how long for methimazole to work?

[firefly7]

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!

[jazzin]

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.

[Barb135]

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.

[jazzin]

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

[jazzin]

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?

[MaryElyse]

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.

[Barb135]

I responded on the thread you posted.