Looking for Advice, Personal Stories about HyperThyriod Cats that Reacted to Methimazole. What to Do

[kskatt]

Mr had been on the med for at least a year, will dig up his records, seemingly without issue. Will be getting fresh blood work mid week to check his red blood cells and platelets are doing. Still feel that it is verifying the med reaction and not something new, we feel quite certain it is the methimazole though. Mr is almost 14 and has always been thin and lanky. Now he feels like skin and bones, been this bad for at least a year and he still eats, drinks and behaves normally.

My vet is fairly young, not too many years out of vet school, doesn't hesitate to send me to Kansas U's vet clinic for specialty treatments or diagnosis. She is being resistant to the idea of the radioactive-iodine or the surgery. I don't know what to think, he'll die without something done!

Anyone tried holistic treatments?

 

[missmimz]

How often are you having his T4 levels checked? Because hyper-t is caused by a tumor that continues to grow, and meds only control the T4 levels, as the tumor growth you need to adjust meds every so often to keep up withe tumor growth. Additionally, hyper-t kitties are also prone to kidney disease, so you need to run tests to check kidney levels twice a year as well. There are no holistic treatments that work to control T4 levels. Some will help with symptoms, but they don't control the T4 levels so they are only masking the issue. The only cure is i-131, or surgery, i-131 being the preferred treatment. I'm not really sure why your vet would be resistant to i-131, it's the cure. My cat went through i-131 a year ago at 13, never did meds because I didn't like the side effects. 

 

[catwoman707]

In my experience, if your kitty is losing weight either the med dosage needs to be higher or there is something else going on.

My Simone is on meth also but the transdermal ear cream since she will hide away her days because she resists taking pills so much.

In the beginning when first diagnosed and put on meth, she went from an excellent appetite but losing weight still, alert and active senior girl, to sleeping constantly, a bit lethargic acting and loss of appetite, I knew the dose was too high so I lowered it myself then told the vet.

She got to a happy medium from there, leveled out, ate good again and no weight loss.

Had her T-4 checked and it was perfect.

A year later now had her checked and it was much too high again so have recently upped her dose again, it's a fine line of too much vs not enough but it's there.

It does often need to be increased as time goes by too.

Simone also has kidney disease and just diagnosed at the same time as her T-4 was found to be too high, with high blood pressure.

She is a rescue so not sure her exact age but somewhere around 16.

I opted not to treat the hyper-t any other way.

 

[laura mae]

I have a current cat with hyperthyroid. He reacted terribly to the initial build-up doses o Methimazol. He's a physically large cat, and the 1/4 tab size resulted in lethargy and refusal to eat. I had to stop the medication and then syringe feed him for several days to get him to eat again. He had a slightly elevated T-4 levels. Kidney function okay, but hyperthyroid actually hides troublesome kidney issues. As kitties get elderly, the likelihood of kidney issues goes up. So a cat can go through the therapy only to have kidney disease to contend with.

If a cat can tolerate the methimzol, then getting blood tests and adjusting the medication is all you can do. They should also watch for anemia and health of blood platelets because the thyroid medication can do a number on that in some kitties.

 

[babiesmom5]

I had a cat that developed Hyperthyroidism.  She was initially put on Methimazole for a while to get the T-4 levels down, but I did not like the side effects.  My Vet recommended the Radioactive Iodine treatment and we are so very glad we did that.  They have to make sure her kidney values are good first, (and they were), so at age 13 she became the "Radiocat".  That provided permanent cure and she lived a good life until almost 20 years old.

 

[kskatt]

 
How often are you having his T4 levels checked? Because hyper-t is caused by a tumor that continues to grow, and meds only control the T4 levels, as the tumor growth you need to adjust meds every so often to keep up withe tumor growth. Additionally, hyper-t kitties are also prone to kidney disease, so you need to run tests to check kidney levels twice a year as well. There are no holistic treatments that work to control T4 levels. Some will help with symptoms, but they don't control the T4 levels so they are only masking the issue. The only cure is i-131, or surgery, i-131 being the preferred treatment. I'm not really sure why your vet would be resistant to i-131, it's the cure. My cat went through i-131 a year ago at 13, never did meds because I didn't like the side effects. 

