how to wean off methimazole how to wean off methimazole

Since 2007 I gained 60 pounds using effexor and tapazole. I take 5 mg at night and 2.5 in the morning. When I say all is good, my TSH level is still less than .01 but that takes longer to bounce back. Okay I didn't know you had completely stopped the Methimazole, but I think you misread what I wrote. You pituitary is trying to tell your thyroid to produce more hormones, but the Methimazole (anti-thyroid med) is preventing your thyroid from working. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. Stop using methimazole and call your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as: Dizziness. It interferes with the step that causes the iodination of tyrosine residues in thyroglobulin, mediated by the enzyme thyroid peroxidase, thus preventing the synthesis of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). I'd never stop any medication cold turkey. My Endocrinologist has started weaning me off of Methimazole. Take your doses at regular intervals to keep a steady amount of the drug in your body at all times. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Anxiety is a major symptom of hyperthyroidism. I occasionally would ask my husband what the readings were. They took blood work and X-rays, and this went on for over 4 hours. I'm currentlytaking 1.25mg in the morning and 1.25mgat night in an efort to slowly get my levels normalised again. Just like a person with type 1 diabetes needs insulin, you need thyroid hormonefor survival. Read our editorial policy. Comments: Daily doses are usually given in 3 divided doses at approximately 8 hour intervals. Hi Rachel, are you finally off the methimazole? nausea, vomiting, upset stomach; headache, dizziness, drowsiness; numbness or tingly feeling; rash, itching, skin discoloration; muscle or joint pain; hair loss; or. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 5 Feb 2023), Cerner Multum (updated 22 Feb 2023), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2023) and others. Radioiodine in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. I was on 10mg daily of Tapazole, went to 7.5 in the early winter but also returned to work at same time (bad idea). Got dosage down to 5mgs. But have plenty of lab slips on hand and get checked if you feel like hurting someone. Read our, Effects of Skipping Thyroid Hormone Replacement, Effects of Skipping Antithyroid Medication, It's Difficult to Remember to Take Your Dose, You Like How Hyperthyroidism Makes You Feel. Having irrational thoughts worries. Special Populations Hello I'm glad I found this. Swollen hands, feet, and face. My pcp didn't like that. Then and only then did my doc increase my meds and will do bloodwork at 4 weeks instead of the usual 8 weeks. ALiEM is your digital connection to the cooperative world of EM. If you have thyroid disease and don't take your prescribed medications to manage it, you can have a number of serious long-term effects. Was there any tapering of the dose at all? And then see if you need the beta blocker if what you're experiencing is heart palpitations/shakiness. If your levels start to drop toward the lower end of the scale, you'll be able to taper the dose down a bit - to 20 mg a day. As soon as they see that youre going hyper again, they should put you back on your regular dose. Two-step method for administration: Test dose: 0.5 to 1 mg as slow IV push administered over 10 minutes Subsequent doses: 1 to 3 mg IV over 10 to 15 minutes every few hours to desired effect with monitoring of cardiac rhythm Esmolol can be considered as an alternative agent If you are not taking your thyroid medication because of one or more of the following reasons, try the suggested solutions to address your concerns. Constipation. Other than that, he said that they didn't find anything, such as pneumonia. Her vital signs are blood pressure of 184/106 mmHg, heart rate of 130 beats per minute, respiratory rate of 22 breaths per minute, and temperature of 102.7F. I am so overwhelmed and only end up having a few days out of a month. Good luck, hope you go into remission! Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your care team if they continue or are bothersome): Change in taste. Try our Symptom Checker Got any other symptoms? She has a past medical history of hypertension and she has been compliant with her medications. Slept all day, terrible itching skin especially at night while trying to sleep. From what I've read, it can take a couple of weeks for those symptoms to go away. Why would she try to wean me off the medicine if my numbers didnt indicate remission? A Community for those living with and dealing with Graves' Disease. What Do Herpes Sores Look Like at Different Stages. Center for Hormonal Health and Well-Being, Low body temperature;constantly feeling cold, Weight gain; inability to lose weight despite diet and exercise, Infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature labor, Dramatically