methimazole and phentermine

Question

in 2006 i was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism ad graves disease (i have one bulging eye). i was taking a high does of methimazole and my hyperthyroidism is gone though i gained 40 lbs. my graves is not yet in remission, i am still at 144%, i am told i need to be under 122%. in february i became a vegan and have since lost 20 lbs and my methimazole dosage was also lowered to 2.5 mg twice a week (monday and friday). i was looking online and found phentermine which i would like to order to lose the other 20 lbs quickly. i am not an addictive person and feel that one month of the phentermine 37.5 mg once per day would do it for me. i would like to know if there is any reason why i should not take methimazole and phentermine at the same time and/or if the phentermine could possibly cause my hyperactive thyroidism to return.

thumper24 · Answer

I gain weight when my graves kicks in. Five years ago I was diagnosed with graves after back surgery.  I weighed 140lbs( I'm 5' 8") before surgery. I gained 5 lbs but I thought it was from my inactivity.  A month or two after the surgery i gained another 5 lbs.  About a month after that I was diagnosed with graves for the first time.  I started methimazole and about 8 months later I went into remission.  I lost 5 lbs never lost the other 5lbs and stayed in remission for 5 years.  A month ago I had a couple of screw put in my ankle.  Once again I felt terrible finally had lab work done and found out the Graves came back and guess what I had gained weight again.  At least if I have to have this pain in the neck disease it would be nice if I lost weight instead of gaining weight. I hope it goes into remission soon again!!!  Good luck to everyone I feel your tiredness,sweatyness and weakness!!

thyroid897 · Answer

i still need a doctor who understands my thyroid plight, i too have been diagnosed with graves hyperthyroidism, and put on methimazole, i did gain over 40 lbs and none of the doctors here would like to help me lose weight and say that it is not the methimazole but my overeating which i dont believe because i dont overeat but still gain weight, i have been on methimazole since 2007 and just stopped taking the meds because i am now over 155 lbs and still climbing.  I need to find a doctor who can understand and help me manage my metabolism thyroid and my weight, and my heart beating fast but still gaining weight, please help, i am still hoping the i could meet and get help from a knowledgeable and understanding doctor. I am inspired by Tricie to turn to God and maybe also have a miracle, I hope.

prettmayes · Answer

I just found out that I have thyroid problems and they put me on methimazole 10 mg and Im scared to take it because I don't want a bad reaction behind it. could someone please tell me more about yht meds

TTrice · Answer

I was hyperthyroid.  I was diagnosed in July.  I found out in the emergency room with my heart beating at 181 bpm.  I could have died.  Since then, I have been blessed to have my thyroid functioning back at  normal. My thyroid was pumping over four times the amount it should have been.  Even though I have taken methimazole and beta blockers, I know for a fact that it was only God who healed me so miraculously.  I did not have any side-effects from the medicine, my eyes began to bulge, but they are back to normal.  I posted this message because I wanted to give anyone who read this hope.  You can be  healed.  I was only on 20mg of Methimazole, but now I am down to 7.5.  The anxiety is gone and my heart no longer races.  I had lost 13 pounds, and I have gained back eleven.  I do not like the weight gain, but enjoy life.  So relax about the weight gain, and allow you body to be healthy again.  Don't forget to thank God for everyday of your life!!

tia32 · Answer

i have a over active thyroid and i am taking methimazole 3 times a day 3 in the morning 3 in the afternoon and 3 before bad and i am only 13 years lod and i dont know if my medication is making me gain wait can anyone help me

onedergurl5 · Answer

I also was diagnosed with graves disease and hyperthyroidism about 2 years ago. I am 23 years old now and currently taking 10mgs of methimazole a day (which is a LOT less than when my treatment started...3 pills at a time, 3 times a day!! along with heart medication to slow my heart rate, which at a resting state was 120!) My endo said it was a very severe case...my numbers were literally off the charts.  Anyways, since i was put on such high doses to begin with, I did gain weight too. Being only 21 at the time, i weighed 125 lbs and shot up to 155 within 3 months...now you can imagine what that did for my self-esteem. I became depressed and told my Dr that I actually preferred my life being hyperthyroid...and she explained it like this...a hyperthyroid body is like a person who is addicted to crack, wired and cant slow down, and when you take the medication, it is like taking all the drugs away from the crack addict...so of course your body is going to react and change, since your whole lifestyle has been abruptly put to a hault.  And hyperthroid is connnected to an increased metabolism, so when the meds slow down your thyroid production, they also slow your metabolism; hence the weight gain. Since I have been on the meds and my dose is now lower, i have lost about 10 of the lbs without even doing anything.  I have started to excerise and eat healthier but i would love to be able to drop at least 15 more lbs. I was interested in Phentermine (i have a freind who took it for 2 months and lost 30 lbs) but all the adds say not to take it with hyperthyroid....anyone have any tips for lossin the weight or info if phentermine or another suppressant might be ok to take??
-also, it is possible to go into remission, but everyone is different. People could be on the meds for months, years, or even their lifetime and sometimes, your body figures itself out and learns to eventually regulate itself
-and yes, you might gain weight...but i would rather be a little heavier and eventually loss the weight than loss my life to a heart attack at age 21 (which is what my Dr said would have happened to me if I didnt regualte my thyroid and heart rate as soon as i did)
-i would love to help anyone with questions whenever i can :-)  and you just gottta keep smiling

