Lucas could have hyperthyroidism, I need some info please....

Hello everyone:

The vet just called me with the results of the Thyroid test and he told me it was high and that he order another test so he could give me a proper diagnosis, he thinks Lucas could have Hypertiroidism and I'm so sad, dissapointed , worried out of my mind.

I've been reading about the possible treatments and I worry about the side effects.  I also read about the symptoms and Lucas has some of them, the nervousness, thirst, appetite, urinating a lot.  I know they are also side effects of the prednisolone, but I worry.

I read about the medication : methamizole.  I'm  I wrong or did I read here that it has awful side effects?  Please, any information  you can give me will be greatly appreciated, I wan't to have some knowledge of things before talking to the vet.  He will call me again as soon as he gets the definitive results.

Thanks in advance!

Hugs!  Tammy

hno: Tammy - your poor Lucas - but let's look on the bright side NOW you know what is going on with your baby boy - and there is absolutely treatment for Hyperthyroidism. Thank goodness you had that blood work done :nod: I know Carolina will have much information for you as well as other's who have had or do have cats with the exact same thyroid problem. :nod: I am sure they will be along very soon with some great helpful and comforting suggestions on how to manage this with Lucas. I am just SO sorry that Lucas is going through so much lately :rub: :rub: :rub: and LOADS of HUGS to you

Thank you so much Lauren  I  was feeling so happy because Lucas is actually doing a lot better and the vet called me and now I'm worried again..  Yes, I'm so greatful to God that the vet decided to run the tests,  and I'm happy because everything else looks ,good, his liver, kidneys, everything was normal.  I'm just afraid of him getting a treatment that could harm him.

Thank you so much for your words.

Tammy

Hi I have no advice, but I want to say your kitty is in my thoughts and I hope the vet can help him out. Hugs to you.

That counts !  Thank you so much for keeping Lucas in your thoughts

Hi Hun

This is quite eye opening, as it can completely explain the lesion and the stress :nod:
This happened to Gracie Hyper-T causes stress, which causes over-grooming, which causes the hair-loss patches :doh3: My vet brought that up to my attention.... How did I not think of that..... I think because Lucas is so young..... Didn't even cross my mind

Tammy, a few things to think about it - this is a "somewhat easy" disease to manage - it can be a disease that you can manage and have no trouble for a long time..... But if not managed well, it will have horrendous consequences, like it did for my baby girl. So.... while it is not the end of the world, if not careful with it, it can certainly turn into it. Sorry to put this in here, but I just feel I have to....
Your first step will be to get his numbers stable - you will have to put him on medication, then have a blood test every couple of weeks for at least a few months until he stations right in the middle. Not the whole CBC, but just the thyroid test.
Methimazole has to be given 2x a day - give it clockwork.
Once he is stable, all you have to do, is to give him that dosage, in the morning and at night, every day - every 12 hours. It is a tiny pill, cut in 1/2. I just put it inside of a treat and on the floor, and Gracie ate right up - no problem at all :nod:
Take him for a Thyroid check every 6 months - keep up with those #s!!
If you notice he is eating too much or too little, stressed out, pulling hair...... or has the lesions again, take him in again.

Also - Diet is key in his process.... I wish now I knew better for my Gracie
At the very least he should be off kibbles..... I will let you do your own research on this, and get to your own conclusions.... I already did..... And seems that homemade/raw is best, canned second, and kibbles should be off the menu.
Stay away from Kelp - apparently it affects the thyroid gland......
At the very least try giving him a good quality, as natural as you can canned diet..... :heart3:

Side effects - there can be side effects of Methimazole...... But the percentage of cats that have them is very very low..... Lower than 5%. Unfortunately Gracie was on the 5% of that 5%, who got bad side effects. But you have to try the medication first, as uncontrolled thyroid can be really devastating for a cat......
The side effects are generally in the liver, and will be noted in the blood tests you will do on his check ups..... Hopefully he will not have any side effect though..... Generally this medication is very well accepted, and as I said, side effects are very very rare :cross:
Tons, tons of vibes going your and Lucas' ways

HI Carolina, I was dying to see a comment from you because I remember you had this problem with your kitty.  Don't worry about  telling me the negative  side of things, I need to know everything.  I have to be honest, I'm worried, in fact, I'm terrified and devastated, but I still need to know everything.

