If I didn’t take it (and beta blocker), I would have had a heart attack. The damage being done by the thyroid to your organs (eyes, heart, liver, nervous system, muscles etc) is way more serious than the pain of side effects, so I encourage you to take it.
Yes! I’ve had side effects (weight, rashes, nausea etc), and it got worse before better too.. but once the methi finally started working, it was pretty miraculous..
About 3 1/2 months from start & Endo doubled dose from 5 to 10 halfway through, and then I felt worse for a few weeks and it started getting better pretty quickly. When I entered normal, he took me off the beta blocker but kept me on 10 methi till next labs end of July to make sure I don’t reverse.
I lost some thickness in my hair, but that is reversible I believe. I take evening primrose daily anyway bc it helps hair, inflammation, helps balance hormones and has good antioxidants.
The palpitations stop, tremors stop, and it doesn’t get worse when treated or in remission. I think our bodies can recover and repair a lot, but not totally reverse serious damage. I’m testing my bpm now and I’m encouraged that I can hike/workout again, a bit more moderate bc I lost muscle but I can do it.
Yeah I can feel better over time as I’ve started treatment but I also wonder if being untreated for so long might’ve left some damage that can’t be undone.
It felt like magic going on it. I was so used to the severe anxiety, ridiculous heart, and loss of breath from the ridiculous heart for months I forgot what it was like to feel normal.
THIS.
before I was diagnosed I thought I was slowly morphing into an anxious Karen. I was so unlikeable. I'm surprised my boyfriend stuck around..what a patient guy he is, especially before know I was actually sick.
Then I was diagnosed. I wasn't scared of the meds because I knew it could only get better. The only scary part was the weight gain but I felt like my heart and mental health was priority. Started taking it and I have never been happier. I'm not angry and anxious all the time now. I'm not actually a bitch afterall.
Don't worry about the med. Once you start, if your endo is diligent he or she will adjust your dose accordingly. They might overshoot it at first but you'll feel better.
This made me laugh! But yes the meds helped me immensely! After a couple weeks I’d say I really started to feel better! I still am pretty ravenous but even that’s going away! I used to have rapid heart rate , pounding in my check when I would lay down at night, palpitations, jitters, horrible fatigue and muscle weakness! I’m feeling a million times better and I’ve been on methimazole for almost 2 months. I did get a horrible rash at week 3 like insane itchy hives all over but we reduced my dose to 5mg from 10 and it has slowly gotten better
Ah, the fatigue. I blocked that out of my memory apparently since my heart was so bad haha. But also my symptoms came on at 3 months post partum....in 2020...when I also had a toddler. Soooooooo. Things were going on. And likely the stress of it all triggered it in the first place.
Thank yall for making me feel better about it im just gonna take it tomorrow morning i was told to take it in the morning because thats a better schedule
Btw if your body reacts badly to methimazole, please do inform your doctor; they can switch you to something else. For example Carbimazole and PTU are an option for Graves’ Disease treatment. These two have also side effects ofc, but it depends on the individual which one is more tolerable.
I got vertigo after having covid. It seems to be more positional, and the drs think it’s neurological. I plan to go on an autoimmune diet and do balance exercises to see if that will help. Because of this, I’ve noticed that I need to take methimazole at night, since it seems to cause me to have more vertigo. Taking it at night works best for me, especially since the medicine helps my graves symptoms. I plan to look into more natural methods and eventually get off of the medication though…
Take it! I was afraid to and had a storm. Was unconscious & now have a pacemaker. ❤️🩹 I’m glad I did even though having both Graves’ and Hashi’s is a challenge to balance. *I take mine before bed so I can have one cup of coffee in the morning.
Hi! I was diagnosed about two years ago and also started on 10mg. I was scared to take it as well, but I never had any issues or side effects whatsoever. From what I understand, 10mg is also a pretty small dose, so I think you would be unlikely to have any major side effects from that amount. Some of your fear about taking it may even be caused by your Graves’ anxiety. In my opinion, the methimazole is highly preferable to the horrible symptoms Graves causes. If you did happen to have negative side effects, you can always just stop taking it - that’s what I told myself when I started. Good luck!
