Anyone helped senior cat survive bad hyperthyroidism?? Advice needed!!

[JCee]

For 3 weeks my poor cat has been hurting as we wait for methimazole to work. After 2 weeks got blood test to check levels & now vet tells me he’s hyPO. The dose methimazole prescribed was too much & made him hypo. So they made him sicker!
He was managing pretty well then the overdone methimazole seemed to kick in one day & he refused to eat. His med dose has been adjusted & vet said its a very slow process & may not see much improvement in 1st week but he should improve. All I read says this is survivable, staff at vet office said they've seen very sick thyroid cases in senior cats & they survived.
My boy is so sick & Im feeding him via syringe as well as giving water via syringe. He’d lethargic & wobbly. Vet assured me these are symptoms that show up thyroid issues.Im so confused, overwhelmed & afraid for my boy- afraid to lose him & afraid he is miserable & suffering. Just started adjusted dose methimazole 2 days ago & vet said its worth giving it a chance to work b/c he could get well as manny before have. PLEASE share your experiences w/ senior cat very sick with hyper or hypothyroidism. How did you save them? Advice, Guidance, etc wanted!! Thank you!

 

[FeebysOwner]

What dose was he on and how much has it been lowered? What was his T-4 count at the onset, and again after the blood work re-check. Vets tends to over prescribe the dose for methimazole, looking for quick results which can result in what you are experiencing. Sometimes, the meds are stopped altogether for a week or so, and then restarted at a lower dose.

It is correctable, but given answers to the above questions, it might be more quickly corrected with another approach.

 

[Antonio65]

You didn't say what the starting dosage was.

Many vets think to start with 2.5 mg twice daily because this is a widely used protocol, but this has been proven to likely make a cat HYPO.
It is way better to start with a lower dosage, usually 1.25 mg twice daily, or less, then recheck and adjust if needed.
This has two advantages. It doesn't make a cat HYPO, and doesn't give some of the adverse reactions typical of the methimazole.

My cat was hyper- and was put on methimazole at 1.25 mg.
She was being rechecked every 5 to 6 weeks and the dosage could be confirmed or adjusted, to the point we went even down to 0.625 mg twice daily.

You asked how I saved my cat?
She was 16 yo.
After several months of methimazole, she was treated with I-131, which is the golden choice if the cat is a good candidate for it (mainly due to age and other underlying conditions).
This treatment fixes the issue for good and doesn't have any side effects.

 

[neely]

After several months of methimazole, she was treated with I-131, which is the golden choice if the cat is a good candidate for it (mainly due to age and other underlying conditions).This treatment fixes the issue for good and doesn't have any side effects.

Ditto, same for our cat. He was on Methimazole in the transdermal gel form for approximately 8 months. Since he had no organ involvement our vet highly recommended treating his Hyperthyroidism with the I-131 radioactive iodine treatment which is given by injection at a special veterinary facility. The success rate is between 95-98%.

BTW, welcome to TCS! I'm sorry your first post was about your sick cat but there are many members who have or had cats with Hyperthyroidism or Hypothyroidism here. I'm sure they can share their experiences too. If you have any doubts about the vet who is treating your cat and overmedicated him you may want to consider getting a second opinion preferably from a feline only specialist. Best of luck, please keep us updated on your cat.

 

[JCee]

What dose was he on and how much has it been lowered? What was his T-4 count at the onset, and again after the blood work re-check. Vets tends to over prescribe the dose for methimazole, looking for quick results which can result in what you are experiencing. Sometimes, the meds are stopped altogether for a week or so, and then restarted at a lower dose.

It is correctable, but given answers to the above questions, it might be more quickly corrected with another approach.

thank you for responding!!
Not sure! Its all been so horrible & overwhelming as I care for him on my own & am just overwhelmed. Vet told me numbers but cant recall. The hypo # is low, i recall. But hes now in bad shape b/c put him on pred & bad diarrhea is now constipation. Now he cant pass stool or use his tongue so cant drink water & desperately wants to & tries. Worried i hurt his tongue somehow when syringe feeding will try to get T-4 counts & back to you.

 

[JCee]

You didn't say what the starting dosage was.

Many vets think to start with 2.5 mg twice daily because this is a widely used protocol, but this has been proven to likely make a cat HYPO.
It is way better to start with a lower dosage, usually 1.25 mg twice daily, or less, then recheck and adjust if needed.
This has two advantages. It doesn't make a cat HYPO, and doesn't give some of the adverse reactions typical of the methimazole.

My cat was hyper- and was put on methimazole at 1.25 mg.
She was being rechecked every 5 to 6 weeks and the dosage could be confirmed or adjusted, to the point we went even down to 0.625 mg twice daily.

You asked how I saved my cat?
She was 16 yo.
After several months of methimazole, she was treated with I-131, which is the golden choice if the cat is a good candidate for it (mainly due to age and other underlying conditions).
This treatment fixes the issue for good and doesn't have any side effects.

