Help! Managing Graves' disease without medication (PTU shortage) 😭
TL;DR:
Diagnosed with Graves' disease in March 2025. Had an allergic reaction to Methimazole, but did well on Propylthiouracil (PTU). Due to a national shortage, I’ve been off PTU for ~2 weeks and my thyroid levels are rising again. Supply may not return until December. Looking for advice or alternatives, and wondering if it’s possible to safely get PTU from abroad.
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I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease in March 2025. I initially started on Methimazole, but after a few weeks I developed allergic reactions, so my endocrinologist switched me to Propylthiouracil (PTU).
On PTU, my thyroid levels improved significantly and I was mostly symptom-free.
Last September, my current endocrinologist advised reducing my PTU dose to 1 tablet per day. My levels went up slightly, so I returned to 2 tablets per day. However, PTU supply in my country has been very limited. To stretch my medication, I reduced my dose to once daily—but I’ve now been completely out of PTU for almost 2 weeks.
My recent lab results show elevated thyroid levels again, indicating a recurrence of hyperthyroidism. Unfortunately, the ONLY distributor here in the Philippines recently announced that their overseas manufacturer has suspended operations, and PTU supply may not resume until December.
I’m feeling stuck and unsure what to do next.
- Has anyone experienced a similar situation?
- Is it possible (and safe/legal) to have someone abroad purchase PTU and ship it to the Philipoines?
I would prefer to avoid radioactive iodine (RAI) if possible, as it’s very expensive here, and I previously responded well to PTU at the right dose.