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Serious Liver Injury Reported with use of Anti-Thyroid Drug

By Oguz Ozdemir

On June 3, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about the risk of serious liver disease as a result of using propylthiouracil, an anti-thyroid drug that is used to treat Grave's disease, an autoimmune illness that results in hyperthyroidism.

Propylthiouracil was approved by the FDA in 1947 as a treatment for Grave's disease. It has shown to have resulted in serious liver injuries as opposed to the other treatment available for Grave's disease, methimazole. There have been 32 cases of serious liver injuries reported to the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The information was reported by the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products, a division of the FDA.

The 32 cases of serious liver injuries spanned from 1969 when the FDA's Adverse Reporting System began until October 2008. Of the 22 cases that involved adults, 12 resulted in death and five patients underwent liver transplants. There were 10 cases that involved children and out of those there was one death and six liver transplants.

Patients who are diagnosed with Grave's disease suffer from an overactive thyroid gland. The thyroid actually increases to almost twice its normal size and results in symptoms that include increased heart rate, irritability and muscle weakness. The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck just below the Adam's apple. Its function is to regulate the metabolism through a release of hormones and it is responsible for controlling weight, blood calcium levels, mood levels, body temperature and energy.

When a person is first diagnosed with Grave's disease they are usually prescribed methimazole unless the patient has an allergic reaction to it. Methimazole has been shown to cause rare birth defects in pregnant patients who use it to treat their hyperthyroidism.

If you suffer from Grave's disease and are not allergic to methimazole and are not pregnant you should consider switching your medication from propylthiouracil. Talk to your physician and see if this is an alternative that will be as effective in treating your illness.

You should also consider switching your medication from propylthiouracil if you already have liver problems. While the incidence of reported serious liver injuries spanned almost 30 years, an already compromised liver situation will just make you even more susceptible to further injuries by using this drug.

If you have used propylthiouracil and have suffered from serious liver injuries as a result, you should contact our legal professionals at Napoli Bern Ripka LLP. We have a team of lawyers who are well versed in dealing with the side effects that can develop through the use of FDA approved drugs.

We have helped victims receive the compensation that they deserve as a result of medications that have been shown to cause serious injuries to patients who use them. Call us at 1-888-LAW-IN-NY and come in for a free consultation. You may be surprised to know that you are entitled to some type of reimbursement for any complications that you have experienced as a result of using propylthiouracil.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Oguz Ozdemir

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on August 11, 2009 (boomark / email).