I vet has now made him so sick I fear he wont survive. Im trying so hard but he keeps getting worse. She added pred & now his diarrhea, which was already improved, is constipation. It feels like all vet does is make him worse!

 

[JCee]

What dose was he on and how much has it been lowered? What was his T-4 count at the onset, and again after the blood work re-check. Vets tends to over prescribe the dose for methimazole, looking for quick results which can result in what you are experiencing. Sometimes, the meds are stopped altogether for a week or so, and then restarted at a lower dose.

It is correctable, but given answers to the above questions, it might be more quickly corrected with another approach.

Was on 5 mg tab, 1/2 in AM & 1/2 12 hrs later. Only reduced by 1/4 . So 14 tab in AM & 1/2 tab 12 hrs later.

 

[JCee]

Was on 5 mg tab, 1/2 in AM & 1/2 12 hrs later. Only reduced by 1/4 . So 14 tab in AM & 1/2 tab 12 hrs later. Also on 12 days of prednisolone to help ibs vet decided he has. But diarrhea had already improved now has terrible constipation & is super weak. Syringe feeding him makes him miserable- is that normal? Am bb I tormenting him? Trying to give 5ml water w/ each feeding (every 3-4 hrs) but he really fights it & am afraid of causing him to vomit up the food he do badly needs. Advice???

 

[Antonio65]

Was on 5 mg tab, 1/2 in AM & 1/2 12 hrs later. Only reduced by 1/4 . So 14 tab in AM & 1/2 tab 12 hrs later.

Way too much in my opinion.
But your cat was on this dosage only for a very few weeks, so the damage shouldn't be that severe.
I believe there is something else that your vet is missing.
It is also possible that the med itself is making your cat feel sick.
If you can, you should switch to the eargel, which doesn't impact on the GI tract and it's even easier to administer if your cat is a fighter.

Can you change vets and have a second opinion?

 

[FeebysOwner]

So, the starting dose was 2.5 mg twice a day, and then reduced to 1.25 mg twice a day? He may need to just go off of it for a week, just to let his body 're-set'. You might ask your vet if they would be amenable to letting you try this approach. Still would like to know the T-4 numbers if you can find them.

When was the Pred introduced? HyPERthyroidism can cause diarrhea, but hyPOthyroidism can cause constipation. So, the timing of these meds plays a role in it if that is affecting his stool. When did the diarrhea start?

 

[Antonio65]

Syringe feeding him makes him miserable- is that normal? Am bb I tormenting him? Trying to give 5ml water w/ each feeding (every 3-4 hrs) but he really fights it & am afraid of causing him to vomit up the food he do badly needs. Advice???

Syringe feeding shouldn't make him feel miserable as long as it's done properly.
You could consider inserting a feeding tube for an easier administration of food.

 

[JCee]

Way too much in my opinion.
But your cat was on this dosage only for a very few weeks, so the damage shouldn't be that severe.
I believe there is something else that your vet is missing.
It is also possible that the med itself is making your cat feel sick.
If you can, you should switch to the eargel, which doesn't impact on the GI tract and it's even easier to administer if your cat is a fighter.

Can you change vets and have a second opinion?

i gladly would but not sure how to even find one that actually knows what they’re doing! Been looking before now. I dont know many ppl in the area & have no idea. Any advice on finding qualified, thorough vet? How can i find one w/ experience in hyperthyroidism this hell has been going on for weeks & i really fear they’re killing my cat but i have no idea where to take him!Its made me a nervous wreck & Im just at a loss on what to do or where to go.

 

[CodyMolly]

Hi, going to be very honest. My Romeo happened to him. He was hyper- put on methimazole did great gain weight back then three months later- Bam! Goes to hypo- this went on and on- thyroid is very hard to control. At least in my case. I came to a point where you were and he got well! This happens. The only way honestly to keep your cat on target is if you go to the vet every other month just to take a thyroid blood test that’s it, the thyroid blood test is sooo much cheaper then getting regular blood tests monthly. That’s what I did and my Romeo lived three more years. Rest in peace he died of kidney failure not thyroid. With this said going to the vet will not only help him it will help you . And certainly keep his levels on target. It’s the cats body that fluctuates. I knew exactly when he was off.. he drank lots of water and then I knew the thyroid medicine needed to be adjusted. Every time the thyroid is off. My vet would increase alittle or decrease alittle then in 3 weeks take a thyroid test again to make sure that amount was good for Romeo. Also when he ate and didn’t gain weight that another indication. The predisolone not sure why they gave that to your cat unless she wanted it to feel better the body?? Sorry your going through the ups and downs this happens until you get the level right. Keep up the good work and don’t give up on your baby. Maybe buy some cold cut deli PLAIN turkey.. unsalted turkey. Make sure it’s plain … no seasoning or anything. That would make a nice treat or cold cut unsalted chicken deli. I used to give that to Romeo to kick start his appetite. Make sure it’s plain.. no onion or anything. Onion is a toxic… okay. I wish you lots of beautiful care and blessings.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Going to repeat my post from before (see below). You have gotten a lot of good advice, but you need to take this one step at a time.