Mr was diagnosed July 30, 2015. T4 levels checked every two weeks at first and then lengthened to every two months. He has gotten the 2.5 mg twice a day since the beginning, his levels were stable on that dosage. The tests were for the T4 plus CBC. So much attention was being paid to the T4, kidneys and liver that the, so gradual change in platelets slipped by.

I will be getting Mr's blood checked either tomorrow or Friday, I hope tomorrow.

i will have a serious conversation with the vet to get answers to why she resists the i-131. I don't see any other viable options.

 

[kskatt]

 
In my experience, if your kitty is losing weight either the med dosage needs to be higher or there is something else going on.

My Simone is on meth also but the transdermal ear cream since she will hide away her days because she resists taking pills so much.

In the beginning when first diagnosed and put on meth, she went from an excellent appetite but losing weight still, alert and active senior girl, to sleeping constantly, a bit lethargic acting and loss of appetite, I knew the dose was too high so I lowered it myself then told the vet.

She got to a happy medium from there, leveled out, ate good again and no weight loss.

Had her T-4 checked and it was perfect.

A year later now had her checked and it was much too high again so have recently upped her dose again, it's a fine line of too much vs not enough but it's there.

It does often need to be increased as time goes by too.

Simone also has kidney disease and just diagnosed at the same time as her T-4 was found to be too high, with high blood pressure.

She is a rescue so not sure her exact age but somewhere around 16.

I opted not to treat the hyper-t any other way.

I didn't explain very well. Mr had been on the methimazole for over a year and a half, very stable. He seems to be, I'm sure it is, having a very rare side effect of the drug, effecting the liver. The main thing is that it does something that causes a lessening of platelets, which are the thing that clots the blood. If he hurt himself, he could bleed out. Lose all the platelets and, well it would kill him. The methimazole is no longer an option. That's why I have to do something else, such as thei-131.

 

[kskatt]

 
I have a current cat with hyperthyroid. He reacted terribly to the initial build-up doses o Methimazol. He's a physically large cat, and the 1/4 tab size resulted in lethargy and refusal to eat. I had to stop the medication and then syringe feed him for several days to get him to eat again. He had a slightly elevated T-4 levels. Kidney function okay, but hyperthyroid actually hides troublesome kidney issues. As kitties get elderly, the likelihood of kidney issues goes up. So a cat can go through the therapy only to have kidney disease to contend with.

If a cat can tolerate the methimzol, then getting blood tests and adjusting the medication is all you can do. They should also watch for anemia and health of blood platelets because the thyroid medication can do a number on that in some kitties.

Mr did so well on the meds, if he had any side effects they were so very minimal. The anemia, and mostly the platelet issue is what we have run into. He did so well for so long I'm still in some shock.

 

[kskatt]

 
I had a cat that developed Hyperthyroidism.  She was initially put on Methimazole for a while to get the T-4 levels down, but I did not like the side effects.  My Vet recommended the Radioactive Iodine treatment and we are so very glad we did that.  They have to make sure her kidney values are good first, (and they were), so at age 13 she became the "Radiocat".  That provided permanent cure and she lived a good life until almost 20 years old.

Mr hasn't shown any kidney issues, in his blood work. I don't know why my vet is so hesitant about the i-131 treatment. Stories like yours are so positive. Being off the methimazole will increase his rbc and platelets, that shouldn't be a problem. Maybe he's just so thin?

 

[babiesmom5]

Here is a suggestion.  Read the information contained on the www.Radiocat.com website.  Check out the locations near you where this treatment is offered.  Call the one nearest you describing your cat's experience with Methimizole, and treatment history.  Ask them questions about whether your cat would be a likely candidate for the radioactive treatment.  They can give you some insights and opinions.

I did this years ago before deciding to go this route with my cat.  They told me what the parameters were before they accepted a cat for this treatment.  I knew my cat fit those parameters (to my knowledge) and relayed this information to my local Vet who initially recommended this treatment.  My Vet then wrote the consult and treatment date was set.

