Propylthiouracil Coupons & Prices

Looking for a propylthiouracil coupon? Propylthiouracil (PTU) is available only as a generic in the U.S. today, but that doesn't mean every pharmacy charges the same amount — cash prices for this antithyroid medication can vary widely from one pharmacy to the next, so it pays to compare before you fill. Rx.com checks pricing across more than 60,000 U.S. pharmacies so you can enter your ZIP code above and see today's price near you.

What Is Propylthiouracil and How Does It Work?

Propylthiouracil is an antithyroid medication (a thioamide) that works by blocking the thyroid gland's production of thyroid hormone. It's FDA-approved for adults with Graves' disease or toxic multinodular goiter who are intolerant of methimazole and for whom surgery or radioactive iodine therapy isn't an appropriate treatment option. It's also used short-term, in methimazole-intolerant patients, to help bring thyroid hormone levels and symptoms under control before thyroidectomy or radioactive iodine therapy.

Propylthiouracil is generally not used in children. Because pediatric patients face a higher risk than adults of the severe, sometimes fatal liver injury described in the FDA's boxed warning, the label states that PTU is not recommended for use in children except in rare instances where methimazole isn't well-tolerated and surgery or radioactive iodine therapy aren't appropriate — methimazole is the FDA-preferred antithyroid drug for children.

PTU is only a generic today — there is no currently marketed U.S. brand version. Older brand names like Propacil are no longer marketed in the United States, so if you see them referenced, know that propylthiouracil itself is what pharmacies actually stock and fill.

Propylthiouracil Cost: Why Comparing Pharmacies Matters

Because propylthiouracil is generic-only, you might assume the price is the same everywhere — but cash prices for generic medications can differ significantly by pharmacy, even within the same city. Insurance copays, pharmacy markups, and local competition all play a role, so comparing before you fill is one of the few things you fully control here.

Enter your ZIP code above to see today's propylthiouracil price at pharmacies near you, side by side, so you can choose where to fill without guessing.

Propylthiouracil vs. Other Hyperthyroidism Treatments

The other main antithyroid drug is methimazole, which is generally preferred as first-line therapy for hyperthyroidism — including in children — because of its more favorable safety profile. Propylthiouracil is typically reserved for patients who can't tolerate methimazole, aren't good candidates for radioactive iodine or surgery, or are in their first trimester of pregnancy, when PTU is preferred over methimazole due to methimazole's teratogenicity risk early in pregnancy.

Doctors sometimes also prescribe a beta blocker such as atenolol or propranolol alongside an antithyroid drug to help control symptoms like a fast heartbeat while thyroid hormone levels come down. If hyperthyroidism treatment (including radioactive iodine or surgery) leads to an underactive thyroid, levothyroxine is the standard replacement hormone used afterward. None of these are substitutes for propylthiouracil itself — they treat a different problem or serve a different role in care, so any change to your regimen should go through your prescriber.

Propylthiouracil Safety Information

Propylthiouracil carries an FDA Boxed Warning for severe liver injury and acute liver failure, which has occurred in both adult and pediatric patients and in some cases has been fatal or required a liver transplant. This is estimated to affect roughly 1 in 10,000 adult users, and it can begin suddenly and progress quickly at any point during treatment. Pediatric patients face a higher risk of this liver injury than adults — no comparable cases of liver failure have been reported with methimazole in children — which is why PTU is generally not used in children and, for patients of any age, is reserved for those who can't take methimazole, aren't candidates for radioactive iodine or surgery, or are in their first trimester of pregnancy.

Call your doctor right away if you notice fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, itching, dark urine, pale stools, or yellowing of your skin or eyes — these can be signs of liver injury. Propylthiouracil can also cause agranulocytosis (a severe drop in white blood cells) — report any sore throat, fever, or mouth sores to your doctor immediately, since this requires an urgent blood count and usually stopping the drug — as well as ANCA-associated vasculitis. This is general information, not medical advice; talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your specific situation before starting or stopping any medication.