EFFECTS OF PROPYLTHIOURACIL ON INTESTINAL TRANSIT-TIME AND SYMPTOMS IN HYPERTHYROID PATIENTS

Background/Aims: Gastrointestinal disturbances such as diarrhea and ma labsorption with steatorrhea may show up in hyperthyroid patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate oro-caecal transit time (OCTT) and g astrointestinal symptoms in, hyperthyroid patients before and after pr opylthiouracil administration. Materials and Methods: Twenty hyperthyr oid patients (15 Females and 5 Mates, mean age 47 years) were studied. Eight of them had diarrhea and 10 steatorrhea. The control group was composed of 20 healthy volunteers (13 F and 7 M, mean age 49 yrs). OCT T and fecal fat excretion were measured before and after propylthioura cil administration (300 mg/day for 10 day and then. 200 mg/day for 30 days). Results: Before the treatment in hyperthyroid patients had bega n the mean OCTT was significantly lower than in the control group (64 min. versus 107 milt; p<0.0001). After treatment mean. OCTT became sim ilar to the controls (p=ns); diarrhea disappeared in. all affected pat ients and mean fecal fat excretion was reduced from 7.9 gr/24h to 3.4 gr/24h, with a statistically significantly difference (p<0.0001). Conc lusions: The treatment with propylthiouracil induces the normalization . of thyroid hormone status and consequently of OCTT with the disappea rance of gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea and steatorrhea, with a better efficacy if compared to other drugs utilized in the trea tment of hyperthyroidism.