increased appetite and thirst. Methimazole is usually taken every 8 hours. I havent tried to wean off before. To me, it really is the missed mimic of several disease states, as described above in our possibly uroseptic patient. I am currently in a hospital bed recovering from a bilateral thyroidectomy. Slowly weaning off or tapering to the right dose is the best method. Natural Endocrine Solutions. She seems relatively anxious on physical exam, and you note that she is diaphoretic. Methimazole can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. I said ok, not thinking anything of it, but after halving my dose for a few weeks Ive started to feel bad again. Yes I know it's dumb and it's something I struggle with daily. But I'm wondering now if it could be missing dosses? Worsening memory function. I've read of people getting off Methimazole all at once and doing okay, although many do have "withdrawal" symptoms (symptoms of being hyper) as their body purges the medication. Im going to ask to go back to my old dose because my numbers were exactly in the middle at 2.13 but now theyre probably a mess. Saturday evening, I took my blood pressure, and the systolic reading was over 200. (unknowingly had covid at the time of last bloodwork). Didn't find the answer you were looking for? Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex. 2 days on, one day off and this past week my endocrinologist gave me the choice of either going right off Tapazole or going off it slowly. I'm very upset because I figure he's the doctor and shouldn't have left that choice up to me. respect of any healthcare matters. ALiEM by ALiEM.com is copyrighted as "All Rights Reserved" except for our Paucis Verbis cards and MEdIC Series, which are Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). Vancomycin Loading Doses in Pediatric Patients: A Missed Opportunity? 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved, Mary Shomon is a writer and hormonal health and thyroid advocate. This exact thing happened to me and then my endo put me back on it and my body couldnt tolerate it I was passing out and my symptoms were so much worse,. not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in A strategy of high MMI doses plus T4 was not used in these patients. Thyroid medication can be expensive and can sometimes cause undesirable side effects, especially in the first three months of treatment. What was your heart rate when you were at the hospital on Saturday? Clearly, there are sensible health reasons to take your prescribed thyroid medication. Answer. I got diagnosed with graves approx 1 year ago I responded good to tapazole however I was sick with a cold and forgot to take my meds for like a week? MedHelp is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this Site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. My T3 and T4 are at mid to lower end of the range. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. I don't get it. Medically reviewed by Drugs.com on Feb 20, 2023. Sounds like your doctor wants to work with you though if he gave you that choice. Your hair loss or hair thinning may also be a symptom of hyperthyroidism, when your thyroid gland is overactive and makes too much thyroid hormone. What Happens When You Don't Take Your Thyroid Medication. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially: a blood thinner--warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven; or. The article suggested hyperthyroid patients and patients who have thyroid storm benefit from taking 3,000 mg of Regular L-Carnitine. How should this medicine be used? But I was stressing about some dumb things before. Written by Cerner Multum. Diagnosis of thyroid storm can be somewhat of a challenge because of this, but a scoring system developed by Burch and Wartofsky 1 can assist in determining the likelihood of thyroid storm in patients based on presenting signs and symptoms. The goal of antithyroid drug treatment is to treat for a defined period of time then stop to determine if the Graves' disease has gone into remission. However, there are a lot of side effects from taking it and stop taking it (especially, without tapering). It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. It works by making it harder for the body to make thyroid hormone. In the case of our patient above, both laboratory parameters and the overall clinical picture confirm our suspicion of thyroid storm. Bartle W, Walker S, Silverberg J. Rectal absorption of propylthiouracil. You decide to pan-culture her and determining that she has no known drug allergies, you order a combination of piperacillin/tazobactam 4.5 g IV and tobramycin 500 mg IV as one-time doses for her suspected urinary tract infection (which you consider at this point to be urosepsis). Previous: "Why Wasn't I Taught This Stuff In Medical School?" No chance of a beach here. