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2102364 tn?1334181277

how long for methimazole to work?

How long did it take you guys for it to kick in?   Almost three weeks ago here were my labs:
TSH                  [L]  <0.01 uIU/mL              [0.30-4.70]
Free T4                   1.89 ng/dL                  [0.75-2.00]
FT3                  [H]  5.5 pg/mL                   [2.3-4.2]  

I'm on 10mg of methimazole which I take as 5mg twice a day.   I had a slow start with it two weeks ago, taking only 5mg as I am notorious for my medication reactions but as I'm okay so far I'm gone up to 10mg for the last three days.   Still the minute my beta block leaves my system my resting heartrate zooms up to 100 or with caffeine even more.   I'm cutting out the caffeine altogether now - bums me out because chocolate is my comfort food.   My first visit with the endo isn't for a couple weeks yet.    Thanks in advance!
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Avatar universal
I have resting heart rate of 58 bpm and doctor prescribed me methimazol 10 mg daily. He said I have Graves disease so i have to take it. My labs are always not good if I am eating gluten or grain food. If i am of it my labs getting better. I noticed it several times. I have appointment with homeopath coming week.... and recommending u .... read about leaky gut syndrome that is where all our problems ...
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Avatar universal
Just eat oatmeal it's also good to help the heart rate.
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Avatar universal
Here are my results two weeks ago
T4 7.0.    Ref 0.8-1.8
TSH 0.01. Ref 0.40-4.50
I have been taking 5 mg 3 times a day 8 hour apart
So far I am feeling much better but I run out of pills before I get to the endo.
I went to a clinic that won't refill script I am away from home so this is all difficult I my have to stop for a week, but I'm thinking if you are only taking two 5 msg  a day I might be able to do that and get away with it. What are you thoughts
Butterflylady
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Avatar universal
Hello all.

I am a newbie to hyperthryoidism, and I'm not amused!  I do think mine is not a severe case as I read all of your posts.  I do have palpitations from time to time, my hands shake now and again.  I've been starving for a while now, lost a few more pounds than I had intended to, and those are all the things that prompted my visit to my GP.  Nuclear Uptake scan showed both lobes of thyroid enlarged consistent with hyper.  

I wonder if I shoudl see an endo? I like my GP but I don't know if I get enough info from her.  Started methimazole a week ago...10mg twice a day.  Today started having some muscle aches and nerve sensations, but Aleve took care of it.

Glad you are all here as I begin the journey.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the info. I just came across this web site and it is very helpful, I live in a very rural place and at times I feel "alone" because no one seems to understand my hyperthyroidismn! What you've descibed is the same way I can feel! God Bless!
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Avatar universal
Marge529, I am experiencing your exact symptoms. I got really sick on the 23rd of December. I thought I was seriously dying. My heart was racing, sweating, almost fainted, couldn't catch my breath, shaking uncontrollably, off balanced, and upset stomach. I went to the hospital, they stabilized me and sent me home. I was sooooooooooooooo afraid of this happening again that I cried and prayed to God for relief. The episode kept coming on and on, and on. I tell you these feelings are of absolute despair to me. I found out that I do have hyperthyroidism and four goiters, one being really abnormal. I was recently placed on methimazole. I am praying for relief. I have to undergo a serious of biopsy's, to find out the next course of action. I that you too will soon find relief. This is a rough ride to experience. Be well.
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Avatar universal
I am on PTU, I had a reaction to methimazole. I was taking PTU everyday until about August. I was starting to feel good and my weight had stabalized so my endo told me I think your thyroid is going into remission. He told me to try and get off it and see how I felt and if you start feeling the symptoms start taking it again. Well I stayed off it for two weeks before I started feeling the symptoms again so I got back on it. But I would forget to take it sometimes, so I wasn't taking it everyday. When I went do my labs for my next appt, which wasn't until October, my levels were still normal, which was good. At my appt, I told my dr this and he told me that it was ok if you were forgetting sometimes, you know how you feel you don't have to take it everyday but if you feel the symptoms again call him and get back on it. So he kinda left it up to me as to when to take it. Well I tried getting off the pill again depending on how I felt. And I was maintaining my weight and feeling fine until about mid December. That's when i first started feeling a little nervous but my weight was still the same. So I got back on the PTU but I only took it occasionally, not everyday. Well I was fine until last Saturday when I started to feel a little anxious and last Sunday I had a anxiety attack. And have felt anxious all week That's when I started taking the PTU everyday again. My next appt is Feb 7 so I don't know if I want to go do my lab right now and try and have them move up my appt or just wait until the week before my appt to do my lab and keep my scheduled appt.
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
When you say "the pill", do you mean anti-thyroid medication?

It's not meant to be taken "off and on" or stopping for a couple months, then getting back on.  

If you start having symptoms, you should get your levels tested and adjust your med, based on symptoms and blood levels, rather than just stop taking the med.

