The prescription infusion called Tepezza was recently approved by the FDA to treat thyroid eye bulging which is related to Graves’ disease. This is an autoimmune thyroid condition that increases thyroid hormone in the body, and it impacts the eyes sometimes. Every person is different of course, however, when the eye is affected due to these types of illnesses it causes great discomfort as well as eye bulging, termed proptosis.
Tepezza Treats the Proptosis
Just to clarify, Graves’ disease is one of two different thyroid autoimmune conditions. Graves’ causes the thyroid hormone to swing high and low, but mainly high! Using thyroid medication may exacerbate the problem because the hormone is already elevated.
The other disease is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis or “hashi” for short, which causes the opposite problem. In this case, thyroid hormone swings high and low, but eventually becomes deficient, and the person is supported on thyroid medication, or supplements.
You Can “See” Graves’ Disease!
With Graves’ disease, the eyes are probably the most outward manifestation of the illness which is taking place inside the body. Tepezza has been shown to very quickly improve double vision, bulging, visual acuity and eye pain and swelling. The eye bulging was reduced by at least 2 millimeters.
The medication is given via intravenous (IV) injection, it is not an eye drop. The infusion drip is given over an hour, and conducted once over 3 weeks. The course of therapy requires 8 separate infusions.
3 Advantages of Tepezza
Tepezza (teprotumumab) is a medication approved for the treatment of Thyroid Eye Disease (TED), a condition that can cause inflammation, swelling, and eventually damage to the muscles and tissues around the eyes. Here are three clear advantages of using Tepezza for treating TED:
1. Effective Reduction of Eye Bulging (Proptosis): One of the most significant benefits of Tepezza is its ability to effectively reduce proptosis, or the forward bulging of the eye, which is a common and distressing symptom of Thyroid Eye Disease. This effect can lead to a considerable improvement in appearance and self-esteem for patients.
2. Improvement in Double Vision (Diplopia): Tepezza has been shown to significantly improve, and in some cases completely resolve, double vision for patients with Thyroid Eye Disease. This improvement in vision can greatly enhance quality of life, allowing for better mobility, reading ability, and overall daily functioning without the need for corrective lenses or surgery.
3. Non-Surgical Treatment Option: Before Tepezza, the treatment for severe TED often involved invasive surgeries, which can come with significant risks and recovery time. Tepezza provides a non-surgical treatment option that can reduce the need for such interventions. It offers a systemic treatment that addresses the underlying pathophysiology of TED, potentially sparing patients from the complications and recovery associated with surgical procedures.
FAQ
Is it treating the Graves’ disease? No, it’s specifically for eye-related concerns, especially those related to eye bulging. Proper thyroid gland health requires many nutrients including B complex, selenium, vitamin D and sometimes iodine.
Is it useful for other vision problems like retinopathy, glaucoma, floaters or cataracts. No, not at all.
Is it stopping the autoimmune process within the body? No. Autoimmune conditions are difficult to manage, but not impossible. I’ve seen a lot of success when people reduce their body’s toxic load for undigested food particles.
You can do this with various different digestive enzymes such as pancreatin, DPP-IV, Pepsin, Amylase, Lipase, Protease, and others. It is the partially undigested food particles that leak into the bloodstream and ignite the immune system such that it destroys your thyroid gland little by little. Another theory behind autoimmune diseases is that they are driven by pathogens in the body, like viruses or bacteria. Some of us inherit genes that predispose us to a particular condition.
Tepezza’s side effects include muscle cramps or spasms, nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, fatigue, hearing difficulties, headache and possible taste perception alterations. It is not a given that you will get those, of course, but the participants in the study have to report whatever happens to them during the clinical trial, so these are just possibilities.
Other more serious reports included infusion reactions, a worsening of inflammatory bowel disease and hyperglycemia. Naturally, hyperglycemia occurred more often in people with pre-existing diabetes.
If you are looking for specific information on Graves’ disease, Hashi’s or hypothyroidism in general, I offer natural solutions for your consideration. Thyroid Healthy is available on Amazon or my website. For more information about the medication I’ve discussed today, visit tepezza.com.
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
