Antithyroid drugs

Six decades after their introduction, antithyroid drugs continue to be important in the management of hyperthyroidism. Patients with Graves' disease, who have an approximately 40 to 50 percent chance of remission after 12 to 18 months of therapy, are the best candidates. Antithyroid drugs are deceptively easy to use, but because of the variability in the response of patients and the potentially serious side effects, all practitioners who prescribe the drugs need to have a working knowledge of their complex pharmacology.