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. Taking kelp pills, iodine and alcohol drinking after total thyroidectomy. Serious and sometimes fatal infections may occur during treatment with methimazole. Side effects are also most likely to occur within the first three months of treatment, so keep that in mind if you are beginning a new regimen. DID YOU NOTICE ANXIETY OR RAPID HEARTBEAT OR COULD I BE ANXIOUS ABOUT GETTING OFF THE MEDICATION. Birth defects an option due to untreated Graves' disease? I started out at 30mg a day. Common side effects of methimazole may include: This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. All of this has been a real struggle for me since I have a huge phobia of taking meds. Guest Were the tests TRab or TSI run to make sure your Graves antibodies were low before it was stopped? It is also used before thyroid surgery or radioactive iodine treatment. my dr. didnt warn me about any of this I am having a hard time working without panicking and having to leave. Your story is exactly like mine. and he said that it could not be my thyroid because the Methimazole will be in my blood for 2-3 weeks. When I started getting hyper symptoms from armour I tapered slowly and went off but my TSH never sprang back. When I asked if my numbers should have been closer to hypo range if I was a candidate for remission, she said yes but wanted to see if I could wean off anyway. You will be able to stop your cholestyramine (if on it) immediately. They were always very high. Drug class: Antithyroid agents. ChildrenDose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed. The anxiety and the eye problem could be symptoms of Hyperthyroid, or it might be unrelated. JayValle, I don't remember your thyroid history whether you have Hashimoto's and you started off hyper? Endometriosis And Thyroid disease: Is There Really A Connection? Sometimes though if your levels are too far out of range (hypo) it is necessary to stop the meds temporarily and then restart them. Went back to 10mg, after 2 consecutive blood tests were good (12 weeks) and then went to 7.5, just did a another 12 week stint, all is good so went to 5 mg this week (very happy). We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure, Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them. Furthermore, you should fully understand the consequences of untreated thyroid disease. I got pulled over for speeding on Christmas eve last year. Maintenance dose: 5 to 15 mg orally per day. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely. Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex. It becomes too easy to label them as septic, and we may forget that endocrinologic emergencies, specifically thyroid storm, can present in very much the same way. This is perfect for me. The problem can be changing your diet, as you don't know how the thyroid will react to this. Homeopathic remedy for overactive thyroid, Graves' Disease: Symptoms, Treatment And Complications, Graves' Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment, Holistic Approach to Thyroid Related Problems: Naturopathic Medicine for Thyroid Disease. These side effects usually mimic the side effects of hypothyroidism, because if you stop taking your medication your body will not be able to produce it naturally for some time. We strive to reshape medical education and academia in their evolution beyond the traditional classroom. upper right abdominal pain. If someone else had been through this I'd certainly like to know their opinion. There are experiences, however, that may cause you to question the benefits of your medications and not stick with your treatment plan. Some thyroid medications can also cause hair loss, which most people find frustrating and undesirable. But it started about Monday its about five days and the whole week my anxiety is through the roof! I am a 52 year old female and I have been on 15MG Methimazole for the over 2 months and Endo lower the dose since my result for Tr Hi, I just wanted to tell everyone DON'T GIVE UP and DON'T TAKE THE RADIATED IODINE or have your thyroid removed (unless there is a growth of course). I have been taking the same dosages for all those years, except my dosage for Methimazole was brought down to 1 and 1/2 pills (5 mg pills) about a year ago. Didn't find the answer you were looking for? swollen, painful, or tender lymph glands in the neck, armpit, or groin. I don't believe our bodies respond well to abrupt changes. A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services. Talk to your doctor about these issues, as they can be the effects of your thyroid hormone levels getting back to normal. But didnt feel any on the 5 mg. How long were you on Methimazole before weaning off? Methimazole is an excellent medication for Grave's disease and other forms of hyperthyroidism which works by interfering with the production of the thyroid hormones. 2012 Aug;86(3):244-251. Gimel is right, it only has a 6 hour half life. I don't remember the rest of the reading. 