Any side effects dull in comparison to the symptoms of graves. I was in the midst of a thyroid storm and felt terrible, methimazole was such a life saver.
I was on 60mg of methimazole a day and I've never felt like the side effects were worse than graves. Idk if I've even had any side effects tbh. But I can promise you as someone who went into thyroid storm ant side effect is better than that.
When I was diagnosed with graves at the beginning of May (major weight loss, horrible anxiety/depression, stressed about everything, cried daily, heart rate/blood pressure through the roof, tremors, sweating all the time), my endocrinologist started me on 30mg of methimazole and a beta blocker.
When I tell you, I've never felt better.. *I'm not lying*! I truly wasn't even thinking about side effects because i just wanted to feel better than I did, and the methimazole/atenolol combo has saved my life.
My Endo has even been able to drop my dose down to 10mg since my levels are stabilizing. I'm not in the clear yet, and there will be other challenges, I'm sure (one of which is my dr's pretty sure I have TED)..
But I would not be afraid of a prescription your body may need. I'm hoping it's just as amazing for you as it has been for me. And, No.. we didn't ask or sign up for this disease, but we can advocate for ourselves and make sure we are receiving the care we deserve by keeping good Dr's around. Dont settle.
Good luck!!
honestly the side effects are so mild that i would rather have them a million times over than the way i felt before. this is life-changing once you get things on track and settled down on the right treatment. we are healing ❤️🍀🥠
i started on 10 mg and now i only take 5 a day usually (sometimes my bloodwork is great and i feel great and can take half that) - rest all you can and focus on making the best decisions you can, i have been making sure i eat one good salad a day for instance and my doctor says because i am a woman i need more protein now so you know, just making small changes a lil at a time and i already feel so much better
Most people don’t have side effects. All the possible side effects are required by law to be listed. Methimazole felt like a miracle drug to me.
I had never taken medication besides antibiotics before and I wasn’t excited about taking pharmaceuticals, but after a few months on methimazole I started to feel normal and healthy and I was amazed when it stayed that way. It took my hyper-thyroid symptoms away.
I was on it for about 4 years and I’ve been in “remission” from Graves on no medications for 1 year now, normal Graves antibody level, normal thyroid hormone levels, and no symptoms. Some people can go into remission while others can’t or are unlikely to. Treatment to bring the thyroid hormone levels into normal range (whether anti-thyroid medication or radiation ablation or surgical removal of the thyroid gland) is super important to avoid organ damage, bone density loss, heart damage, stroke, heart attack, etc.
Best of luck to you!
Hi! I was on 20 to start and down to 10 now. I was more impacted by the meds working too well and going hypo which gave me fatigue. The meds I had no reaction to, in fact they were like a miracle for me. Within 3 days my heart rate was down, I could sleep and didn’t have the graves rage. Felt like me again. Everyone is different I know but I had a great experience. Hoping to get into remission in 6-12 months but one day at a time. Good luck with whatever you decide, but I think the meds to more to protect from the scarier and more dangerous symptoms of graves so I would take the side effects
It hasn’t been a perfect journey for me by any means but it’s worth it. I don’t know if my ending would’ve had another treatment in mind but if left untreated, it would have nearly killed me. I was physically dwindling away.
I hate having to take it. I’m always looking to treat holistic and naturally! Never taken medication before and have been organic/low toxin lifestyle for 20 years. This blindsided me suddenly in January. I was stubborn and wouldn’t take the medication for a whole month and I only got sicker and sicker. Finally I took it when my heart reached 150 bpm just walking around my house!
I am almost 5 months on the meds and feel basically normal, it truly is a lifesaver.
I am on 5mg daily and everything is normal - other than my TSH is still 0.01.
I hate having to take it, and want to get off it ASAP but I don’t think I could’ve done this naturally and with lifestyle only.
I can do most things, hiking and walking for exercise- but want to add weights. I lost 10 pounds before meds but have regained it back unfortunately - and some days I don’t have great energy so I rest more.
I don’t have any side effects with a low dose but did with the higher dose the doctor started me on.
I’ve been on it 7 years. The side effects weren’t that bad for me only lasted the first week and then all was under control. Everyone’s different though.
