Methimazole - What should I expect?

[kidsnchicks]

I have been prescribed Methimazole 10mg twice a day for my overactive thyroid.  What should I expect?  How long might it take to get regulated?  Did it work for you?  Any suggestions/

[FeatherAnne]

Thanks for your post. I have been back and forth about RAI. Have been strongly against it because of some worries associated with it and how many horror stories i have heard and read. It's nice to see at least one positive experience with RAI, because I am afraid that may be my only option soon. I went into thyroid storm and was diagnosed w/ graves about 2 months ago, have been on methimazole- high dose, gradually decreased, now on 5mg a day, liver enzymes were super high, came down, but now spiking again a little, so doc says I cant be on it long term. I am praying for some type of remission but want to get pregnant sooner than later so not sure of the best path to take.

[gypsy_dancer]

I just got off the phone with my endocrinologist.  I'm going to get labs for TSH, T3, and T4 drawn this week.  She'll decide from that information if my MMI (methimazole) dose can be lowered, which may calm the itching.  I asked if it was ok to take the Benadryl for now and she said if it isn't making me sleepy, to keep doing it for now.  

I asked if we should check TSI (the thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin) and she said there would not be a change it that after only 5 weeks on meds (1 week on PTU and 4 weeks on MMI).

I'll keep you updated, especially if any other side effect occur.

[gypsy_dancer]

It will be okay.  Take care of yourself by going to the doctor, doing some reading online to get some knowledge about your disease, eat right, exercise, rest, talk to your friends.  You can do this.

To respond to the rest of the thread, I took methimazole for three weeks and felt amazing!!!  Then my hands, feet, and scalp started itching.  For the past 5 days I have been taking a Benadryl with the methimazole.  It's still itching!  I'm calling my endo today.  I will post again after I talk to her.  

[SinceWhatDay]

Hi. I was just diagnosed hyperthyroidism last month and I am seriously afraid right now. May God Help me

[Sophiehelp2012]

I was to just a month ago I'm still scared I have no symptoms but I felt I was damned if I do and damned if I didn't take the medicine , I take two 10 mg in the morning , I don't feel I need it but I don't seem to get any answers from the doctors they just go by the numbers

[christyc1974]

It all begin for me in 09/2014 and five months later I feel worse than ever! I am on methimazole and propranolol. My dose was doubled on this past Thursday to 30 mg of methimazole a day and yesterday I was at the ER with heart racing and extremely sick! Tremors brain fog chest pain muscle spasams headaches weightloss etc! I don't know what to do anymore!!! Its a thyroid nightmare for me! I almost feel something else must be wrong?? Ive been diagnosed with graves disease overactive. My last blood levels were in the low range of normal. Why are my symptoms still sooo bad? I may have two out seven okay days but I feel like I am slowly dying!! Could the meds not be working for me?? Sincerely Christy

[Mizztrace]

Please tell me , did this go away and how did this work out for you ? I'm experiencing the same thing . My symptoms got so bad I ended up in the Er but I had been on the medication for months and my T3 was getting closer to a normal range . The doctors told me it was working but everyday I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack or end up in the ER. How is anyone suppose to live this way , as I feel disabled . It's affecting my job , my relationships and controls all all the things I do to make myself feel happy on a daily basis.

[Thyroidoutofcontrol58]

I have been the same way.  I was on 40 mg then went hypo after 4 months, stopped the meth. then went back hyper., but feel bad most all of the time.  Have been working from home but need to go back to work but don't know how I can do it with feeling so tired, itching, heart racing, short of breath, urinary problems, hair loss,  lower jaw pain and sometimes problems swallowing and muscle pain.  Feels like I will never feel better again.  I am now taking 10 mg a day.    Waiting for next test to see if my tsh is any higher.  Was .006 last time.   I know how you feel.  

[gimel]

Why do you have to wait for next test to know if doctor will raise your dose?  There is a lot of room between 40 mg and 10.  You should be able to get an increase from the doctor, just based on the symptoms you have.  Also, med dosage should not be based on TSH alone.  Symptoms are more important, along with the biologically active thyroid hormones, Free T4 and Free T3.  Those should be tested every time you go in for tests.    

