General Medicine

» deb32 - Tapazole

I sure could use some input...Had Graves at 28 years...on PTU for a few months, then remission for 17 years...3-4 years ago Graves is back...have been on Tapazole ever since, currently 1.25 mgs/daily...ever since I started the Tapazole over 3 years ago I started with symptoms that have been progressing...starting with a racing heart (did not have before Tapazole), then anxiety attacks, palpitations, dizziness (getting worse), fatigue, lethargy, fuzzy mind, blurry vision...ALL of which I did not have BEFORE the Tapazole...I have been searching and asking about toxic effects of this drug and getting nowhere...I also have low progesterone, low cortisol and from a recent blood spot lab test the Dr. states that my T-3 and F-t4 are low and thinks I may have an evolving issue with Hashimotos...one of the questions I have been trying to answer is can the Tapazole also be repressing the cortisol and progesterone??? and aer the previous symptoms mentioned being caused by a toxid effect of this drug even though I am on such a small dose??? my last lab was...TSH @ 2.3 and Free T4 @ .70...If the drug is being toxic to my system then I may have no choice but to do the RAI which I really do not want to do..Thanks

-- posted by deb32

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» Elaine Moore - Tapazole

In response to Tapazole posted by deb32:
Hi,
Your lab results and symptoms all suggest hypothyroidism. It's not unusual for people with an autoimmune thyroid disorder to move from hyperthyroidism to hypothyroidism.

It sounds like in this second wave of thyroid problems you may have been having a hyperthyroid phase of Hashimoto's thyroiditis rather than Graves' disease, or possibly you did have a recurrence of Graves' disease, which has now moved into autoimmune hypothyroidism.

Because you mention symptoms starting right after starting Tapazole it seems that you probably only had subclinical hyperthyroidism when you started meds, and that the meds caused symptoms of hypothyroidism. Panic, anxiety, palpitations and mental fog are all associated with hypothyroidism. It doesn't sound at all like drug toxicity but hypothyroidism. Since you're only on a tiny dose of meds it's likely that your labs will still show hypothyroidism when you stop Tap and will need to be on thyroid replacement hormone.

Your low progesterone and low cortisol can occur as a result of your being hypothyroid.
The normal range for FT4 is 0.8-1.8 and most people need levels closer to the high end of the range. Normally, TSH runs between 0.4 and 1.0 and in people with thyroid antibodies a TSH higher than 2.0 suggests hypothyroidism.
Hope this helps, Elaine

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