My Little Matilda: It's PT NEW UPDATE pg. 8

[Godmother]

Good luck with your sweetie. PT is very sad.

 

[Aida]

Thanks godmother.

 

[Aida]

So Matilda did very well yesterday. I still noticed that it is "worst" around the time i am giving her the medication and after(I explain it in the post above, it's like a whole pattern), but she did ok even then yesterday. She's very active and nosy and happy, and it gives me a lot of hope.

 

[SarahA]

:joy: Hopefully the medicine with keep that damned PT at bay and she'll continue to enjoy life, poor girlie gentle scritches to Matilda and hugs to you Aida.

 

[Aida]

Aww, thanks sarah.

I've been spoiling her rotten- she just has to glance at me through the bars and I rush over to let her out.

 

[jorats]

It could be that she needs her dose increased. I would also start the bromo.

 

[RattusNorvegicus]

I am so sorry about your Matilda. I strongly advise you put her on bromocriptine right away. I have always started the bromo with a dose or two of steroids very very early and have had great results. Advised by Jenny, I give a dose of dex when needed as I find the bromocriptine alone controls the pituitary tumor well enough for awhile. If you continue with a steroid when you add the bromo you're not going to know whether or not the bromo is helping. So once you get the bromo and she's been on it for a couple days, I would start weaning her off the pred and see how she does. It may be worth asking for some dex to give her as needed instead as it seems to work better than pred for PT's.

Good luck with you adorable girl- I couldn't help but giggle at her ears. :heart:

 

[Aida]

Rattus/Jorats, she is having a GREAT day today-- eating completely normally, stashing foods, and climbing. Overall, it seems to get a bit better everyday. Is it really advised to use the bromo and pred at this point? I mentioned the bromo to my vet, and she knew about it, but she still said that pred would be better at first. I'm not sure what to do now...

 

[RattusNorvegicus]

I am so glad to hear she is having a great day today!
The prednisone is decreasing inflammation in her brain that the pituitary tumor is causing therefore relieving her symptoms, however, it's not actually treating the tumor like the bromocriptine would. The bromocriptine can actually shrink the tumor buying her more time than the pred would alone. These articles should be helpful.

http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pi ... _tumor.php

http://ratguide.com/meds/central_nervou ... sylate.php

Once she's started on bromocriptine for a few days, start weaning her off the prednisone. If her symptoms stay away the bromo is working. Sometimes they need a little 'boost' when they seem off with a dose or two of dex (dex seems to work better, my vet said she prefers it for PT's) every once in awhile. Twitch has been on bromo for I believe over 2 months and is still doing well on it. I give her around 1-2 doses of dex every week. She only needed it every other week or so but now she has an internal tumor that I give her dex for.

 

[Aida]

Ok, thank you. I'm going to show those articles and tell my vet about the bromo right now, see what she says.

 

[Aida]

This ratty has PT?! :joy: :heart: :joy: :heart: :joy: :heart:
(sorry for the double post)

 

[Joanne]

Wow, she is looking great! I think the medication is definitely buying her more time.

 

[RattusNorvegicus]

She is so cute!

 

[jorats]

What a doll!!

 

[Aida]

Aww, thanks.

I.took another video last night:
http://youtu.be/97pGeFkiAAs

The vet still hasn't replied about the bromo, so I will call her instead about that if I get no reply by tomorrow. I really want to try it, even though I am very happy with how she is responding to the pred.

 

[jorats]

She's looking good! But the pred will only delay the progressing where as the bromo could actually shrink the tumour.

 

[Joanne]

I would definitely try the Bromo too. She has responded so well and quickly, that it seems like she would do very well with everything that could be done, being done.

 

[Aida]

Yeah, I understand, which makes me worried. I feel like we're just turning off the lightbulb in a car telling us to change the oil, instead of changing the oil. My vet is a little quick to dismiss some treatments due to a rat's age. Often, she will say that the rat is already old and it's pointless to try surgery, to try certain meds, etc. If no answer by tomorrow, I will call instead of emailing like she asked(too late in the evening to call now, anyways).

Hopefully my vet will be eager to try it too, as I have had a lot of luck and good treatment from them....

 

[Aida]

Vet replied. She knows a lot about the bromo and it's treatment, but she says that it would be extremely expensive. She would have to get it compounded and all this crap, and the bromocriptine or the cabergoline would come out to about 300$ for ONE MONTH just for Matilda. I feel so horrible, but I don't have that kind of money. I have about 200$ saved up right now, more before this started. Even if my mom would pitch in or if I could get another 100, that would only be enough for one month of treatment.


Does it cost this much everywhere? Where/how do you guys get it? Is it illegal to buy this from someone who has some left over...? I'm just trying to gauge all options here...

 

[RattusNorvegicus]

WOW. No, bromo is supposed to be the cheaper one! Cabergoline is the expensive one.

Your vet can just fax a script (or call etc.) and you can buy it online here:
http://www.universalpetmeds.com/medicat ... ocriptine/
That's where I bought mine. Obviously it'd be preferable to not buy it online so she can get started on it sooner, so maybe you could call local pharmacies and ask if they carry bromo and for how much.