[fj122876]

#1018450

i posted earlier about my methimazole concerns, but now I’m confused, of I opt to have my thyroid removed can it be done now with my thyroid function 4x’s higher than normal or will I ultimatly have to take the meds to get my levels under control before surgery

[cynthia]

#1064954

I am waiting for surgery was told only when graves in control am on methazole for a few weeks tring to be patient really want to ripe it out good luck cb

[Bobbi]

#1064955

Having ANY type of surgery while hyperthyroid is discouraged. There are times, I suppose, when it might be done because a situation is just too dire to wait, but the risk of the thyroid going berzerk during surgery (when it is out of control and hyperthyroid) is significant from what I understand.

So, yes, your doctors might want to put you on methimazole temporarily, to bring down the levels of hormone in your body before the surgery. The thyroid not only makes thyroid hormone, it also STORES it for future use. With the aid of the drugs like methimazole, new thyroid hormone production is blocked, so the body uses up the stored supplies for a while, reducing the risks involved with surgery.

As others have told you, there are lab tests which can monitor your liver function while you are on the drug. As I understand things, liver problems can occur if the patient’s liver cannot process out the toxic by-products of drug metabolization quickly enough. When we take drugs, the liver converts them into some usable (for the body) form. This is a chemical reaction. And often, with a chemical reaction, there are left-over by-products. ( They’re like the onion skins, or carrot tops left over from food preparation. ) And some of these by-products can be toxic in large enough quantities. As we age, our livers become slower and less efficient at moving these by-products of drug metabolism out of the body. And if they stay in the liver too long, they can cause liver damage. It is very common for elderly people to suffer more side effects from drugs than young people due to the lower functioning of the liver, and the fact that drugs stay in the liver far longer than they do in the young.

Anyway, there are some things you could do for yourself while you must take methimazole that could ease your mind. I was much older than you when I was put on PTU (the other antithyroid drug), and I was concerned about liver issues, too. But I tried to eliminate, as much as possible, any other drug metabolized in the liver, and known to have an adverse impact on it (like acetaminophin– which is over-the-counter pain reliever) and alcoholic beverages. My logic was that by eliminating other, less necessary, sources of potential liver damage (however slight), I was maximizing my odds for the ATD not doing additional damage. The ATD was necessary at that time. The other chemicals I didn’t need. I pass the thought on for you to consider.

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