enufizenuf05 · Answer

how long have you been taking methimazole? what is your dosage and how often do you take it? how long have you had the hyperactive thyroid? DO NOT worry about gaining a few pounds, everyone is different, every case is different. the importance of lowering the hyperactivity of your thyroid is more important right now. my hyper is in remission, gone tho i still have an elevated percentage of graves antibody in my system. the methimazole worked for my hyperactive thyroid, completely. i am still on a low dosage now to maintain the graves. i have lost most of the weight i gained. the other symptoms you mentioned about bowels, memory, bones - well, that is something you MUST discuss with your physician. i did not have those symptoms tho my levels were very high. so, like i said, we are all different and your physician must address any concerns you have regarding those health issues.

lindalaviolette · Answer

l could realy use someone that truly knows  what the hell they are saying l have an over active thyroid and their are so many symptoms in my body that are so not working my bowels my memoruy my bones  so hurt my eye hurts  l am today at this hr. taking methimazole cannot remember if it will help me or will l just become obese , l don't eat much as it is . not that a few pds l certanily could use but obese does not work for me. does this **** realy work l am only at stage   ?

enufizenuf05 · Answer

in reference to the bulging eyes, i have one and it's not so bad now, but i grew my hair longer and have a center part and it covers it... sort of. i don't believe any good eye surgeon will decompress eyes if the graves is not under control as it will just happen again. i recently read, somewhere online, that after it is all in remission (graves/hyperthyroidism), the endo can prescribe an anti-inflammatory steroid which may decompress the muscular tissue in the eyes causing the bulging. i'm not sure about the risks of surgery as i haven't gone to the eye surgeon again. like with you, he told me i had to wait till the storm was over. i would go to a university affiliated eye center as they usually have the latest and greatest techniques. im in south florida so i am going to the baskin palmer eye institute affiliated with jackson memorial hospital in miami. im not going to fool around with any private practitioner.
i am also seeing a homeopathic physician, he said that even though i have the graves/hyper in my genes (my mom had it) it would never have come out if i didn't have the emotional stress in my life (he said this not knowing what i had been through). this is true of most all auto-immune diseases. he suggested i continue the endo medication and change my life while doing it so it won't come back again. i have been working very hard and the hyper is in remission and the graves is almost there. it's not easy to change the way you think tho in this case, for me, i want to heal so i've been changing. that's a good thing. also, since no doctor would prescribe me the phentermine. in february, i changed my eating choice to vegan and have lost 25 of the 45 pounds i gained on the methimazole (tapazole). i am happy about that, would be happier losing the rest tho i do believe it's coming off. 
we have the ability to control these factors in our lives, the majority of the medical community backed by the fda and the petroleum industry (most all meds are petro based) would rather us believe the docs with their prescriptions are in control. i suggest, to anyone with any type of auto-immune disorder, please do something about changing the way you think and react in order to change your life to heal yourself. of course, some meds are prolly necessary to get us back to square one as by the time it all hits the fan it's too late to meditate. while we are on meds, i believe, it is good for us to take that time to learn that our mind does control our body, totally, and that we can change and can prevent other auto-immune disorders from popping out of our genes.

MareZyy · Answer

I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroid and Graves Disease 2 years ago, after having my first child.  I took Methimazole for a little while but then went on PTU because I was planning on trying to get pregnant again once my Thyroid levels were normal.  After 3 rounds of In-Vitro and 2 miscarriages I gave up.  
My Thyroid levels have been normal for about a year now.  I was told that I'm in remission and my Dr took me off of all medication in May.  He told me that remission could last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, to forever, but that forever is very unlikely.  I go every 3 months for bloodwork and every 6 months for a check up.
I too am considering using Phentermine to lose some weight.  My Primary wants permission in writing from my Endo but all he will write is that there is no contra-indication.  I'm in the process of seeing where that will go.

