Propylthiouracil and Liver Damage Attorneys
Oklahoma City
Graves’ disease is a cause of hyperthyroidism in adults and children. With Graves’, the overactive thyroid gland causes dramatic weight loss, a sudden irregular heartbeat and increased negative mood swings. The drug, Propylthiouracil, is commonly prescribed by doctors in treating this. However, recently The United States Food and Drug Administration issued a warning stating that Propylthiouracil is linked to liver damage. During the first six months of the therapy, people are especially vulnerable. If you have taken Propylthiouracil, it’s best to contact knowledgeable legal counsel to learn more about your legal rights.
An Overview of Propylthiouracil
Propylthiouracil was first approved in 1947 to be used in treating Graves’ Disease. Currently, the FDA states they have discovered 32 cases—22 adult, 10 pediatric—where the risk of hepatoxicity was at elevated levels. Hepatoxicity is a proven sign that the liver is sustaining damage. In the adult cases, five liver transplants were necessary, and unfortunately, there were also 12 deaths.
According to the FDA, caregivers must now monitor any Graves’ Disease sufferers where this drug was part of the treatment and focus on any signs of potential liver damage. They must also warn against any future prescriptions of the drug as well. Another drug, methimazole, tends to be the preferred drug for combating Graves’ Disease, with propylthiouracil being available as the alternative when a patient shows signs of any allergic reactions to methimazole. Some women who are pregnant shouldn’t take methimazole either, and, historically, propylthiouracil was the alternative. This is bound to change with the current FDA ruling.
Propylthiouracil and Children
Graves’ Disease afflicts roughly 4000 children each year. Out of these cases, propylthiouracil is the treatment drug in around 40 percent of these cases. This means that some of these children will sustain levels of liver damage. In the opinion of experts, the only course of action for minimizing any liver damage is to not prescribe propylthiouracil at all and choose methimazole instead as the first line of therapy for children.
If you live in or around Oklahoma City and were at some point in time prescribed propylthiouracil to treat Graves’ Disease, you should contact a team of attorneys who have experience representing people who may have fallen victim to another entity’s negligence. Stipe & Belote, L.L.P., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma defective drug attorneys, has successfully handled hundreds of cases in this arena and offer free consultations to discuss the specifics of a person’s situation in greater detail.
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