What is the initial treatment for Graves Disease?
The first course of action – when the disease is mild, or occurs in children or young adults, or needs to be promptly controlled (as with elderly patients whose heart disease puts them at risk from the increased heart rate associated with Grave’s Disease) – is a course of antithyroid drugs, such as propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole (Tapazole ). These drugs make it more difficult for your thyroid to use the iodine it needs to make the thyroid hormone, resulting in a decrease in thyroid hormone production. Although both drugs can be used during pregnancy, PTU is preferable. In about 5% of cases, a skin rash will result. In about 0.05% of cases, patients will develop a low white count, thereby increasing the risk of serious infection. How successful is this drug treatment of Graves’ Disease? It only works for about 20 to 30% of patients. In these patients, antithyroid drug treatment for 12 to 18 months will result in prolonged remission of the disease, particularly if the disease is