[eddiefreddie22]

Hi,

I had vague symptoms punctuated by distress for nearly a year before a had a thyroid crisis that was unrelenting and thought I might die. My doctor treated me according to an assumption that I was anorexic and developing anxiety because of it, despite my statement my diet hadn't changed and my shock while reading the scale. When I finally got help it was from the E.R. I weighed just under 100 pounds and I felt like a heart attack was eminent. The point is, the risks of not treating can be grave.

Antithyroid medication, immediately after taking it, blocks the iodine your thyroid needs to create the storm of hormones affecting every system in your body. What it doesn't do immediately is counteract the hormones that have already been synthesized and are running rampant. Until your hormone levels stabilize, a beta blocker is pretty critical. Beta blockers prevent adrenaline from affecting your heart. So you should feel a little better from both medications in just a few days.

I too felt like I was hitting a wall when I started meds. My heart slowed down but was still very erratic. Mostly it just stopped slamming into my chest cavity. I also laid down for a nap and ended up sleeping for 6 hours! I think this is normal when your body has been running at a pace it can't sustain and suddenly it gets chemical permission to take a little break. It wants to recover.

I'm experiencing some muscle pain/stiffness from Methimazole 15 mg. I had hoped to ask my doctor to increase my dose but what with this side effect I'm not sure I should or just wait it out a little longer.

Do not let your condition go untreated. It will exacerbate.

[eggmec]

Hello I am graves diagnosed and I take methimazole 10 mlg x2 a day and I have horrible headaches never been a person before this to ever have them. my weight gain has been 15 pds in 2 months and I eat meats veggies, fruit. I have huge ankles at the end of the day and puffy, I had the chokiness went to a throat specialist and told me it was in my head and I needed counseling. new experience for me I have never been sick before or been to doctors in 20 years

[oldicunurse]

Thyroid storm is a life threatening event not to be taken lightly. It should be treated in the Emergency room. It is not the same as palpatations. Someone could die because of your advice.

[h216]

Hi My mom has been on methimazole 20 mg for about a week and a half but the symptoms havent gone a bit. She feels choky (which is the main issue) although size of the thyroid has come normal but she has severe Hyperthyroidism. WHEN will methimazole show its effects? is the dose my mom taking less? she cant sleep , she is restless all the time. I have asked her to go gluten free. will it help. am I doing the right thing by asking her to do so? Why the symptoms wont subside I need some serious help here....Its unbearable to watch a 67 years old woman suffer like this.

[sjfoster]

I wan to know what I can or cannot  eat when taking  tapazole and a Beta Blocker?

[frogeyd7]

I got diagnosed in July 2012.  I was trying to take a nap and my heart seemed to be beating rather fast.  I tried for 2 hours and I just couldn't fall asleep and I was so tired.  I called my medical insurance to talk with a nurse.  I told her that my heart rate was rather high and it was beating around 130bpm.  (I have a blood pressure monitor - cause I also have high bp)  She told me I need to go to the closed ER which I did.  The ER did a great job pushing heart meds in my I.V. and ran a blood test.  ER doc says to me you have Hyperthyroidism.  I thought he must've made an error because I'm heavy and really hadn't lost any weight except 10 lbs. 2 weeks prior.  He said you have to lowest level I've ever seen and that after I leave the ER with extra heart meds that I needed to see an ENDO doc right away.  I met my ENDO doc who is really nice and asked for a Thyroid Uptake Scan.  My uptake was 60 not sure what all the numbers mean but they told me it was very high and there was no need for me to come back for a follow-up scan the next morning-because the results were already very high.  I have a slightly leaky heart valve with some regurgitation level 2 so it's something I see a Cardio Doc for but it's not bad.  So I was on Atenolol already and had to get a higher dose.  I started taking Methemazole and at first responded well and for 5 months was in remission.  Then all the sudden it came back and quickly.  Like my body built up a resistance to the med.  Now my dose is 15mg a day but as soon as it goes passed 10 mg I get itchy and my hair falls.  Still not in remission, I get blood tests every 4-6 weeks.  I don't want RAI but my goiter is 2 1/2 times bigger than it's supposed to be.  Sometimes I feel choky and cough because I think it's affecting my larynx?  This has been quite an ordeal with the electrical shock impulses, the fingers moving on their own, the shakes in my legs and hands.  t's starting to affect my eyes and I'm getting the swollen eye lids.   It's a very frustrating thing and pray for healing all the time - still waiting for my miracle! :)  God Bless you all.  frogeyd7

[Gwen253]

You did not have Thyroid Storm if you did not go to Emergency. It is a life or death situation, and had you have had it you would probably be dead without immediate treatment!!!! Drives me nuts when people post innaccurate information....You obviously had heart palpitations!

