Going off methimazole

[RMMB]

I have very receintly been taken off Methimazole cold turkey atfter 6 years. I have been having anxiety attacks and I have only been off it a week. I told my endo. doc. and he said that it could not be my thyroid because the Methimazole will be in my blood for 2-3 weeks. I have nevery had anxiety attacks before. Is it possible that it is my thyroid or should I see my PCP for the attacks.

[Shiny76]

And I vote you find another endo even if you do even out - you want someone who knows their stuff to monitor you in case you relapse in the future.

[Shiny76]

RMMB, how much methimazole were you on before you stopped cold turkey?   Was there any tapering of the dose at all?  Were the tests TRab or TSI run to make sure your Graves antibodies were low before it was stopped?   It should always be tapered incredibly gradually, there's always a small rebound period for me no matter how small I chop it with my pill cutter.    It does not stay in the body for 2-3 weeks, this is just not true.    A dosage change can start to be felt for me in 3 days and reaches fullness in about a week, but if it is too big a dosage change the symptoms can last for week(s) afterward till my body adjusts.

[leilajax]

Gimel is right, it only has a 6 hour half life.  However, there are a lot of side effects from taking it and stop taking it (especially, without tapering).  I have been told by every doctor that I've seen in the past few months that it is a serious med, and even though I was only on it for mere months it could have done damage.  I never was given clarity about what "the damage" entailed though:(.   Could the anxiety be stemming from you actually still needing the methimazole?  Could you be swinging back into hyperthyroid?  Anxiety is a major symptom of hyperthyroidism.  Yet many hypo sufferers complain of it as well.  

[gimel]

I am not so familiar with hyper as I am hypothyroidism; however, since Methimazole only has a half life of 4-6 hours, it clearly is a fast acting med, similar to a T3 med for hypo.

http://www.ithyroid.com/graves_treatments.htm

Accordingly, I would expect the effect to fade very rapidly.  So I don't understand why your doctor would say it would be in your blood for 2-3 weeks, and that your anxiety attacks after only one week could not be thyroid related.  

Hopefully others more familiar with Methimazole will also comment.