My cat will begin taking Tapazole for hyperthyroid. Has anyone experienced any problems with this medication?

Question

on their cat?

Answer 1

I had a hyperthyroid cat that took it for YEARS. Did great, and eventually dies of another problem, but maintained on the Tapazole for a long time. Med is also pretty cheap!!

Answer 2

I am glad to hear of all the cats that did well on the tapazole long term. At any rate your cat will use it for a while to stabilize the thyroid function before you can consider other options.

I rescued a cat at age 15. She was stabilized on the medication and then had the radio iodine treatment four months later. That, of course, eliminated the problem entirely. She lived another seven and one half years. The r-i treatment was $1200 then. It is less expensive now and you should look into that possibility.

Some cats have trouble taking the medication with food as it upsets their stomachs. A transdermal gel is available which is put on the ear flap. That can cause irritation to skin tissue.

Hopefully one or the other will work with your cat. If you are looking at many years of medication the radio iodine treatment might be more economical in the long run though the generic form of the drug may be much cheaper than the tapazole was.

I would not put money into surgery as there is danger of not getting all the growth causing the problem or taking too much and having to take another medication to correct the thyroid secretion again. The parathyroid glands are on the thyroid glands and they are very small and can be accidentally damaged during surgery. Also a tumor can develop subsequently on the OTHER thyroid gland necessitating further surgery.

So IMO the choice between medication and radio-iodine should be made.

Answer 3

My cat, Kismet, has been on methimazole, which is the generic version of Tapazole, for seven years. The generic is 2/3 the price, so I'd recommend asking the vet if this is an option for you.

Her thyroid has been kept in check the entire time on her original dosage, even as she's gotten older (she's 14). I've even skipped a day here or there if I've, say, taken a quick weekend trip, and she's had no ill effects. I've had absolutely no problems whatsoever.

I give it to her daily, ground up in a little bit of wet food, so I don't have to chase her down to swallow a pill. (I give my other cat a little wet food so she won't nose in on Kismet's medicated version). It's been really easy to medicate her this way, and my vet is fine with me doing this. I don't want to waste a dose, so I make sure the canned food is fairly fresh, since you know cats can be picky.

I get the medication directly from my vet instead of one of those online pet places. While it's slightly cheaper through the Web, the price difference is only about $3-$4, and I'd rather pay cash and get same day service through my vet than pay on my credit card and wait for it to be mailed.

The only problem about the medication is that I have to take her in for blood tests every six months to test her thyroid levels in order to renew the prescription-- and this, for me, can run a couple hundred dollars.

After seven years, it would have been cheaper for me to go to one of those pet centers where they kill off the bad thyroid material with radiation. At the time, the cost would have been $1500, which I couldn't afford (can't really do it now, either!) And then I'd have had to leave her there for a week while her system cleared the nuclear matter out. And for me, I just couldn't bear to do that, especially as going to the vet petrifies her.

Hope this helps. And best of health to your cat!

Answer 4

I had a cat that took it for 6 years and didn't have any problems with it. The pills are TINY, which makes it easy to hide them in a soft cat treat.

I also discovered that it's usually less expensive from human pharmacies than from the vet, because they order it in larger quantities. After you & your vet have found the correct dose for your cat, you may want to ask your vet if he or she will write a prescription for it so you can get it filled at a human pharmacy.

Answer 5

I spent 2-3 years on that stuff.I coughed and went to many specialists to stop the cough. I spent days in hospitals, noone could ever get any sleep with my hacking. I kept telling the Doctor I thought it was the medicine. took years to convince them. I had my thyroid nuked and while I was off tapazole for a week the cough was gone, then they insisted I had to be on it all my life, well, my life was getting considerably shortened until my primary doctor took me completely off the stuff. now I dojn't have breathing or coughing problems. Haven't had a asthma problem since either.

Answer 6

My aunts cat has been on Tapazole (aka Methamazole) for years. You just have to be sure to give it religiously and as directed by your doctor for it to do what it has to do. And you may have to go every 6 months or so for blood work to check the thyroid levels.
You can get it in pill and liquid form, just so you know.

Good luck.

Answer 7

congratulations on having your pet healthy for this long. I would talk to your vet about these issue's. i would imagine that vet would adjust the cats medicine if the levels have dropped to the danger zone. which would mean uping the medication. i am not a vet, i am going by human thyroid issue, which i have. either way talk to your vet if you are keeping the thryoid in control, the kidney issue would be the one that would worry me/you the most. good luck and keep on loving that kitty. but talk to your vet if you are unsure--that is who is gonna help you and the kitty the most. Tina

Answer 8

Making dietary changes is your first line of defense in treating hypothyroidism. Learn here https://tr.im/2BfaV

Many people with hypothyroidism experience crippling fatigue and brain fog, which prompts reaching for non-nutritional forms of energy like sugar and caffeine. I’ve dubbed these rascals the terrible twosome, as they can burn out your thyroid (and destabilize blood sugar).

1. Just say no to the dietary bungee cord. Greatly reduce or eliminate caffeine and sugar, including refined carbohydrates like flour, which the body treats like sugar. Make grain-based carbohydrates lesser of a focus, eating non-starchy vegetables to your heart’s content.

2. Up the protein. Protein transports thyroid hormone to all your tissues and enjoying it at each meal can help normalize thyroid function. Proteins include nuts and nut butters; quinoa; hormone- and antibiotic-free animal products (organic, grass-fed meats, eggs, and sustainably-farmed fish); and legumes.