# question on medication that may interfere with thyroid



## mccreel

I had a bad bout with topamax. After years of taking it, when I started getting my thyroid treated, I started having all kinds of problems. dropping potassium, partial paralysis. MANY trips to E.R. sometimes twice in one week due to paralysis and fast heart-rate yet my thyroid numbers were withen range.
I finally got a diagnosis i was having seizures. I would be partialy paralyzed, sometimes instead uncontrollable shaking, not remembering what happened during the episode, Along with some severe brain freezes. After that was discovered, I came off of topamax, symptoms slowly started going away. It had gotten so bad I needed help walking to bathroom because I could not walk at all. All of that is gone now. 
I am taking vitamins to help me get my strength back. I was wondering on a couple of things. Does Zantac interfere with absorption of thyroid hormone? I have not found much on it so I was wondering you guys experiences. I know calcium, other kinds of antacids like tums, etc, you should not take with thyroid. Also, I can take sudafed and it really does not bother me. (strangly enough it bothered me on the topamax but now that I am off it does not). but I was wondering, I am hypothyroid, I know hyperthyroid should be careful from taking due to heart rate. Just wondering if sudafed interferes with absorption at any time.
Thanks in advance
melissa


----------



## desrtbloom

Hi Melissa:

I take 300 to 450 mg of Zantac daily. I make sure I take it four hours after I take my Synthroid. I haven't notice a problem. I think the key to anything like Zantac or Prilosec or any stomach meds is to take them four hours after your thyroid med to ensure absorption.

I don't know about Sudafed. I don't take it.

Patti


----------



## mccreel

Thanks, I try to make a habit of taking things as far apart as possible from my levoxyl. I guess from what I read it does not matter as much with cytomel but I try to take things separately from that anyway. One more thing, anyone have any experiance with clariton. It seems there is not supposed to be any interactions but the things that happened to me with the topomax was something different as well. i am hoping my thyroid meds will have a better chance without the topomax, I have read some reports that topomax can cause hypothyroidism. Maby with it out of my system, things will start working better. I can hope at least.
Thanks again, 
Melissa


----------



## CA-Lynn

I take everything and anything with Levoxyl and have no problem.

Rather than survey the people here, you might gleen more info by using the website and entering all the drugs you take.

http://reference.medscape.com/drug-...m_guid=1-_-100000000000000001105-_-1012024263

Honestly? I think people do more harm than good by taking vitamins. You have no clue what fillers are in them. If you need a vitamin, just eat more of the food it's more prominently found in.


----------



## mccreel

I post here because I am interested in other people's experiance. Drug interactions on paper don't tell the whole story. My topomax is an example. Causing allergies and interactions that was not in any of the paperwork and believe me I poured over it a lot. A lot of problems cleared up, most of them really, since stopping topomax. So I post and ask question. 
Anyway. I am still looking for peoples experiences. i am still new to the thyroid things and I am learning as I go. Like I am sure everyone else has.
Any other help or posting would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance


----------



## lavender

Topomax has a pretty lengthy list of potential side effects that sound similar to what you went through. It's possible that your symptoms had nothing to do with your thyroid treatment. I take calcium 4 hours away from my thyroid replacement med. I take supplements based on actual labs that have been done by my doc showing deficiencies. Some things, such as calcium, my body has not been able to get enough of from food.

Glad you found the cause of your ills and that you were able to stop it.

Topiramate may cause other side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

*numbness, burning, or tingling in the hands or feet
*slowed reactions
*difficulty concentrating
*speech problems, especially difficulty thinking of specific words
*memory problems
*lack of coordination
*confusion
*nervousness
*aggressive behavior
*irritability
*mood swings
*depression
*headache
*drowsiness
*weakness
*excessive movement
*uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body
*uncontrollable eye movements
*extreme thirst
*weight loss
*constipation
*diarrhea
*gas
*heartburn
*change in ability to taste food
*swelling of the tongue
*overgrowth of the gums
*dry mouth
*increased saliva
*trouble swallowing
*nosebleed
*teary or dry eyes
*back, muscle, or bone pain
*missed menstrual periods
*excessive menstrual bleeding
*skin problems or changes in skin color
*dandruff
*hair loss
*growth of hair in unusual places
*ringing in the ears
*difficulty falling or staying asleep
*swelling of the hands, arms, feet, ankles, or lower legs
*difficulty urinating or pain when urinating