I don't know for sure until the vet calls me, but now that you mentioned Gracie's symtoms I'm almost sure this is what Lucas has.  I don't understand why this had to happen to Lucas, he is young and besides this "possible disease"he also has to deal with the Lupus and the fact that he is FIV positive, is so difficult for me to accept that he has all these problems. 

The other problem is that doing the thyroid test that often will be expensive for me, I hope things get better so I can do everything needed to help LUcas.  How about that medicine? Is it expensive?

Now if he has to take that medicine I will be worried everyday about his liver getting damaged.  He is also on prednisolone and I've tried to give him a lower dose without success.  The new vet told me it was important for LUcas to take prednisolone every other day, and sadly the days he had not taken it he had been sick.  I told the vet today and he said to give him more time and keep giving it to him every other day.  His body has to get used to not having pred everyday so the adrenal glands are stimulated to produce the hormone again.

About his diet, Lucas is on canned Natural Food only, he started a  week ago.  I was giving him dry as a treat, but that will stop.

Thank you so much Carolina. sorry about what happened with your dear Gracie. 

I will update as soon as the vet gives me the call,  I'm soooooooooooooooo scared,  my stomach is aching already

Tammy

Momto4kitties said:

HI Carolina, I was dying to see a comment from you because I remember you had this problem with your kitty.  Don't worry about  telling me the negative  side of things, I need to know everything.  I have to be honest, I'm worried, in fact, I'm terrified and devastated, but I still need to know everything.

I don't know for sure until the vet calls me, but now that you mentioned Gracie's symtoms I'm almost sure this is what Lucas has.  I don't understand why this had to happen to Lucas, he is young and besides this "possible disease"he also has to deal with the Lupus and the fact that he is FIV positive, is so difficult for me to accept that he has all these problems. 

The other problem is that doing the thyroid test that often will be expensive for me, I hope things get better so I can do everything needed to help LUcas.  How about that medicine? Is it expensive? The thyroid test itself is not that expensive, if you run only the test.... and the drug is not either.... In fact, I have almost a full bottle here - I think 90 pills or something.... if you want them, I can send them your way.... But they are not expensive at all

Now if he has to take that medicine I will be worried everyday about his liver getting damaged.  He is also on prednisolone and I've tried to give him a lower dose without success.  The new vet told me it was important for LUcas to take prednisolone every other day, and sadly the days he had not taken it he had been sick.  I told the vet today and he said to give him more time and keep giving it to him every other day.  His body has to get used to not having pred everyday so the adrenal glands are stimulated to produce the hormone again. As I said, it is not that the drugs damage the liver..... A very very small number of cats, less than 5% of cats in fact, have side effects to it. When they do, it in the liver, usually - it often starts with anorexia, causing hepatic lipidosis, and in worst cases, complete liver failure - but that is in like 1%

About his diet, Lucas is on canned Natural Food only, he started a  week ago.  I was giving him dry as a treat, but that will stop. yeah..... good plan.... no more kibbles :nod:

Thank you so much Carolina. sorry about what happened with your dear Gracie. thank you hun

I will update as soon as the vet gives me the call,  I'm soooooooooooooooo scared,  my stomach is aching already Don't be stressed out..... Just keep this in check, and he can be with you for many many years.... This can actually be what has been going on with Lucas for a while Tammy.... These lesions might have been his thyroid acting up.... So it is a blessing that you found out, and Lucas might be finally ok now that his thyroid levels will be taken care of.... So.... Don't take this as a horrible thing hun.... Thank goodness you found out now! You can take care of it, and keep him healthy

Tammy

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Actually I just counted my pills..... I have 73 doses of 2.5mg...... so.....

Thank you sooooo much Carolina, you are so kind to offer the pills, I will wait to see what the vet says when he calls and if he prescribes it I will let you know, thanks again.  I know, it is in fact a blessing to know what is really going on.  I wonder if he really has Lupus, I think he does because all the symptoms are there. 

I thank God everyday for making me take Lucas to that vet, I prayed asking God to guide me  so I could help Lucas,  I asked him to help me find the way to help me and I then decide to  take Lucas to this new vet,  so God answered.  I'm scared, but so greatful that I can't even express it. 

I don't understand why the other vet never thought of the need to make a thyroid test just in case. 

Now I just want the vet to call me as soon as possible to tell me the new test result, I"m desperate to know. 

TAmmy

Tammy, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't get blisters from the sun if the problem were "just" from potentially being hyper-T.

BUT... if he does have hyperthyroid, hopefully treating it will help resolve other problems!!!!