My eyes bulge, one is alot worse than the other which makes me feel rather unhuman but I've gotten somewhat used to it by now.  
I have trouble making eye contact with other people and try to avoid unnecessary conversations at all costs.
Has anyone had decompression surgery?  Do most insurances cover it, I have no other side effects from it, my eyes function just fine.  
Does it hurt?  What is the recovery period?  Are there certain risks with the surgery?  Why does it seem like my eye doctor doesn't want to perform this surgery on me?  I keep hearing, "you have to wait till you've stabilized"?  It's been 2 freakin years now!
Anyone been there or is it just me?

Thanks!

HyperT77 · Answer

That's what I'm hoping for.  My Endo is very hopeful that this will be the case for me.

cbread · Answer

Sounds like everyone here is still on Methimazole or had the thyroid removed? Has anyone gone into remission from Graves/Hyper?  My grandma did 60 years ago, but my mother did not and had RAI.  I am just curious if anyone goes into remission anymore.  It's a nice thing to hope for...

HyperT77 · Answer

Hey - 

Was diagnosed with Graves Disease last October.  Am taking Methimazole and go every 4 weeks for lab work.  My eyes are red and have developed chronic dry eye.  Take 3 different drops twice a day.  Have been on a beta blocker to lower the heart rate and blood pressure.  It has worked great.  The Endo has cut that dose in half and wants to get me totally off of the beta blocker.

I'm wondering if this goes away (goes into remission) or is this a disease I'll live with for the rest of my life.  This is defintely a genetic disease in our family.

Seems alot of people on this site have Hypothyroid issues.  Good to talk with someone who has Hyperthyroid issues.

Bo0812 · Answer

Hey

i was diagnosed with Hyper and Graves in May too.  I was put on Carbizamole but after 3 weeks made me ill and gave me terrible head aches, so i was taken off of it and put onto PTU.  Have been on this for over 3 weeks and some symptoms have lessened whilst others are the same.  Eyes are also still sandy/gritty, my heat tolerance is better now and i am able to get a good nights sleep.  My weight is still a problem but am working on that too.  Only thing is my heart palpatations have returned whilst taking these meds, they had stopped after i took beta blockers for 2 weeks inMay.

graveswoman · Answer

was diagnosed with graves in may of 2008, first med i was allergic to (3 wks into it), so had to start over, now on ptu, don't have fast heart beat anymore, and going up the stairs is less of a chore. but still am exhausted, heat intolerance still bad. eyes gritty, have severe hoarseness by the end of the day. etc... i did lose weight with it however, I gained. yes shoulld go into remission when is the question of the day, if i stay in remission, then nothing else required, but percentage is low on that, so we shall see, it may be abalation i need to kill it off, i do have a goiter, so not sure if thyroidectomy or abalation? cross that bridge…

keep trying with dr. lupo. you will get in, you may have to keep trying.

GW

enufizenuf05 · Answer

thanks. i am still waiting to post the question to dr. lupo. everytime i attempt to leave a question for him i find the daily limit has been met. as soon as i can get through i will.

how is your graves? i read (somewhere on the net) that eventually it will go into remission, with our without meds. how long have you had it and does it effect you life in any way? also, do you still have the hyperthyroidism?

la

graveswoman · Answer

Check with 
Dr. Lupo on the Medical Expert Forum. He is the doctor and he could let you know for sure.

I would think since you are hyper it would make you more so, i am a graves patient also. but not a doctor so…

GW

enufizenuf05 · Answer

wow! 33 pounds in 6 weeks. all i need to lose is 20. i am ready to do it for a month, i just want to get some advice regarding the hyperthyroidism and the phentermine. you see your heart is beating really fast and that is something that i had when i had the hyperactive thyroid. normally i would have no problem taking something like phentermine, though i my circumstance, where the hyperactivity is gone and i still have my thyroid, i wouldn't want the phentermine to spark another incidence, i don't know that much yet about the recurrence of hyperactivity and if it could happen at all.
thanks for sharing, it is giving me hope.

sweetnperry · Answer

I have no thyroid gland at all and have been on PHENTERMINE for six weeks lost over 33 pounds but my heart beats really fast and you feel like you can't see sometimes. It works for the weight lost but the side effects will make you go to the ER.