 

[missmimz]

 
Mr was diagnosed July 30, 2015. T4 levels checked every two weeks at first and then lengthened to every two months. He has gotten the 2.5 mg twice a day since the beginning, his levels were stable on that dosage. The tests were for the T4 plus CBC. So much attention was being paid to the T4, kidneys and liver that the, so gradual change in platelets slipped by.

I will be getting Mr's blood checked either tomorrow or Friday, I hope tomorrow.

i will have a serious conversation with the vet to get answers to why she resists the i-131. I don't see any other viable options.

The only thing to be cautious about is the longer a cat is on meds for, the bigger the tumor is, and the higher the chances are of having other medical issues unmask, including kidney disease or heart disease. Dr. Peterson's blog is my hyper-t "bible." He's one of the best vet's in the country for hyper-t in cats and runs a very well respected i-131 clinic. The other one in the US that's a top clinic is AVMI in Southern California run by Dr Broome, which is where I took my cat. 

Dr. Peterson's blog has a wealth of information and is worth looking over. 

http://www.animalendocrine.info/2013/03/hyperthyroidism-in-cats-past-and.html

 

[kskatt]

 
Here is a suggestion.  Read the information contained on the www.Radiocat.com website.  Check out the locations near you where this treatment is offered.  Call the one nearest you describing your cat's experience with Methimizole, and treatment history.  Ask them questions about whether your cat would be a likely candidate for the radioactive treatment.  They can give you some insights and opinions.

I did this years ago before deciding to go this route with my cat.  They told me what the parameters were before they accepted a cat for this treatment.  I knew my cat fit those parameters (to my knowledge) and relayed this information to my local Vet who initially recommended this treatment.  My Vet then wrote the consult and treatment date was set.

Well, I guess I need to check out universities in KS and OK. I live so far south in KS I'm closer to Oklahoma U than I am KS U.

Checking the locations on Radiocat, put the closest one in Chicago.

 

[kskatt]

I've got to start facing reality. The shock of finding out Mr has a very rare problem with medication I think I buried the reason we discovered the problem. Mr has hepatitis, Dr J had taken a biopsy of his liver and the result was hepatitis. Feline hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. That hasn't simply disappeared into thin air. Mr turned away from any food I offered him today. As thin as he is, it really threw me. Mr is at the vet's now. He will have new blood work done and, I certainly hope anti nausea and , maybe an appetite stimulant. When Dr J returned the call I made about the refusal to eat, we did talk some. Dr J isn't against i-131 and she would support me in any decision I make.

I typed that out last night, hit submit and discovered that my net was out. It was really late, but I thought there was a little more. Dr J has been negative about the i-131 because of Mr's liver issue, some general health. She is sure that if I took Mr in to KU, yes they do the i-131, he would be rejected.

Mr's blood work showed an improvement, not huge but on the way up, on the platelets and red blood cells. Also his t-4 was fine, which is odd after being off the meds this long. Yes, I will get copies of all this blood work. Quite a few things I'd like to see, to try to understand. Anyway, Dr J was suspicious that Mr might not even be hyper-t, but something that can seem like it. She asked about taking a sample of something and sending it to a lab in Michigan.  He did eat his breakfast without any appetite stimulant.

Mr's breathing has been fairly rapid for all this time. Rapid breathing is a can go along with hyper-t, so it made sense. But, Dr J was hearing something new and asked if she could x-ray his chest/lungs.

After some time passed she called and said Mr has a large tumor in his chest. A tumor can affect many body functions and could have been elevating the t-4.

Now I have a whole new situation to digest.

 

[foxden]

kskatt

I'm so sorry for you and Mr. You've moved from an illness that typically can be managed over time to a problem that appears to be much more serious

Once you regroup a little, talk to the vet some more and see what other information she has.

 

[kskatt]

Thank you.

Dr J is going to be away, starting tomorrow through Sunday. When I pick up Mr tomorrow I'll talk to her husband, they met in vet school. He can go over the x-ray(s) with me and answer some questions. Already have an appointment to go in Tues, Moon's glucose blood test, can have a good talk, in person and with blood work, etc.