Just know I continue to hold you and Lucas close in my thoughts and prayers! Sending many, many vibes!!! :heart3:

Our 21 yo has hyperthyroidism. He was diagnosed when we adopted him 3 years ago and has had no side effects from the medication. Like Carolina said, when you notice changes like hairloss, increased appetite with weight loss and unsettled behavior (our guy gets very restless) it is time to take him in for a test. We've adjusted Bogey's medicine several times and we are currently going for check 3 on his new dosage on Thursday. If he has remained stable, we won't test him again for 6 months. 

They thyroid test is not as expensive as the full blood panel so it is really manageable financially. 

But you do have to manage the meds.  Bogey doesn't even notice when I pop it in his throat anymore. It's just routine. But, if you miss a dose or two, you will notice a difference in their health. I had to go out of town a couple of times and my DH can't get him to take the pill like I can so he crushes it into food, however, Bogey doesn't always eat it all so I have some rebuilding to do when I get home. The good thing about methimazole is that it doesn't have to build in the system to be effective. It will begin working immediately. 

There are possible side effects from the medicine but the occurrence is so rare that it is worth it to take the medicine. Without it, the kitty will not survive. 

Good luck to you and Lucas. I know it's easier to say than do but don't stress over this. It's totally manageable. 

Yes Laurie, the symptoms of Lupus are too clear , he does has lupus.  I'm happy in a way because knowing the truth of his condition is the only way to help him.  At the same time I'm sooo sad because he is looking a little sad and I want to know soon so he can get the treatment. I don't want him to suffer.

Hi RAFM thank you so much for telling me about your kitty, it gives me so much hope! I'm so glad Bogey doesn't show any side effects.  Lucas is very good at taking his meds, no problem there, he takes prednisolone for his lupus like a champ.

I wonder how long has Lucas had this problem, he started showing symptoms of Lupus on 2007, but the skin problem started on 2010.  Whow knows how long he's had this, if he really have it.  I need that test result now!  I don't know if I will be able to sleep tonight. 

Thank you all)

Have you read the potential side effects of asprin?  Or paracetemol (tylenol)?  There are a great long list for both - indeed every medicine I've ever had since those leaflets started being put in the packing have a long list of side effects.  There is also a list of possible complications for the very minor surgery I'll be having in a few weeks.  The thing is that most of the time none of the doom and gloom happens.  The drug or surgery does what it's meant to.

"I'm just afraid of him getting a treatment that could harm him."

Untreated hyperthyroidism will harm him for sure - indeed it already isl.  The *might* harm him - low risk - and it's usually very effective and the cat gets back a far better quality of life - it's weight and coat go back to normal, and the effects on the other organs goes away.  The down side is that being hyperthyroid can hide heart and/or kidney problems, and the cat also needs close monitoring in the initial stages of treatment to get the right dose.

The biggest down side of my cat having it was having to pill him twice a day - he was on Felimazole, the usual treatment in the UK.

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I am very interested in what is being written here. Muffin recently had full blood panel because I noticed he is not eating his food as usual.  Numbers were fine except thyroid.  Those numbers are on the high end of normal.  Vet wants to wait five or six weeks and do a different type test that will be sent out to a lab and will be more definitive to know for sure if he has thyroid problems.  Muffin has always had higher than normal Alt levels.  I tried Denamarin for a while and it brought the numbers down, but made him sick. Please keep info coming as I am going to keep up to date with this thread while I am waiting to take  him for a recheck.

By the way, what is the ALP on the blood test.  In comparing the numbers on the most recent, this number is higher than normal for the first timel.  Thanks.

blueyedgirl5946 said:

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I am very interested in what is being written here. Muffin recently had full blood panel because I noticed he is not eating his food as usual.  Numbers were fine except thyroid.  Those numbers are on the high end of normal.  Vet wants to wait five or six weeks and do a different type test that will be sent out to a lab and will be more definitive to know for sure if he has thyroid problems.  Muffin has always had higher than normal Alt levels.  I tried Denamarin for a while and it brought the numbers down, but made him sick. Please keep info coming as I am going to keep up to date with this thread while I am waiting to take  him for a recheck.
By the way, what is the ALP on the blood test.  In comparing the numbers on the most recent, this number is higher than normal for the first timel.  Thanks.

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Alk-P is another liver enzyme..... Be CAREFUL- ALT and ALK-P elevated when NOT eating is not a good sign - this can indicate the very beginning of hepatic lipidosis..... Get your kid eating normal amounts ASAP. Every day. Alk-P should not be elevated.... and both of them together is a red flag.
Hepatic lipidosis is a very serious disease caused by low intake of food and sudden drop of weight, and can be lethal. The medicine for it.... you guessed - FOOD. Feed your baby.

