methimazole and Dyspnea

β-adrenergic antagonists (β-blockers) are often used to attenuate the hyperadrenergic symptoms of Graves' disease (GD), including palpitation. Although β-blockers reduce the heart rate, cardiac output and oxygen consumption, no firm evidence exists regarding the effects of combined therapy with β-blockers and anti-thyroid drugs. The objective is to elucidate the effects of β-blockers on anti-thyroid drug therapy in GD.. Patients newly diagnosed with mild GD were randomly assigned to receive methimazole with or without β-blockers in a prospective multi-center survey. The heart rate and thyroid function were measured and the quality of life was assessed using original and SF-36 questionnaires at 0 and 4 weeks.. A total of 28 patients were enrolled in the study. Fourteen patients (one man, 13 women) were randomly assigned to the group treated with β-blockers and 14 patients (one man, 13 women) were randomly assigned to the group not treated with β-blockers. Although no significant differences in the improvement of thyroid function were observed between the two groups, the heart rates improved more significantly in the group treated with β-blockers. Specific symptoms, such as easy fatigability and shortness of breath, also improved more significantly with the β-blocker treatment. In addition, 'physical functioning' assessed with the SF-36 questionnaires significantly improved only in the group treated with β-blockers.. Although β-blockers may not reinforce the effects of anti-thyroid drugs on thyroid function, at least during the course of one month, they are effective in reducing heart rates and ameliorating specific symptoms in patients with mild GD.

Topics: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Adult; Antithyroid Agents; Drug Therapy, Combination; Dyspnea; Fatigue; Female; Graves Disease; Heart Rate; Humans; Incidence; Male; Methimazole; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Thyroid Gland; Thyrotoxicosis; Treatment Outcome

A 62-year-old woman with a history of partially treated Graves disease and hypertension presented with approximately 3 weeks of worsening fatigue, lower extremity myalgias, and shortness of breath. Her medical history included a thyroid radiofrequency ablation several years earlier. Following the ablation, she was found to have some residual thyroid activity, negating the need for therapy. She was lost to follow-up after months of normal thyroid-stimulating hormone values. On this presentation, the patient was noted to be in atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular rate, and although she presented alert and oriented initially, she developed progressive inattentiveness and confusion while in the ED. The patient was transferred to the medical ICU for further management of her rapid heart rate and progressive delirium.

Topics: Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anticoagulants; Antithyroid Agents; Atrial Fibrillation; Delirium; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Dyspnea; Fatal Outcome; Fatigue; Female; Femoral Artery; Graves Disease; Heparin; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Ischemia; Lower Extremity; Methimazole; Middle Aged; Myalgia; Pneumoperitoneum; Popliteal Artery; Potassium Iodide; Propranolol; Radiofrequency Ablation; Thrombosis; Thyroid Crisis; Tibial Arteries; Venous Thrombosis

Thyroid storm is a rare, life-threatening condition which arises in patients with thyrotoxicosis, with an annual incidence of 2 patients per 1,000,000 and a mortality rate of 11%.. We present the case of a 46-year-old-female with a medical history of controlled mild intermittent asthma, who presented with a severe asthma exacerbation, that triggered thyroid storm after exposure to polyurethane fumes.. This patient represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first patient in whom the stress related to a severe asthma attack triggered the development of thyroid storm. She also is the first patient with no indication of cardiac dysfunction who developed fatal cardiac arrest after initiation of b-blockade for treatment of thyroid storm.

Topics: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Antithyroid Agents; Dyspnea; Fatal Outcome; Female; Heart Arrest; Humans; Inhalation Exposure; Methimazole; Middle Aged; Multiple Organ Failure; Polyurethanes; Potassium Iodide; Propranolol; Resuscitation; Thyroid Crisis

Topics: Adult; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Antithyroid Agents; Anxiety; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Dyspnea; Graves Disease; Humans; Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis; Malaysia; Male; Methimazole; Muscle Weakness; Neurologic Examination; Potassium; Propranolol; Propylthiouracil; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Tremor; Weight Loss

We describe a case of severe congestive heart failure and right ventricular overload associated with overt hyperthyroidism, completely reversed with antithyroid therapy in a few week. It represents a very unusual presentation of overt hyperthyroidism because of the severity of right heart failure. The impressive right ventricular volume overload made mandatory to perform transesophageal echo and angio-TC examination to exclude the coexistence of ASD or anomalous pulmonary venous return. Only a few cases of reversible right heart failure, with or without pulmonary hypertension, have been reported worldwide. In our case the most striking feature has been the normalization of the cardiovascular findings after six weeks of tiamazole therapy.

Topics: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Drug Therapy, Combination; Dyspnea; Echocardiography, Transesophageal; Electrocardiography; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Furosemide; Heart Failure; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; Humans; Hyperthyroidism; Methimazole; Middle Aged; Recovery of Function; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; Thyroid Function Tests; Treatment Outcome; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right