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

*blurred vision
*double vision
*eye pain
*worsening of seizures
*slow heart rate
*pounding or irregular heartbeat
*chest pain
*trouble breathing
*fast, shallow breathing
*inability to respond to things around you
*excessive tiredness
*nausea
*vomiting
*stomach pain
*loss of appetite
*intense back or side pain
*bloody, cloudy, or foul-smelling urine
*constant need to urinate
*fever
*chills

Topiramate may cause osteoporosis (a condition in which bones can break more easily) in adults and rickets (abnormal, curved bone growth) in children. Topiramate may also slow the growth of children and may decrease the final height that children reach. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking topiramate.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000998/


----------



## Andros

lavender said:


> Topomax has a pretty lengthy list of potential side effects that sound similar to what you went through. It's possible that your symptoms had nothing to do with your thyroid treatment. I take calcium 4 hours away from my thyroid replacement med. I take supplements based on actual labs that have been done by my doc showing deficiencies. Some things, such as calcium, my body has not been able to get enough of from food.
> 
> Glad you found the cause of your ills and that you were able to stop it.
> 
> Topiramate may cause other side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
> 
> *numbness, burning, or tingling in the hands or feet
> *slowed reactions
> *difficulty concentrating
> *speech problems, especially difficulty thinking of specific words
> *memory problems
> *lack of coordination
> *confusion
> *nervousness
> *aggressive behavior
> *irritability
> *mood swings
> *depression
> *headache
> *drowsiness
> *weakness
> *excessive movement
> *uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body
> *uncontrollable eye movements
> *extreme thirst
> *weight loss
> *constipation
> *diarrhea
> *gas
> *heartburn
> *change in ability to taste food
> *swelling of the tongue
> *overgrowth of the gums
> *dry mouth
> *increased saliva
> *trouble swallowing
> *nosebleed
> *teary or dry eyes
> *back, muscle, or bone pain
> *missed menstrual periods
> *excessive menstrual bleeding
> *skin problems or changes in skin color
> *dandruff
> *hair loss
> *growth of hair in unusual places
> *ringing in the ears
> *difficulty falling or staying asleep
> *swelling of the hands, arms, feet, ankles, or lower legs
> *difficulty urinating or pain when urinating
> 
> Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
> 
> *blurred vision
> *double vision
> *eye pain
> *worsening of seizures
> *slow heart rate
> *pounding or irregular heartbeat
> *chest pain
> *trouble breathing
> *fast, shallow breathing
> *inability to respond to things around you
> *excessive tiredness
> *nausea
> *vomiting
> *stomach pain
> *loss of appetite
> *intense back or side pain
> *bloody, cloudy, or foul-smelling urine
> *constant need to urinate
> *fever
> *chills
> 
> Topiramate may cause osteoporosis (a condition in which bones can break more easily) in adults and rickets (abnormal, curved bone growth) in children. Topiramate may also slow the growth of children and may decrease the final height that children reach. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking topiramate.
> 
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000998/


Too scary!!!


----------



## mccreel

It is scary. Not everyone has all those side effects and I didn't have much for a while except the "brain freeze" that is common unfortunately. But all of the sudden it's like all of the side effects started trying to hit me all at once. My seizures were bad for a couple of weeks until i got completely off of it. I barely remember that time at all. It's like a dream. it was real scary. i am so glad I was able to get off of it and no replacement with new sets of problems. The depakote was a bridge to help me get off of it. But I had problems with it so I am now on nothing for migrains but I have not had that many. about the same as on topomax. I thing my thyroid treatment is helping with that.
Thanks for all of your answers. 
Melissa


----------



## lavender

Wow, sounds like you have been through an ordeal! I know I have had a lot of trouble with meds and seem to have more and more problems as time goes on. Don't know if it's related to my thyroid or not. I just feel like my body does not tolerate chemicals well. I deal with migraines, chronic pain and depression all without the aide of meds(except my thyroid replacement), and I know it can be hard. I use therapy, meditation, relaxation and massage which honestly have me more functional and feeling more alert than a bunch of meds.


----------



## Tess13

Thanks for the link. I'm on blood pressure medicine and it doesn't look like I'm going have to change.


----------

