Hyperthyroid and not eating

IMPORTANT: If your cat is in any distress or discomfort, please consult your own vet as your first priority.
Post Reply
Gemmy
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 2:43 pm

Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Gemmy »

Hello, I am new to this forum so I'm hoping I'm posting correctly!
My kitty (10) has recently tested for hyperthyroid. She was prescribed tapazole 1/2 pill daily. She seemed to have a tummy upset when med was started so took her off it and gradually introduced it again. She was retested and thyroid levels were normal on meds. It was hit and miss, some days she would vomit, others she seemed starved. Then, one day she starting to daily vomit and she stopped eating..so I took her back to vet, she had lost a full pound of weight. More blood work was sent to the lab to be checked for, thyroid,kidneys,liver,diabetes,CBC. All returned normal. Vet had mentioned she could have something else going on, tumor, or inflammatory bowel disease.
I have been reading and found that sometimes meds cause acid reflux, so vet said go ahead and try Pepcid ac for a few days see if any improvement. I have managed to get her to eat a small amount of food in morning but she seems to decline as day moves on. This all started when she was put on the tapazole....has anyone else had issues with your cat such as mine does? I am so very worried about her, I am afraid I might lose her if I can't get her to eat properly again!
I should mention she has completely gone off kibble food, and she eats only the tiny bit of wet food I can get in her in the morning only. Thank you.
User avatar
meriad
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 1313
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:14 pm
No. of cats in household: 6
Location: Surrey

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by meriad »

Gemmy, welcome to CC and sorry to read your cat isn't well. I don't have any experience of hyper-T but there are a few here who do so hopefully they'll be along shortly and give some good advice.

What I would aks the vet about though is maybe changing the medication. I'm sure that most here have their cats on either Vidalta or Felimazole, so there are other options?

But as said, hopefully someone will come along soon with lots of advice
User avatar
Kay
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:50 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: West Wales

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Kay »

Tapazole is more usually called Felimazole, and can upset some cats - but if her thyroid levels are now normal when you've only got a few doses into her, it suggests either that something else is going on, or the dosage was too high

vets in the UK often do start off too high, and the thyroid levels come down too fast, which can reveal hidden kidney disease, which high levels of the thyroid hormone help to some extent

what dose of tapazole was she having, and why once a day? it is more usual to give twice a day but not more than 2.5mg over 24 hours
Gemmy
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 2:43 pm

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Gemmy »

Thank you Meriad for the welcome, I appreciate your kind words.

Kay, thank you for replying, my cat is on 2.5 mg per day. I have wondered if I should cut that in half and dose twice? Wondering if that might be easier on her tummy?
I asked the vet if maybe the 2.5 was too much for her, he said if it were her blood test results would show thyroid level as low. So, I really don't know what to do at this point?
User avatar
Kay
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:50 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: West Wales

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Kay »

I'd certainly dose her twice a day - the effects last around 12 hours, so dosing once a day may have caused her levels to fluctuate - I believe 1.25mg tablets are now available so if you can get them you wouldn't have to cut them at all

if it was me, and she still showed side effects, I'd halve that dose too - starting low and increasing if blood tests indicate the thyroid levels are still high is the way to go to avoid more problems - but at least your vet didn't start her on 5mg a day, as too many do

when my Trigger was HT I used to give the piece of tablet in a bit of Webbox, and he never missed a dose - he had half a 2.5mg tablet every 12 hours, and his levels came down very slowly, but he never had any side effects

I would urge you to obtain copies of all the blood tests from the vet - you've paid for them and will find them very useful when doing a bit of net research - I do recommend the Yahoo group for HT cats too, as there are some very knowledgeable people on there - mostly living in the US, but that is an advantage because they are way ahead of us when it comes to treating Feline Hyperthyroidism
Gemmy
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 2:43 pm

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Gemmy »

Thanks Kay, I will look into joining the yahoo group.
I was told from vet, give her a pill once per day, and we will recheck her levels in 6 weeks, which we did..they came back normal. When she was first diagnosed she was slightly elevated...meds were started..then all the other problems she is having started. I took it upon myself to split the pill again and start of slow, hopefully doing the right thing for her?
I am feeling very stressed because I don't know what to do? She's not herself at all. I want her to be like he was before I took her in for her yearly checkup.
User avatar
Kay
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 1961
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:50 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: West Wales

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Kay »

if her thyroid levels were only slightly elevated, then probably the starting dose of Felimazole was too high

I can only say what I would do, which would be to stop giving it altogether for a week to see if the other issues resolve - a cat with only slightly elevated thyroid levels and nothing else going on is not going to become seriously ill in that space of time

I'd weigh her now, and if she then starts showing symptoms of HT, such as weight loss despite being hungry all the time, you could restart the drug again at the lowest level

the Yahoo group will encourage you to share her blood results, and will be able to advise you better after seeing them - as a group they are indirectly sharing with you the expertise of hundreds of vets rather than just one, so are a valuable resource
Mic4mac
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2020 8:19 am

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Mic4mac »

I recently discovered that my cat’s medication (tapazole or by it’s generic name Methimazole) has side effects that mimic IBS. in other words; nausea, vomiting and DIRREAH are common side effects for this medication. As tapazole is a human drug you can verify that here at Davis Nursing https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nur ... ethIMAzole.

As a pet medication you can verify it with the FDA here (it is the animal approved methimazole) https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/a ... it#effects.