6 years ago, 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. I should have listened to him. However I choice to go off the med and now I'm wondering what the side effects may be because of my choice. It is also taken before thyroid surgery or radioactive iodine therapy. Well, nothing like wasting money for an antiquated panel is there? You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. I refused to take blood pressure the whole time. Mine endo only did it once every 6mo and within that time my tsh was no longer detectable and I got super super sick. When I was in the ER, they hooked me up to the BP cuff, and it stayed there, turning off and on the entire time. A relatively low dose of Methimazole was prescribed, along with Lisinopril, and Metoprolol. Methimazole is used to treat hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). All lab work has come back in normal ranges. Now down to 5 mg a day, 6 days a week (so 30 mg a week). Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. ALiEM AIR Series | Orthopedics Lower Extremity Module. I was taking a dosage of forty, then cut it down to twenty for about two weeks, and then was taken off of it entirely. T3 total: 332; FT3 11.1; FT4 387, TSH <.005. The maintenance dose is 5 to 15 mg per day. My blood pressure was constantly high until I was off of medications. Each time I reduce, my TSH elevates- but my T3 stays within range which is what my endo focuses onand it does take about six weeks for my body to adjust to the lower dosebut it does adjust. Before Tom died, I felt amazingly well off the armor even with low TSH. Methimazole doses are based on weight in children, and any changes may affect your child's dose. IS THERE A WEIGHT LOSS PLAN THAT ADDRESSES THYROIDECTOMY - what do you do to lose weight? Thanks. No, no doctor has ever tapered off my meds without bloodwork. It was the Acetyl-L-Carnitine that really worked for me and from other boards seems to work for Graves patients. And I am still could thins be a side affect of relapse or not taking my meds? What Do Herpes Sores Look Like at Different Stages. Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Most people who have thyroid disease feel better with the appropriate medication. You need to be involved in the decisions regarding your care, and how you feel about your medication and its effects are of great importance. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose. It is FREE! If a child is using this medicine, tell your doctor if the child has any changes in weight. https://patient.info/forums/discuss/stopping-methimazole-543742. I'll hold the cetyl L-carnitine and start with L-Carnitine then. While you may experience some symptoms of overactive thyroid more than others, and you may even consider some of them beneficial, it is important to be aware of the strain this condition is putting on your heart, bones, and overall health. Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. His goal is to wean me off very slowly. I DONT KNOW IF I COULD STILL BE HYPER.MY LAB RESULTS HAAVE BEEN NORMAL FOR 1 YEAR. Best, Rachel. Solomon B, Wartofsky L, Burman K. Adjunctive cholestyramine therapy for thyrotoxicosis. So this is a surprise to me that I migh have Graves or toxic nodules as I feel I'm bouncing back with no symptoms of hyper. Unfortunately, there isn't a natural or herbal replacement for thyroid hormone. i am afraid of going hyper again, they told me to wean off i tried just quiting then had major panic attack and went back on the medication I feel off balance and am having anxiety my eyes hurt and I dont know if its me making myself feel that way or it is my thyroid, I will get my labs next week to see if i am still normal i only had post partum hyprethyroid, and i probably really nevre needed the medication because my tsh was low but had normal t3 t4. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. I have not been on it for 6 days now. I have had this for 2 years and I just got off the tapazole for at lease 6 weeks until the check my blood again. Sometimes it can take a few months to adjust your medication, but the end result is well worth it. You can keep your medicine in an obvious place, such as your bedroom or kitchen, or you can use a pill organizer to keep you on track. I tapered and stopped completely and felt so good. Worsening of constipation or GI issues. manic bipolar unable to get along with others. However, since starting to wean off, my numbers have gotten closer to the Hyper T side again. You may need a different medication or a dose adjustment, but you should never quit your medication without your doctor's approval. If you lack thyroid hormone for a long period of time, you face the risk of a very dangerous condition called myxedema coma, which can ultimately be fatal. The first time my Endo told me to decrease my dose from 10 mg to 5 mg, about 2 weeks after I did that I got a rebound effect of symptoms so I raised it by 2.5 mg and told her. why does this happen? Untreated Graves' disease caused severe problems for me. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties. Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal. He wanted me at 0 TSH. If you are feeling conflicted about your thyroid medication, discuss your concerns with your doctor. Treatment of hyperthyroidism with a combination of methimazole and cholestyramine. I am weaning off methimazole i was only taking 10 mg a day down to 7.5 mg for 2 weeks feeling lightheaded and was wondering if anyone knew of any side effects? Doctor did not tell me this , it was my naturopath, but I am glad I listened to her. I have hyper numbers - very low TSH and high/normal T4 and I have the same kind of symptoms you have: freezing cold and sometimes achy legs. I have my test results and I am taking 15MG Methimazole a day since 5/25 and the Endo told me to continue taking the same dosage Me again. We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure, Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them. We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure, Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them. But it can also cause weight loss and a reduced need for sleep, which some people actually welcome. Have been on it for 18 months. Follow all directions on your prescription label. 2. Im so confused. However, since starting to wean off, my numbers have gotten closer to the Hyper T side again. I'm on 2.5mg sun, we'd, Friday I was stressed about some things before. Sorry you're having these problems. as being in breach of those terms. My gut feeling is that this method seems to make greater ense than the shock and confusion of going 'cold-turkey'. I have very receintly been taken off Methimazole cold turkey atfter 6 years. Its been almost a month now on the 2.5 so Im going to get the blood work rechecked within a week or so. Yet to you, something does not seem right. At my last visit, my Dr suggested seeing if I could wean off my medicine. 19 users are following. Patient is a UK registered trade mark. Recently, after a six month stint of being in the normal range, my bloodwork indicated I was hyper. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek Good luck!!! The screen reading the results was behind me, and I was in a bed. I think its common to wean off after being in normal range for 12-18 months to see if its gone into remission, thats what my endocrinologist did the first time my graves was diagnosed. If you lack thyroid hormone for a long period of time, you face the risk of a very dangerous condition called myxedema coma, which can ultimately be fatal. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. over a year ago, peace2theworld The Content on this Site is presented in a summary fashion, and is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties. Methimazole may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. If there is a contraindication for the use of methimazole, alternative methods to treat hyperthyroidism should be considered after discharge, such as radioactive iodine or surgery. Hair loss. Same as sudden weather changes, we get headaches etc. Coming Off Percocet (Endocet) Or Oxycodone. I want to know if I should see another doctor. My body symptoms were freezing weak cold tired muscles and bones hurt. I'm afraid the L Carnitine I'll make me have more symptoms. Please get back to me.. It bounced around .53 to .25 then .50 again but never above. Generic name: methimazole [me-THIM-a-zole] By Mary Shomon This required my Endo to make a lot of lowering adjustments and I adjusted my carnitine dosages. (PTU), Methimazole, or Tapazole thyroid medicine 4 days before their tests. I had to do the same for 2 weeks and had no withdrawal symptoms and I was on 30mg at the time. Again, be sure to discuss any concerns with your doctor and do not stop taking your medication without consulting with them first. Growth of thyroid nodules, increasing goiter size. If you are covered by Medicare or Medicaid coverage, your thyroid treatments should be paid for under these plans. They do better controlling their thyroid hormones using Regular L-Carnitine. Weaning off of Methimazole What next? The antithyroid drugs methimazole (MMI) and propylthiouracil (PTU) are used as one option to treat patients with hyperthyroidism, especially those with Graves' disease. This list is not complete. The question is now . I remember being on armour thyroid. If you don't feel better after taking your medication for several months, you may need a dose adjustment or a different medicationnot a complete stop of your regimen. STIs are the most common cause of genital sores. Increased risk of infection. Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Methimazole is used to treat hyperthyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone. Am Fam Physician. I read somewhere that ALA can work on TSH. All lab work has come back in normal ranges. An EKG is ordered, revealing an irregularly irregular rhythm, and an urinalysis is conducted, showing many bacteria.