[bamapeach11]

I have had quite a time with my thyroid. I was diagnosed with graves in 2003, I think and have had problems ever since. To make a long story short, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999 and the disease affects everything about me. In 2007, I had a partial throidectomy, rt side. After many symptoms and rounds of tapazole/methimazole. Then in August 2012 after take the medication for almost a year, I had a thyroid storm (you don't EVER want to have one of these). My new doctor put me on triple my betablocker and methimazole and told me I could not live like that for long. Due to location, I had to change doctors again and this doctor wanted to take the thyroid out due to the fact I had developed a large goieter. As of May 2013, I am thyroid free and this lead to my question.....sorry it took so long...I am sooo drug sensitive...I have only been able to take 1/2 a dose of .112 mcg of synthroid and I didn't even start it until post op 3 wks because my side effects have been so bad. Has this happened to anyone else?

[Ingy3]

Hi there
I am actually feeling a tiny bit better today. I was on methimazole 10mg daily and doctor changed it to 5mg daily just a few days ago since I went drastically from hyper to hypo. This whole experience is so difficult. Yuck. I'm glad I found this forum so I can continue to learn about this disease and how to cope with it. Hot flashes, headaches, fatigue, pain, sick.

[Thevirg]

My doctor took me off of the Methimazole for about 2 weeks because I turned Hypo ( I was taking 30 mgs a day ), well my hair started falling out, she put me back on them at 20 mgs a day and my hair is still falling out. I want to know how long my hair is going to continue falling out or is it going to stop soon. I now have two bald spots on my head. This is very depressing.
Can anyone answer this for me?

[jgilbo30]

I was diagnosed hyperthyroid about 2 1/2 years ago. At that time I did nothing about it due to the fact that I was not feeling any ill effects. Until, last year October, I started to have the shakes, racing heart, uncontrollable appetite, insomnia, weight loss. I had gotten a new job and had been working for just under 3 weeks and started passing out at work. Had to leave my job and try to concentrate on getting better. November, my blood was tested and revealed a very high level for being hyperthyroid. Started a treatment regimen with my endo and in February of this year was treated with the radioactive iodine. Since that time I have not seen any change in my symptoms. My endo decided to put me on Tapazole and had no change. Since then I have been on this med 6 to 7 times on and off. My hair is falling out at an alarming rate and my weight is fluctuating between 5 to 6 pounds either way. My endo has told me that if my levels do not come down by February 2013 I will have to be radiated again. Is there anyone else having this much difficulty? I am almost to my breaking point....

[Sophiehelp2012]

I was also put on the medicine had no symptoms prior after the medicine I've only been on it for a week third day in 45 minutes after I take the medicine I get the shakes I didn't have that before

[gimel]

Sounds like your doctor followed the typical standard of care and only paid attention to your TSH, and maybe Free T4 compared to reference ranges and started you on thyroid med regardless of you not having symptoms.   Symptoms should always be the most important consideration for both diagnosis and treatment.  

What were your thyroid related test results both before  you started on the med?  Have you been re-tested afterward?  If so, please post those also.   What is your thyroid med and daily dosage?

