new Graves diagnosis and side effects to methiazole

[db2861]

What happens next?
I was diagnosed about 4 weeks ago with Graves (symptom prior to definitive diagnosis was eyelid retraction). I was put on methiazole (10 mg/2x per day). After 3 weeks on meds, developed excruciating pain and swelling in joints and low grade fever (100). Immediately taken off of methiazole. It has now been 6 days since the initial swelling/pain/fever; the pain has decreased but I still have some residual swelling in 2 joints. New treatment plan is for RAI.
I have 2 questions: Does anyone know how long joint swelling will continue?
                             Dpes RAI make eye symptoms worse?
Thanks!

[blueeyes1962]

I got the hives from methimazole so I now take PTU which I tolerate.  From the methimazole .....after taking it for about 3 weeks ... my palms started to itch so bad that it felt like I had athletes foot on my palms..... after about a few days after the palm problem I started to get a few hives here and there....there weren't tons of hives but I itched all over like crazy....I was switched back to the PTU and have been good thus far (thank God)   Yes I am also thankful my eyes are "OK" Ask your doctor about the PTU--there are side effects but they are fairly rare but can be quite serious.  I am down to PTU 50 mg daily--when I started I was taking  100 mg three times a day---my Graves was diagnosed in September 2011.

[db2861]

Thanks for your reply. Hope your eyes remain unaffected.
With medication no longer a viable option for me, not sure what other options  (RAI?) are available. Thorough option discussion will take place with my endo after all of the methimazole is out of system and the joint issues have resolved.

[db2861]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I did mean methimazole!
Pain has substantially subsided....now just stiff joints (must be what individuals with arthritis feel on a daily basis) but am thinking that this will also be temporary. Am hoping that my eyes do not get worse before the inevitable RAI...not a whole range of options.

[Barb135]

Dr Lupo does not monitor this forum, so you will need to try to contact him through the expert forum.  

Do you mean methimazole?  I can't find where the joint pain is a side effect of the methimazole; it is, however a symptom of being hypo, which is what methimazole does.  Methimazole has a relatively short 1/2 life, so it shouldn't take long to get out of your system.

I, too, have read that RAI can worsen thyroid eye problems.

[blueeyes1962]

From all that I have read, RAI can make the Graves eye symptoms worse.  I would definitely research this thoroughly.  Hopefully Dr Lupo on this site can shed some light on this. I am not sure how long the joint pain and swelling from the methimazole will last....my guess is that once it is out of your system this should resolve.  Good luck to you and sorry you have to go through all this. So far my eyes aren't affected so my endocrinologist says.