Dropping in to give out a daily dose of to you Tammy! I think of you and Lucas often and say many prayers for your baby. I am sure once you get him on the proper medications, he will begin to feel better. So very hard when our babies are sick :shame:. Lucas is SO well loved and cared for by you :heart3: and that will help him get through ANYTHING :nod: :bigthumb:

Carolina's already given you some great advice, so I just wanted to share my experience. Our Cotton was Hyper-T for the last 2 years of his life and it was pretty easy to control, but as Carolina said - absolutely critical to control. Cotton was one of the 95% of cats who have no side-effects from the medication and was easy to pill. The biggest challenge was that the pill is so tiny it doesn't fit in a regular pill-shooter. It took us about 3 months to get Cotton's numbers under control and he stayed solid for the rest of his life.

If Lucas has trouble with pills you can also get the methamizole compounded into a gel that you rub on his ears and that works as well. Best of luck - I really hope that you'll be able to get Lucas' numbers under control quickly.

I don't understand why I post and then I come back and I don't see my comment, this is weird , it has happened to me like 4 tiemes. oh well...  I first want to thank you all for your help and I wanted to say that Lucas's ALP and ALT were withing the normal range on 2009 and the same now on 2012, they were closer to the lower side. 

Ok I have to say I'm a little worried because Lucas is not looking good tonight, he is sad he didn't want to eat like he does every night, he just ate one can of Natural Balance chicken today, he ate the whole thing  and had plenty of wanted during the day, but he always eats before sleeping at night and tonight ,he didn't want to.  He looks weak and sad and I'm scared. 
 

I was hoping the vet would call me today , but he didn't .  The thyroid test for cats is not done in Puerto Rico, so he had to send the blood samples to the US, I guess they will be ready tomorrow or Friday, but I need them to be ready soon. 

The vet keeps insisting on me giving Lucas the prednisolole every 48 hours and I don't think that is working for Lucas, I called the vet again today and told him and he told me no, to give it more time, that he needs to adjust to the new dose and that I had to be patient, but I hate to see him like this.  I want it to be tomorrow so I can give him the pred!  Maybe I should just give it to him, but I really want to do what the vet says this time, I need to trust him in what he says is best. 

I will go to my boy now, I also need to pray that the vet calls tomorrow. 

Tammy

Momto4kitties said:

I don't understand why I post and then I come back and I don't see my comment, this is weird , it has happened to me like 4 tiemes. oh well...  I first want to thank you all for your help and I wanted to say that Lucas's ALP and ALT were withing the normal range on 2009 and the same now on 2012, they were closer to the lower side. 

Ok I have to say I'm a little worried because Lucas is not looking good tonight, he is sad he didn't want to eat like he does every night, he just ate one can of Natural Balance chicken today, he ate the whole thing  and had plenty of wanted during the day, but he always eats before sleeping at night and tonight ,he didn't want to.  He looks weak and sad and I'm scared. 

 
I was hoping the vet would call me today , but he didn't .  The thyroid test for cats is not done in Puerto Rico, so he had to send the blood samples to the US, I guess they will be ready tomorrow or Friday, but I need them to be ready soon. 

The vet keeps insisting on me giving Lucas the prednisolole every 48 hours and I don't think that is working for Lucas, I called the vet again today and told him and he told me no, to give it more time, that he needs to adjust to the new dose and that I had to be patient, but I hate to see him like this.  I want it to be tomorrow so I can give him the pred!  Maybe I should just give it to him, but I really want to do what the vet says this time, I need to trust him in what he says is best. 

I will go to my boy now, I also need to pray that the vet calls tomorrow. 

Tammy

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Tammy, the lack of pred might be what is making his appetite drop..... Every 48 hours is tomorrow, right? He did eat a whole can of food today? Is that a 6oz can? Is there any treats he will eat? Does he eat Halo? Do you have it with you? Cooked chicken? In any event, one can of food (if the 6oz can), is not too little.... he should be fine..... If he is lethargic though, call the vet - that is concerning....

If he has untreated hyperthyroid that also might be making him feel awful.  Most cats with it are hyper, but some (includeing the one I had) are atypical and don't display that side of it.  Your cat might be the same.  Have you rung the vet to find out when they expect the blood test back?