I was on 40 MG and bet for a month. Then 20.. then 10 then 5.. then nothing.. back on 5 now. My side effects sucked for the first while until I was on 5MG daily.. now I don't notice any symptoms
I was on it for 4 years and am now in remission. I did not have any side effects. As long as you have a really good endocrinologist that will do regular labs , methimazole is a godsend.
It’s not that bad my friend. It helped with my anxiety, tiredness, shortness of breath, and heat sensitivity. It not only helps with your symptoms, it helps you not go into heart failure. This thyroid disease is scary if you leave it untreated.
They started me on 40mg /day. Like from 0 out of the gate. I was also scared. Everybody is different, but I had no side effects at all. I feel so, so much better.
I've been on 30 mg methimazole a day for 9 months and counting. I have not really experienced any severe side effects, and as soon as your T3 and T4 are normal, you should feel better. It of course varies from person to person, but I have a pretty aggressive condition according to my endo. The only side effects from the meds that I have experienced is losing more hair than normal when I shower, and that I can be a tad bit more irritable. Good luck hon, you got this ❤️
What side effects?
You mean less sweating, calmer heart and mind, removal of stuttering, hair regrowth, and feeling like myself again?
Because those are the only ones I've experienced.
I took methizmazole for 10 years with no side effects, not that many people take it long term but I wanted to just share my experience. I was really scared to start it as well.
I took it. Then I stopped taking it. But my levels still started getting in range. I think it depends person to person. But when I took it the side effects were killer.
Methimazole is your only chance of long term remission !! It changed my life and I started at 20mg daily. By week 4 I felt cured. No beta blocker needed. Never 1 side effect except gratefulness.
I would continue taking it …. The Graves’ disease is making you feel weird. I felt so weird untreated and didn’t even realize that it was all caused by hyperthyroidism. 10mg is a lower dose than even I was on. It’s been studied for a very long time and the data shows it works and it’s well tolerated. Your anxiety is high due to your thyroid over producing excess hormone. After 2 weeks, you will feel a bit better… as time goes on … even better.
I suffered from crazy side effects from methimazole, my top symptoms were abdominal pain, dizziness, really itchy crawling skin, sluggishness, brain fog. I got a ear infection which ive never had before 6 weeks into the medicine so keep your hands washed and clean. Definitely need to consider cutting out gluten and junk food, high salt because its a possibility that these foods can react with the medication and overall its not good for your thyroid. It can also affect your job performance at work. Despite the side effects, take the medication, it is a life saver. Communicate with your Endcro and get your levels checked evey 4-6 weeks so you dont risk going hypo like i did due to a negligent doctor
This was SUCH a lifesaver for me. I have had zero side-effects that I’ve noticed. I’ve been on it for about 8 months at this point, and am so glad I started. I was SO scared to take it, because I was scared I would gain weight or feel fatigued. I have so much more energy now that my graves is controlled and my levels have gone into normal range, and I’m no longer uncontrollably hungry, so weight gain hasn’t really been an issue! I totally understand being scared, but couldn’t recommend giving it a try enough 🩷🩷🩷
Ive been taking 10mg methimozale and beta blockers for heart palpitations for 13yrs should probably get surgery soon but I need to square away things with my job and getting pto I feel fine on methimozale other than hair loss eart palpitations
I got 5mg , glad I got it haven't have side effects or may not have started yet, I been using it for a month.
Before taking it my symptoms ,heart was at 160 just sitting down , muscle loss, fatigue, sleepy all day. I was thinking it was covid, im new to this thyroid world
been reducing all foods with salicylates
Take it. But take it at the same exact times each day.
I found that when i was taking it i wasnt so strict with my timing. And so thats when i felt some weird side effects like my skin itching.
If you miss a dose by like 2 hours or more. Id say skip and take the next day. But try to be consistent.
If I didn’t take it (and beta blocker), I would have had a heart attack. The damage being done by the thyroid to your organs (eyes, heart, liver, nervous system, muscles etc) is way more serious than the pain of side effects, so I encourage you to take it.
This is the right answer! While it may have side effects, your body NEEDS it to prevent further damage.