He had seemed so stable, then the reaction, which had me grasping for the i-131, a cure. As that turned out, he would die from the hyper-t, now he's dying of cancer. It hit me so hard to hear about the tumor, I don't know why, he'll be just as dead either way.

The bizarre thing is that means I have two cats with masses in their chests. I commented, on the phone, that now I have two cats to watch die. 

I accepted the fact, over a year ago, well after Sky died, that I have an aging population. Several cats, all aging at the same time. I guess I had just hoped it would not be crazy stuff that makes my head spin. There isn't any way to make it easier. I think more of the people here, than not, have all experienced heart rending loss.

I do need to look back and see when I quit smoking, at which time mom started smoking at the door. I work to get her to sit on the porch when the weather permits. I've talked to her about me breathing her second hand smoke, that isn't incentive enough to quit, I doubt killing the cats will work either. Dr J has said she feels very strongly about how easily cats can get cancer from second hand smoke. I did some googling and discovered she has very good reason for that belief. If anybody here smokes, quit for your cat(s). Let something good happen.

I will stop babbling now. May be doing it quite a bit for a while. Makes me want to take every cat in for x-rays. Catch tumors before they get big.

 

[foxden]

I'm so sorry. I started on this site just over a month ago when I lost my Kiki after a sudden illness. I've lost kitties after long term illnesses and it's not easy either way.

Yes, they can't live forever, but they are our babies. We can only do so much and we grieve when they are sick and when we lose them.

Take some deep breaths and know we're with you. Feel free to pm if you'd like to talk off thread

 

[kskatt]

Dr J and hubby both went to the seminar. They do work to stay current and increase knowledge.

I spoke with Dr H, the sr. He is not an oncologist but has some serious background in cancer research. He showed me the x-rays and the tumor is directly under Mr's heart. It is now big enough to push against the heart causing problems. The location means a needle aspiration would have to be done from underneath. Nobody will even be able to think about treatments until a biopsy tells us much more about the tumor.

I'd like to know more about Adonis's tumor also. This brings me to a place I hate. Mr just turned 14 and Adonis is about 16. Mr has the hyper-t and the liver inflammation, hepatitis. Age and other health factors. I need to learn more about cancer treatments for cats. Somewhere I heard something about the treatments not being as painful for cats. I don't know, I'll just have to research.

Quality of life.

 

[catwoman707]

 
Dr J and hubby both went to the seminar. They do work to stay current and increase knowledge.

I spoke with Dr H, the sr. He is not an oncologist but has some serious background in cancer research. He showed me the x-rays and the tumor is directly under Mr's heart. It is now big enough to push against the heart causing problems. The location means a needle aspiration would have to be done from underneath. Nobody will even be able to think about treatments until a biopsy tells us much more about the tumor.

I'd like to know more about Adonis's tumor also. This brings me to a place I hate. Mr just turned 14 and Adonis is about 16. Mr has the hyper-t and the liver inflammation, hepatitis. Age and other health factors. I need to learn more about cancer treatments for cats. Somewhere I heard something about the treatments not being as painful for cats. I don't know, I'll just have to research.

Quality of life.

Okay first of all, x-rays are not detailed enough to diagnose a tumor or cancer.

Sometimes these are merely cysts, which are fluid filled sacs and do not even contain any cells.

The only way to know the options are to get an ultrasound with needle aspiration of mass guided by the ultrasound.

The aspirated cells are sent off to a special lab and examined and diagnosed from their findings.

If it turns out to be cancer there are many various ways of treating it depending on what exactly it is.

Chemotherapy is scary to most because we relate it to humans and how they lose their hair and feel sick, but in cats it is much different. You won't see anything like that, they tolerate it very well.

Many types of cancer respond exceptionally well too, so stay calm, and get kitty scheduled for this ASAP.