So, the starting dose was 2.5 mg twice a day, and then reduced to 1.25 mg twice a day? He may need to just go off of it for a week, just to let his body 're-set'. You might ask your vet if they would be amenable to letting you try this approach. Still would like to know the T-4 numbers if you can find them.

When was the Pred introduced? HyPERthyroidism can cause diarrhea, but hyPOthyroidism can cause constipation. So, the timing of these meds plays a role in it if that is affecting his stool. When did the diarrhea start?

 

[neely]

Any advice on finding qualified, thorough vet?

Do you live in the U.S. or another country? Either way you can do a search for "feline veterinary specialists." If you have a veterinary school affiliated with a medical university nearby that would be ideal.

 

[Antonio65]

i gladly would but not sure how to even find one that actually knows what they’re doing! Been looking before now. I dont know many ppl in the area & have no idea. Any advice on finding qualified, thorough vet? How can i find one w/ experience in hyperthyroidism this hell has been going on for weeks & i really fear they’re killing my cat but i have no idea where to take him!Its made me a nervous wreck & Im just at a loss on what to do or where to go.

Like neely said, we would need to know where you are based. This way, people living in your area may help you better.
If you think that this dosage is going to kill your cat, and that he was better before beginning the therapy, try to put the pill on hold for a while.
The HYPO induced by the med isn't irreversible. Once the effects of the methimazole wear off, your cat should go back to his strating point.
I suggest you to join a hyperthyroid cats group
feline-hyperthyroid groups.io Group
send an email for the subscription, lots of highly experienced people will help you and your cat. Don't wait, join.

 

[JCee]

Hi, going to be very honest. My Romeo happened to him. He was hyper- put on methimazole did great gain weight back then three months later- Bam! Goes to hypo- this went on and on- thyroid is very hard to control. At least in my case. I came to a point where you were and he got well! This happens. The only way honestly to keep your cat on target is if you go to the vet every other month just to take a thyroid blood test that’s it, the thyroid blood test is sooo much cheaper then getting regular blood tests monthly. That’s what I did and my Romeo lived three more years. Rest in peace he died of kidney failure not thyroid. With this said going to the vet will not only help him it will help you . And certainly keep his levels on target. It’s the cats body that fluctuates. I knew exactly when he was off.. he drank lots of water and then I knew the thyroid medicine needed to be adjusted. Every time the thyroid is off. My vet would increase alittle or decrease alittle then in 3 weeks take a thyroid test again to make sure that amount was good for Romeo. Also when he ate and didn’t gain weight that another indication. The predisolone not sure why they gave that to your cat unless she wanted it to feel better the body?? Sorry your going through the ups and downs this happens until you get the level right. Keep up the good work and don’t give up on your baby. Maybe buy some cold cut deli PLAIN turkey.. unsalted turkey. Make sure it’s plain … no seasoning or anything. That would make a nice treat or cold cut unsalted chicken deli. I used to give that to Romeo to kick start his appetite. Make sure it’s plain.. no onion or anything. Onion is a toxic… okay. I wish you lots of beautiful care and blessings.

But how did you get him through very

Do you live in the U.S. or another country? Either way you can do a search for "feline veterinary specialists." If you have a veterinary school affiliated with a medical university nearby that would be ideal.

Im in US in metro Atlanta area.

 

[JCee]

Like neely said, we would need to know where you are based. This way, people living in your area may help you better.
If you think that this dosage is going to kill your cat, and that he was better before beginning the therapy, try to put the pill on hold for a while.
The HYPO induced by the med isn't irreversible. Once the effects of the methimazole wear off, your cat should go back to his strating point.
I suggest you to join a hyperthyroid cats group
feline-hyperthyroid groups.io Group
send an email for the subscription, lots of highly experienced people will help you and your cat. Don't wait, join.

Joined! Thank you. Thank you for info!

 

[neely]

Im in US in metro Atlanta area.

Since you are in a major city, (Atlanta), you're very fortunate. I did a quick search for feline only veterinarians and there are many choices. There are also several veterinary medical universities with the University of GA and Emory both being top ranked. You can do your own search to decide what would work best for you and go from there. Wishing you the best of luck!

 

[JCee]

Since you are in a major city, (Atlanta), you're very fortunate. I did a quick search for feline only veterinarians and there are many choices. There are also several veterinary medical universities with the University of GA and Emory both being top ranked. You can do your own search to decide what would work best for you and go from there. Wishing you the best of luck!

thank you!

Are feline only specialists more informed? Been going to a cat clinic but they have a dog side too so that mean they arent specialists? I do think thry’re general vet med w/ maybe some trained a bit extra but nond called specialist.