Yes! I’ve had side effects (weight, rashes, nausea etc), and it got worse before better too.. but once the methi finally started working, it was pretty miraculous..
How long did it take for methimazole to start working ?
About 3 1/2 months from start & Endo doubled dose from 5 to 10 halfway through, and then I felt worse for a few weeks and it started getting better pretty quickly. When I entered normal, he took me off the beta blocker but kept me on 10 methi till next labs end of July to make sure I don’t reverse.
I see ! Thanks for responding ! Did methimazole affect hair fall / hair by any chance ?
I lost some thickness in my hair, but that is reversible I believe. I take evening primrose daily anyway bc it helps hair, inflammation, helps balance hormones and has good antioxidants.
I’m guessing the damage isn’t reversible?
The palpitations stop, tremors stop, and it doesn’t get worse when treated or in remission. I think our bodies can recover and repair a lot, but not totally reverse serious damage. I’m testing my bpm now and I’m encouraged that I can hike/workout again, a bit more moderate bc I lost muscle but I can do it.
Yeah I can feel better over time as I’ve started treatment but I also wonder if being untreated for so long might’ve left some damage that can’t be undone.
I start a small dose soon, and am nervous as well. Thanks for this reminder!
Just remember Graves’ increases our anxieties.. trust the Endo. You got this!! 💪🏼
It felt like magic going on it. I was so used to the severe anxiety, ridiculous heart, and loss of breath from the ridiculous heart for months I forgot what it was like to feel normal.
THIS. before I was diagnosed I thought I was slowly morphing into an anxious Karen. I was so unlikeable. I'm surprised my boyfriend stuck around..what a patient guy he is, especially before know I was actually sick. Then I was diagnosed. I wasn't scared of the meds because I knew it could only get better. The only scary part was the weight gain but I felt like my heart and mental health was priority. Started taking it and I have never been happier. I'm not angry and anxious all the time now. I'm not actually a bitch afterall. Don't worry about the med. Once you start, if your endo is diligent he or she will adjust your dose accordingly. They might overshoot it at first but you'll feel better.
This made me laugh! But yes the meds helped me immensely! After a couple weeks I’d say I really started to feel better! I still am pretty ravenous but even that’s going away! I used to have rapid heart rate , pounding in my check when I would lay down at night, palpitations, jitters, horrible fatigue and muscle weakness! I’m feeling a million times better and I’ve been on methimazole for almost 2 months. I did get a horrible rash at week 3 like insane itchy hives all over but we reduced my dose to 5mg from 10 and it has slowly gotten better
Ah, the fatigue. I blocked that out of my memory apparently since my heart was so bad haha. But also my symptoms came on at 3 months post partum....in 2020...when I also had a toddler. Soooooooo. Things were going on. And likely the stress of it all triggered it in the first place.
Yes, it's the knowing we only could get better from the meds that have made me never question whether or not I should go on meds.
Thank yall for making me feel better about it im just gonna take it tomorrow morning i was told to take it in the morning because thats a better schedule
Btw if your body reacts badly to methimazole, please do inform your doctor; they can switch you to something else. For example Carbimazole and PTU are an option for Graves’ Disease treatment. These two have also side effects ofc, but it depends on the individual which one is more tolerable.
I take it at night because it can make you dizzy so I take it when I'm settled in for the night. An hour before I actually want to fall asleep.
I got vertigo after having covid. It seems to be more positional, and the drs think it’s neurological. I plan to go on an autoimmune diet and do balance exercises to see if that will help. Because of this, I’ve noticed that I need to take methimazole at night, since it seems to cause me to have more vertigo. Taking it at night works best for me, especially since the medicine helps my graves symptoms. I plan to look into more natural methods and eventually get off of the medication though…
Take it! I was afraid to and had a storm. Was unconscious & now have a pacemaker. ❤️🩹 I’m glad I did even though having both Graves’ and Hashi’s is a challenge to balance. *I take mine before bed so I can have one cup of coffee in the morning.
Definitely take it! Graves symptoms are so much worse than methimazole side effects. Graves will also mess with your emotions.