I'm not sure what symptoms you think coffee might be causing.  If you drink too much caffeine, some people get jittery.
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Avatar universal
Can coffee cause you to feel thyroid symptoms? I always heard it can cause you to feel hyper if you have thyroiad disorder but never got clarification on it
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Avatar universal
Hi all, I'm back. Unfortunately.
On my last appt with my endo all my levels were in the normal range. A little low but in the normal range. So doc told me I think you are in remission. I told him that i had still been taking the pill but have been forgetting alot (bc I was feeling so good I wasn't thinking about it). He left it up to me for when I needed to take the pill. So I stayed off the pill for two months and felt fine. Around mid Dec I kind of started feeling a little antsy again so I figured I'd get back on the pill but just occasionally. Well everything felt good until last weekend. I felt a little jittery Saturday and Sunday felt like I had an anxiety attack. Went take my bp and it was 180/87. So I started taking the pill again and have took it everyday this week. I also have been feeling nervous and jittery again at times all week. It's not all the time though. It comes on at times during the day.

Has anyone had this happen to them where your levels were normal so you got off the pill for awhile, felt fine and then one day a couple months down the road have the symptoms reappear again?
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Avatar universal
The BP meds especially I've found Atenolol which I"ve been on for a few years now, will make you very tired.  I found taking it at bedtime the best time. I used to take it in the morning and wondered why I was so tired all the time.  Then I switched to around 5pm. Then I was very sleepy early evening. So now I take it AT bedtime.     No advise to help in the Methimazole. I have a seniro cat on it and is having problems with it so am looking for alternatives to the oral pills.  Good luck.
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
I responded on the thread you posted.
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Avatar universal
i have been taking methimazole for 14days, me & my husband are trying to have a child. Can someone please help us
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Avatar universal
I don't know that jazzin is still active here.

Give it some time.  Four days is nothing when it comes to thyroid meds.  These meds don't work instantaneously, like antibiotics, etc.  Both meds you're on take a little getting used to.  When I first started atenolol, I felt a bit "slow" and it had quite an effect on my BP (lower BP might be why you're dizzy).  However, after a few weeks, my BP went back up a bit, and either I got used to that slow feeling, or it went away.

I wouldn't play with your dose until after you have follow up labs.  Getting reliable lab results depends on having taken medication consistently for the 4-6 weeks prior to the draw.  If you're not absolutely consistent, you have no idea where you're at.

Patience...
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Avatar universal
I feel the same way was just diagnosed hyper end of July 2013 and feel like crap! Dr started me on 10mg methimazole twice a day and 1 atenolol per day. After 4 days still feeling drugged and a bit dizzy and my eyes still effected.  Any suggestions? I'm altering my diet to include less salt and more veges and living foods. I've been able to sleep but just having a real hard time in the a.m. - especially getting ready for work. I'm thinking of reducing my morning dose to half?
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Avatar universal
If your doctor told you not to exercise, you should listen.

Have you had any follow up blood work since going on methimazole and propanolol?  If you're gaining weight, it could be because your methimazole dose is too high, and you are a little hypo.  Please post labs with reference ranges.

How do you feel?  Are your hyper symptoms under control?  Any new symptoms?
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Avatar universal
I don't know what to do! I've gained 10 pounds since the doc told me no more cardio after being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I used to hit the gym 3x a week and now I can't even run on the treadmill. I'm still ALWAYS hungry and now I need to find a way to shed the fat. Has anyone else had this problem? I keep hearing people say that they don't gain weight but I seem to be putting on pounds. I notice that I do lose weight rather quickly when I do work out. If I went against doc's orders I would probably shed this 10lbs in 1-2 weeks. So tempting! I'm currently on methimazole (1/2 a pill per day) and propranolol 10mgs 3x a day. The doc cut my methimazole because she said my white blood count was getting too low. Any suggestions about exercising?
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Avatar universal
I am so glad to have found this forum and have someone else who knows what the symptoms are like. Thanks for giving me a ear to talk too. cause everybody around here just thinks I'm a head case.
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Avatar universal
my next appt with him is on June 28 so I am going to do blood work the week before that. If I start feeling symptoms I will call him.
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Avatar universal
Good luck with the PTU.  I hope it works better for you.  When are you scheduled for more blood work?  If you start feeling hypo symptoms before, feel free to contact your doctor for a meds adjustment.
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Avatar universal
I feel fine right now, Actually haven't felt all that bad. I did have some days where I felt like something wasn't right but I would eat something and then I would feel fine after awhile. No I don't have a copy of my blood results wanted to ask him for it but forgot. The PTU is 50mg.
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Avatar universal
Do you have your blood work results to post?  If so, please do with reference ranges.

How are you feeling now?
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Avatar universal
Well I went do blood work last Friday and had my drs visit today. My T4 was normal but my T3 and TSH were a little high again so he is puttIng me back on meds but has changed it to PTU this time and he said he is starting me out at a low dosage cause he said the methimazole seemed to be too much for me. Here we go again.
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Avatar universal
I was fine today. The red splotches were gone and I felt fine. Yesterday I was all worried that maybe it was coming back cause I wasn't feeling right either, My mom and me, to an extent, seems to think that the red slotches are rosacea cause it is just around my nose and rosacea is in my family. It's wierd cause once I settle down at night I start feeling fine again. That's why I'm reluctant to call my doc. Plus my next appt with him is May 3

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