Meanwhile keep in mind, stressing out or worrying yourself won't change a thing..........never has, never will. (unfortunately

 

[babiesmom5]

I agree with @catwoman707 who advised getting a definite diagnosis of the tumor first.  She is also right in that we tend to think of chemotherapy in human terms.  Do not be afraid of chemotherapy with cats.  Most cats tolerate it very well, even better than dogs.  

I have one cat who will soon be 16 years old.  Last year a small lung tumor was found (incidental to something else) and following surgery, she had chemotherapy infusions (once every 4 weeks) for 5 months.  About 3-5 days following the chemo, she would sometimes get a bit nauseous, but this was quickly abated by a small dose of an anti nausea medication.  The lung tumor has not returned luckily, but two months ago, a bladder tumor was incidentally discovered, (totally unrelated to the lung tumor).  So she is again on chemo, but this time it is a capsule I give her three times a week.  She is doing exceptionally well, has gained weight, feels good and on rare occasions she experiences a bit of nausea, a dose of anti-nausea medication clears it up in an hour or so.  The chemo is keeping the tumor in check while allowing her to maintain excellent quality of life.  There are different types of chemotherapy used depending upon the kind of tumor.  Also, a good Vet Oncologist will advise you on treatment options ranging from very proactive to least proactive and it is up to you to determine what you want to do for your cat.  Take one step at a time.  Get a diagnosis.  Do not stress out unnecessarily at this point.

 

[kskatt]

 
Dr J and hubby both went to the seminar. They do work to stay current and increase knowledge.

I spoke with Dr H, the sr. He is not an oncologist but has some serious background in cancer research. He showed me the x-rays and the tumor is directly under Mr's heart. It is now big enough to push against the heart causing problems. The location means a needle aspiration would have to be done from underneath. Nobody will even be able to think about treatments until a biopsy tells us much more about the tumor.

I'd like to know more about Adonis's tumor also. This brings me to a place I hate. Mr just turned 14 and Adonis is about 16. Mr has the hyper-t and the liver inflammation, hepatitis. Age and other health factors. I need to learn more about cancer treatments for cats. Somewhere I heard something about the treatments not being as painful for cats. I don't know, I'll just have to research.

Quality of life.

I hope you remember I had already brought up the needle aspiration. We can't begin to think ahead until we know more, diagnosis.

I'm coming from a crazy place. On July 7 it will be 2 years since I lost Sky.  I had picked him up, from the ditch, down from the shoulder of the road. He was stumbling and falling over. Most likely hit by a car, enough impact on his head it popped an eye out. It took almost a year to gain any trust, he never could run or jump, but he sure made the best of everything. Then hell arrived, he got crystals and kept going downhill. For awhile I fed him through an E-tube. Asked about sonogram and really checking his teeth and got blown off. Finally went to a new vet, one who was willing to look under or over the symptoms and look for a cause. We soon discovered a horrible truth. Way back, after I found him, he had 4 fractured canine teeth. Wide open, perfect tunnels for bacteria. The vet was to extract the 4. We now discovered the vet had stopped at two. A sonogram showed his lymph node grossly enlarged, biopsy was necrotic tissue. In the end he died right after the surgery to extract those 2 teeth. When the original vet made the conscience decision to leave those two teeth in, he may as well have written out a death certificate, just leaving out the date. When I lost Sky, I also lost faith in the clinic I had trusted for around forty years and lost my faith in God. A month later one of my dogs died of the bacterial heart valve disease that usually  occurs due to bad teeth, her teeth were in wonderful condition. Before the year was out, my shetland pony died from a nasty case of colic.  Feb 7 my sweet Tweety Bird, a female tuxedo kitty, died from a stroke right after a dental cleaning.

I guess one really big thing was, when Sky was so sick, I wondered if I was doing the right thing, he was suffering. He was so much better on the E-tube, almost back to his old self. When we found the teeth and set up the extraction (that should not have been necessary), I had started making plans, I had the hope back that I had lost. Now I'm scared to death to feel hope. Isn't that pathetic.

Please know that I am not giving up, I will do everything I can. I cry, at least once, every day. It's hard to think straight.

You know, I think it helped, a little, to get all that out.