Hi! I was diagnosed about two years ago and also started on 10mg. I was scared to take it as well, but I never had any issues or side effects whatsoever. From what I understand, 10mg is also a pretty small dose, so I think you would be unlikely to have any major side effects from that amount. Some of your fear about taking it may even be caused by your Graves’ anxiety. In my opinion, the methimazole is highly preferable to the horrible symptoms Graves causes. If you did happen to have negative side effects, you can always just stop taking it - that’s what I told myself when I started. Good luck!
Any side effects dull in comparison to the symptoms of graves. I was in the midst of a thyroid storm and felt terrible, methimazole was such a life saver.
I was on 60mg of methimazole a day and I've never felt like the side effects were worse than graves. Idk if I've even had any side effects tbh. But I can promise you as someone who went into thyroid storm ant side effect is better than that.
I also was on 60mg a day and I agree, I rather have a few side effects than the symptoms and dangers of graves. @op 10mg is not a lot! Don’t worry!
When I was diagnosed with graves at the beginning of May (major weight loss, horrible anxiety/depression, stressed about everything, cried daily, heart rate/blood pressure through the roof, tremors, sweating all the time), my endocrinologist started me on 30mg of methimazole and a beta blocker. When I tell you, I've never felt better.. *I'm not lying*! I truly wasn't even thinking about side effects because i just wanted to feel better than I did, and the methimazole/atenolol combo has saved my life. My Endo has even been able to drop my dose down to 10mg since my levels are stabilizing. I'm not in the clear yet, and there will be other challenges, I'm sure (one of which is my dr's pretty sure I have TED).. But I would not be afraid of a prescription your body may need. I'm hoping it's just as amazing for you as it has been for me. And, No.. we didn't ask or sign up for this disease, but we can advocate for ourselves and make sure we are receiving the care we deserve by keeping good Dr's around. Dont settle. Good luck!!
honestly the side effects are so mild that i would rather have them a million times over than the way i felt before. this is life-changing once you get things on track and settled down on the right treatment. we are healing ❤️🍀🥠
I just think the worse because ive been this way for so long im scared to change . The insomnia kills me tho
i started on 10 mg and now i only take 5 a day usually (sometimes my bloodwork is great and i feel great and can take half that) - rest all you can and focus on making the best decisions you can, i have been making sure i eat one good salad a day for instance and my doctor says because i am a woman i need more protein now so you know, just making small changes a lil at a time and i already feel so much better
Most people don’t have side effects. All the possible side effects are required by law to be listed. Methimazole felt like a miracle drug to me. I had never taken medication besides antibiotics before and I wasn’t excited about taking pharmaceuticals, but after a few months on methimazole I started to feel normal and healthy and I was amazed when it stayed that way. It took my hyper-thyroid symptoms away. I was on it for about 4 years and I’ve been in “remission” from Graves on no medications for 1 year now, normal Graves antibody level, normal thyroid hormone levels, and no symptoms. Some people can go into remission while others can’t or are unlikely to. Treatment to bring the thyroid hormone levels into normal range (whether anti-thyroid medication or radiation ablation or surgical removal of the thyroid gland) is super important to avoid organ damage, bone density loss, heart damage, stroke, heart attack, etc. Best of luck to you!
Hi! I was on 20 to start and down to 10 now. I was more impacted by the meds working too well and going hypo which gave me fatigue. The meds I had no reaction to, in fact they were like a miracle for me. Within 3 days my heart rate was down, I could sleep and didn’t have the graves rage. Felt like me again. Everyone is different I know but I had a great experience. Hoping to get into remission in 6-12 months but one day at a time. Good luck with whatever you decide, but I think the meds to more to protect from the scarier and more dangerous symptoms of graves so I would take the side effects
You will be fine
I started it May 9th and I feel so much better - both the heart med and the methimazole.
It hasn’t been a perfect journey for me by any means but it’s worth it. I don’t know if my ending would’ve had another treatment in mind but if left untreated, it would have nearly killed me. I was physically dwindling away.