I brought my cat to his vet because he was having chronic diarrhea. A blood test later and he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and put on tapazole which was supposed to stop the diarrhea. It didn’t. My cat began vomiting a little at first and then chronically. His diarrhea became water. My vet gave him antibiotics and Flagyl to no avail. This went on for a year with my vet upping the tapazole dose for his thyroid and ultimately submarining his gastrointestinal system. The last effort to combat the “IBS” issue was a shot of prednisone which did nothing. The end result is that my previously healthy (but with hyperthyroid 12 lb cat now 5 lbs) not eating, diarrhea spewing, vomit spewing and near death’s door cat was actually having side effects from the tapazole for a year! Side effects should have been the first thing my vet considered. Because he certainly didn’t tell me what the side effects were. What he said was that the drug was really safe and had insignificant side effects. I was the one who ultimately correctly diagnosed my cat. He was taken off tapazole immediately and given antibiotics, anti-nausea and appetite enhancing drugs. The first day off of the tapazole his diarrhea improved significantly and with the anti-nausea medication he began to eat slowly at first and then more and more. I don’t know if he is going to make it but I now have hope. So, if anyone out there is experiencing anything similar it is entirely possible that the medication is the cause.

Please be aware that any advice given on the forum is the view of that person, not necessarily of Cat Chat, so it is up to your own judgement whether you take the advice. In matters of a cat's health, your first priority should always be to seek the advice of your own vet and you should always consult your vet before making any changes to your cat's treatment plan. Lisa-D (Cat Chat Forum Admin)
Last edited by Lisa-D on Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Mollycat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 2705
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:58 am
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: UK

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Mollycat »

So what treatment is your cat now getting for hyperthyroidism, Mic4mac?

My cat had the curative one-off radioiodine treatment and we still battled with her diarrhoea for another 8 months or so afterwards. She never had any drugs as she is impossible to pill, it was diet controlled while she was on the waiting list for treatment. Her GI issues were due to hyperthyroidism and her body readjusting to being normal again. It's not always side effects.

That said between 10 and 20% of cats experience GI issues as a side effect so it sounds like maybe a change of vet might be a good idea for you.

It's quite common for a drug to have side effects that are the same as the problem they are made to help. Antihistamines are an obvious example but there are lots more.
Mic4mac
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2020 8:19 am

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Mic4mac »

I’m sorry to say that my baby Scout passed away this morning due to the adverse effects of the drug he was prescribed. I Believe he had an allergic reaction to this drug. And it was not caught in time.There was no chance to determine a diet-based result.
Mic4mac
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2020 8:19 am

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Mic4mac »

My vet however, assures me that he has learned from this experience and will notify the other vets in his practice that they should not overlook side effects no matter how advantageous the drug appears to be. It gives me a little comfort to know that my boy died so that others could be “educated” In what I assume they should be already educated as veterinarians. Scout was not a candidate for the radioactive treatment due to his age. He was 14 1/2 years old. And therefore not a candidate. Also due to his age it was not a good idea to put him under an anesthesia in order to have surgery to remove any affected thyroid tissue. It was down to the drug or diet. Seeing as the drug per my vet was so effective and with so little side effects, I admit I didn’t ask what they were, but I was told they were mild and not threatening. Of course that did not end up being the case. And I am sad to say both the vet and I learned an important lesson at my emotional expense that one should always follow the protocol for new drug treatments and pay attention, On my vets part, to potential side effects. My blame is that I didn’t actually check what the side effects would be because I trusted my vet. I have been with him for over 15 years and have had no cause to question him until now.
booktigger
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 2664
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:36 pm
No. of cats in household: 3

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by booktigger »

I'm so sorry to hear that, RIP little one. I've never heard of a cat dying from thyroid meds side effects though. 14.5 isn't too old for anaesthesia in this day and age though, I've had 19 year olds under with no issues.
User avatar
Mollycat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 2705
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:58 am
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: UK

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Mollycat »

So sorry Mic4mac this is unexpected and shocking, I can't imagine what this has done to you despite your brave face on here.
User avatar
fjm
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 1675
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:11 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: North West England

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by fjm »

I am so sorry - sleep well, little Scout.
ckthurman
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2021 3:04 pm

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by ckthurman »

This same situation with a bad reaction to the methimazole is happening to my car right now! Exactly the same series of events & side effects - which started two weeks after starting the drug. We tried transdermal - side effects less severe but still bad.

After extensive research- this medication is a death sentence for some cats IMO. My vet also didn’t recognize it and puts little stock in my opinion- but 2 days after taking her off the med - she’s showing some improvement but still not eating.

I hope I’ve caught this soon enough to give her some quality of life - for whatever is remaining. I’m trying a herbal hyperthyroidism treatment called Resthyro by NHV Natural Pets Products. I get it tomorrow & pray it works for my fur baby Alexia! It won’t lower T4 counts much but it helps w symptoms according to reviews.

Anything is better than the thyroid drug which was clearly killing her bc of her reaction to it!

I hope this helps someone else… I will update our situation soon. Pls pray for my sweet fur baby!
User avatar
Mollycat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 2705
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:58 am
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: UK

Re: Hyperthyroid and not eating

Post by Mollycat »

ckthurman wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 3:13 pm Pls pray for my sweet fur baby!
Have you considered Hills y/d food when doing your research? No drugs, just iodine content so low the tumour can't make more hormone than the cat needs. My girl's levels came down to well inside reference levels in less than 2 weeks. Probably cheaper than drugs too. I guess you must have good reasons for not being able to take the surgery or radioactive iodine options?
Post Reply