Skip to content

Tag: 65 or older

Thyroid Tidbit: Oprah was on Methimazole, a thyroid blocker

Screen Shot 2015-08-10 at 11.08.31 AM

(This page was updated in 2015. Enjoy!)

Oprah admitted in January, 2009, on her Best Life Webcase, that she was on Methimazole (Tapazole) when treating her thyroid problem.

Methimazole is an anti-thyroid drug, often used to treat hyperthyroidism, aka Graves disease, or a toxic multinodular goiter. It’s known to inhibit the enzyme thyroperoxidase. In healthy thyroid functioning, this enzyme is made in your thyroid and is an important component in the production of thyroid hormones. But with hyperactivity of the thyroid, it can become a problem.

Oprah may have needed the treatment for Hashimoto’s Toxicosis–an autoimmune combination of Hashimotos and Graves.  Treatment with Tapazole can be common in treating Hashimoto’s Toxicosis. Because of that treatment, she may have then fallen into hypothyroidism, since there was mention of a 20 lb weight gain, exhaustion and depression—common symptoms of hypothyroidism.

We don’t know much else, but it’s too bad this issue by such a well known celebrity didn’t move her into more discussion about better thyroid treatment with Natural Desiccated Thyroid or T3 in one’s treatment, especially when so many lives have suffered due to the medical practitioner love-affair with Synthroid and other T4-only medications. Many of us were highly disappointed.

Anybody had Hashi’s Toxicosis and treated with Tapazole? What’s your experience with Methimazole (Tapazole)?

JanieSignature SEIZE THE WISDOM

* Want to receive notification of each blog post that comes up here? Sign up below.

* Come on over to the STTM Facebook page for tips and inspiration!

19 replies

Does it make sense? Nope. In fact, it’s just plain STOOPID.

If you were told that water wasn’t important to your well-being, and thus, if you want it, you will now need to pay a LOT more for it, would that make sense?

Nope. And neither does what Medicare has decided about Armour Thyroid.

Medicare is the government’s health insurance for those of you age 65 or older. It’s also available for those with certain disabilities, and for any age with permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant. And recently, the almighty Medicare has notified those using Medicare that it will no longer cover Armour. Why? Because it fits under medications considered “less than effective.” And poop on top of garbage…Medicare also recommends T4.

You have got to be kidding.

Armour thyroid is conclusively, adamently and overwhelmingly changing the lives of those who switch to it. Conversely, T4-only medications like Synthroid, Levoxyl and others have conclusively, adamently and overwhelmingly left most if not all hypothyroid patients with continuing hypothyroid symptoms of one degree or another. Yet, Medicare has dictated that an inferior treatment is the medication of choice and will be covered, and a medication that changes lives is not worth being on their formulary.

There is a pervasive madness going on out there.

8 replies