Difference between PTU and the Radioactive Iodine pill?

[geecee]

I will have a two-day test in nuclear medicine(?) this week. My endocrinologist believes I have Grave's and suggests "burning" the thyroid with the radioactive pill. Another endocrinologist had suggested PTU treatment. The important thing is that I would like to have children. What is the difference between the two treatments and which one would be better if I want to have children?
Thanks to anyone and everyone who can help!

[GD Women]

I think I answered this before to someone else if not you.

PTU normally take 18 to 24 months before remissions is achieved. Then its another year after meds are stopped for true remission. The failure rate is high. Some try another round of 18/24 months again, only to failure again. If remission is not achieved the first round the more likely it will fail the second and the third and the fourth so on. Mean while you waisted all the this precious time.

RAI, when your levels are normal and stable approx. 6 to 12 months after treatment.

I have heard of a women who had 6 beautiful health children after doing RAI.

PTU 18/24+ months or longer - verses - RAI 6/12 months.

[bradybunch]

From what I have read and seen, there are a few differences. One PTU does take longer, but they say that sometimes PTU can put Graves into remission, which could cause you not to have to take meds the rest of your life. Not to say that you might not have to take them later, as Graves can come back, after remission. Then RAI gets rid of your hyperthyroid. Although almost everyone treated with RAI will have to take medication for hypo thyroid. Graves with either can be treated during pregnancy, and both hyper and hypothyroid can cause you not to be able to get pregnant, or carry it to term. Many people with Graves have healthy happy children, but some don't. As long as your thyroid levels are managed and kept within normal levels pregnancy is not something that can't or won't happen. Graves is considered to make a pregnancy high risk. Hope I helped.
Val

[GD Women]

Let me do a little revising. None of the treatments cures Graves' Disease. Graves' Disease is not curable nor treatable and it comes with its own symptoms, likewise the immune system of Graves' derives from the immune system. The treatments are for and suppose to ride us from the hyper side of Graves'. However, we still have the Graves' side and the immune side to live with and their possible symptoms.

In most case if and when ATDs (PTU) puts a person into remission they still have to take a thyroid hormone T4 for life to keep levels regulated. So ATDs (PTU) treatment you still have Graves' and the possibility of the hyper side of Graves' to come back. ATDs (PTU) doesn't necessarily cure the hyper side either, the treatment is meant to bring levels back into range, although not always successful. Then, with each remission, the harder to achieve the next remission and so forth. The longer and more remission the less chance for permanent remission. Long term use of ATDs (PTU) can cause other serious health damage, where RAI does not.

In my other Graves' group, a member just had a healthy baby. If a women is monitored and her levels kept in proper range, before, during and after pregnancy, there should be no problems, hopefully. As with anything else in life, nothing is a 100% (but death and taxes).

[Jeff Houtz]

The Use of Antithyroid Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation
Susan J. Mandel and David S. Cooper
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (S.J.M.), University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; and Division of Endocrinology (D.S.C.), Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21215

Perhaps the conclusions at the end of this study will help.