35 pm Post count: 93172]

#1158120

Inasmuch as I have a huge fear of surgery, I opted for the RAI. Everything I read indicated that it accomplished the same thing, without the incision and recovery period, and with fewer side effects. The one word of warning about that, though, is that sometimes RAI can make eye problems worse. This happens in a small percentage of patients, but if eye problems already had existed, I would have looked more carefully at the surgery option.

Good luck with your decision.

Bobbi

[Anonymous August 15, 1997 at 12:33 pm Post count: 93172]

#1158121

I have been taking PTU for the past year and that is the plan I wanted to go with, but my doctor doesn’t think it is a good idea and he says there is only a slight chance of it working. I don’t want to have to take a pill a day for the rest of my life, but about my only opinions are sugury and radition.

[Anonymous August 15, 1997 at 6:23 pm Post count: 93172]

#1158122

Could someone tell me what is considered a small or large dose of PTU? How many pills a day? The one’s take are 50mg’s.

Thank you
Lori

[Anonymous August 15, 1997 at 9:04 pm Post count: 93172]

#1158123

Hi Rosela,

I’ve also been on PTU for over a year, in fact, I’ve have gone slightly
hypo and am now on 300mg/day from 400mg/day. When I was first diagnosed,
my doctor gave me two choices for treatment. Antithyroids or RAI. I told him
I wanted the meds and he then told me it would take 1-2 years for the treatment
course, if I had no bad reactions. I haven’t and expect to be on the PTU
for several more months. I am hoping for remission, but we will see what
happens when I finish this course of treatment.

I would advise reading everything you can get you hands on regarding the
meds so you can discuss this with your doctor. Some of reading I have
done show there is a bias against meds by doctors in the US, he just might
be a doctor who has one and that the other two methods are a quick fix.

Jeannette’s post has some good numbers in it from several sources and I
am sure there are several of us on the meds who can disprove your doctor’s
statement that the meds don’t work well enough.

Jean C

[Anonymous August 15, 1997 at 9:10 pm Post count: 93172]

#1158124

Hi Lori,

I am currently on 300mg/day. I was taking 400mg/day until I went slightly
hypo and the doctor lowered it. I take 6 pills a day now of 50mg. My
pharmacist told me PTU doesn’t come in anything other than 50mg.

Jean C

[Anonymous August 15, 1997 at 9:12 pm Post count: 93172]

#1158125

I don’t really know either but I started with 9 (450 mg) a day for two weeks, then went to 6 a day and then back up to 8 a day all over a period of 10 weeks. They discontinued it because my unborn baby was adversely affected by it and got a goiter. I am now euthyroid and my baby that is due in 7 weeks is doing fine now , thank God. Tami

[Anonymous August 15, 1997 at 10:39 pm Post count: 93172]

#1158126

According to the drug manual I have handy, the dose of PTU for adults or teenagers being treated for hyperthyroidism can range from 50 mg to 900 mg a day. I think I got 450 at first. And they only come in 50mg pill size. I think that’s to allow for greater flexibility with the dose.

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