[MangoC]

Maurice 10, Check out Mashenka, pituitarymama and my own comments at the end of the following thread.. You might find it interesting, and anyone else who may want to try a natural alternative to the thyroid drugs.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Thyroid-Disorders/natural-remedies-for-hyperthyroidism/show/594605?personal_page_id=2730468

[Maurice10]

I was on Tapazole (Methimazole) two weeks.  My once a day dosage was only 5 mg.  After being on it for 5 days I got severe rashes over my legs, and scales bean to form.  The itching was unbearable. My doctor wanted to put me on PTU, the alternate hyperthyroid drug, but I refused. Aside from the side effects, the FDA issued a  report that PTU can cause liver injury and liver failure and death.  I told my physican I wouldn't take any more drugs for my Graves disease.   I asked for a second radio-iodine uptake even if it would destroy my thyroid.  I rather take relatively harmless thyroid hormones the rest of my life then take Methimazole or PTU----disgusting drugs.  They may work for you, but not for me.  Don't be afraid to be aggressive when talking to the man (or woman) in a white coat.  There are other options besides these two hellish drugs

[Mashenka]

I know people who are on this Rx for years and are doing great - no side effects.  I was on it for 3 months and had to stop.  I was on 40 mg/day, and had a slight rash develop within two weeks of the start, so my dose was droppped to 15 mg/day.  The next two months were great: no shakes, more energy, but there was some weight gain.  Since I was down to 119 lb, going to 130 lb was actually a plus.  The dr did hinted however, that I am not eating healthy.  Dah, I am an organic vegan.
But at the end of 10 weeks of this RX, I started having major muscle pains, that would stay in one area for three days, and than move on to the next body part.  It got so bad that on the 23 day I could not put any weight on my ancles.  I stopped the drug the same day - and by the next day all pain was gone.
The Rx brought by Thyroxine levels down very nicely but I could not deal with that pain - gotta walk the dogs and take care of the kids

[Mashenka]

I know people who are on this Rx for years and are doing great - no side effects.  I was on it for 3 months and had to stop.  I was on 40 mg/day, and had a slight rash develop within two weeks of the start, so my dose was droppped to 15 mg/day.  The next two months were great: no shakes, more energy, but there was some weight gain.  Since I was down to 119 lb, going to 130 lb was actually a plus.  The dr did hinted however, that I am not eating healthy.  Dah, I am an organic vegan.
But at the end of 10 weeks of this RX, I started having major muscle pains, that would stay in one area for three days, and than move on to the next body part.  It got so bad that on the 23 day I could not put any weight on my ancles.  I stopped the drug the same day - and by the next day all pain was gone.

[memememe83]

Kathy, thyroid storm is scary. i had it and my heart felt like it was trying to get out of my chest. i almost went to the emergency. but i took about 400 mg of magnesium and it  calmed down but became very irregular so i took 500 mg of calcium with 225 mg of magnesium and it all calmed down and i got to sleep. but i hope to never go through that again so im giving in to meds. methimazole and propronol ( beta blockers for the heart ). Im not a fan of prscription drugs but its worth a try to me if it will avoid another thyroid storm.
hope this helps... good luck

[kathyg20]

Have not tried but all that is good stuff anyway.  I just took my first dose 10mg 3 pills at once.  I was given the prescription 10 days ago but did not want to believe that it was nothing more than poor diet.  I felt great after subclvian/corotiad bypass surgery 9-2011, doctor put me on statin med 11-2012, extreme reaction to statin and now am diagnosed with graves disease.  It is hard for me to handle because no one in my family has had every a thyroid issue.  I am soo tired and week from the reaction to the statin medication, i really do not want to take anything else to make me feel like crap.  But I guess i already do feel horrible and both interest doctor and endo doctor called me today and mailed me a letter and told me that i better take the medication before i have a thryroid storm??? anyone experience this?

[ann4512]

hi i just saw your post now,ya a few of my levels were off when i started headaches,potassium,calauim levels were down so started eating nut's bannans and sultanis it took a few week's but headaches went i started to get headache last week again got bloods done and same levels are down again so back on the nuts....my white blood count is 3.6 should be 4.00/11.0 by irish levels so down a bit doc wants to re do bloods again next week.i,m off my med's 10 week's and in normal range so don't no what's trowing me off.i no headaches are horrible but they will go ..take care hope this was some help to you ..annmarie

[burbanek]

I like you have been taking methimazole for 4 days. My tsh was .30. However, I feel really tried now been taking naps and I get hotter. Also feel slightly depressed. Don't know if I should decease the meds because I was having trouble getting sleep. I would just like to know if this will get better?