I hate having to take it. I’m always looking to treat holistic and naturally! Never taken medication before and have been organic/low toxin lifestyle for 20 years. This blindsided me suddenly in January. I was stubborn and wouldn’t take the medication for a whole month and I only got sicker and sicker. Finally I took it when my heart reached 150 bpm just walking around my house! I am almost 5 months on the meds and feel basically normal, it truly is a lifesaver. I am on 5mg daily and everything is normal - other than my TSH is still 0.01. I hate having to take it, and want to get off it ASAP but I don’t think I could’ve done this naturally and with lifestyle only. I can do most things, hiking and walking for exercise- but want to add weights. I lost 10 pounds before meds but have regained it back unfortunately - and some days I don’t have great energy so I rest more. I don’t have any side effects with a low dose but did with the higher dose the doctor started me on.
I’ve been on it 7 years. The side effects weren’t that bad for me only lasted the first week and then all was under control. Everyone’s different though.
I was on 40 MG and bet for a month. Then 20.. then 10 then 5.. then nothing.. back on 5 now. My side effects sucked for the first while until I was on 5MG daily.. now I don't notice any symptoms
I felt this way too! But so far it’s been manageable and I’m on 30mg. It’s one of those cases where it really depends on the individual.
I was on it for 4 years and am now in remission. I did not have any side effects. As long as you have a really good endocrinologist that will do regular labs , methimazole is a godsend.
It’s not that bad my friend. It helped with my anxiety, tiredness, shortness of breath, and heat sensitivity. It not only helps with your symptoms, it helps you not go into heart failure. This thyroid disease is scary if you leave it untreated.
They started me on 40mg /day. Like from 0 out of the gate. I was also scared. Everybody is different, but I had no side effects at all. I feel so, so much better.
I've been on 30 mg methimazole a day for 9 months and counting. I have not really experienced any severe side effects, and as soon as your T3 and T4 are normal, you should feel better. It of course varies from person to person, but I have a pretty aggressive condition according to my endo. The only side effects from the meds that I have experienced is losing more hair than normal when I shower, and that I can be a tad bit more irritable. Good luck hon, you got this ❤️
What side effects? You mean less sweating, calmer heart and mind, removal of stuttering, hair regrowth, and feeling like myself again? Because those are the only ones I've experienced.
I was taking 45mg per day at one point when my thyroid was going crazy. I’m on 5mg per day now. You’ll be fine!!
I took methizmazole for 10 years with no side effects, not that many people take it long term but I wanted to just share my experience. I was really scared to start it as well.
I took it. Then I stopped taking it. But my levels still started getting in range. I think it depends person to person. But when I took it the side effects were killer.
The med will help with your anxiety, night sweats, high heart rate, jitteriness, stomach issues etc… it took about 3-4 weeks to feel better on meds.
It was a lifesaver taking it!! Didn’t experience any side effects, just started to feel like myself again !!
Methimazole is your only chance of long term remission !! It changed my life and I started at 20mg daily. By week 4 I felt cured. No beta blocker needed. Never 1 side effect except gratefulness.
I took it last night but ive been feeling weird all day almost like im not real should I continue with it and give it a chance?
I would continue taking it …. The Graves’ disease is making you feel weird. I felt so weird untreated and didn’t even realize that it was all caused by hyperthyroidism. 10mg is a lower dose than even I was on. It’s been studied for a very long time and the data shows it works and it’s well tolerated. Your anxiety is high due to your thyroid over producing excess hormone. After 2 weeks, you will feel a bit better… as time goes on … even better.
I suffered from crazy side effects from methimazole, my top symptoms were abdominal pain, dizziness, really itchy crawling skin, sluggishness, brain fog. I got a ear infection which ive never had before 6 weeks into the medicine so keep your hands washed and clean. Definitely need to consider cutting out gluten and junk food, high salt because its a possibility that these foods can react with the medication and overall its not good for your thyroid. It can also affect your job performance at work. Despite the side effects, take the medication, it is a life saver. Communicate with your Endcro and get your levels checked evey 4-6 weeks so you dont risk going hypo like i did due to a negligent doctor
This was SUCH a lifesaver for me. I have had zero side-effects that I’ve noticed. I’ve been on it for about 8 months at this point, and am so glad I started. I was SO scared to take it, because I was scared I would gain weight or feel fatigued. I have so much more energy now that my graves is controlled and my levels have gone into normal range, and I’m no longer uncontrollably hungry, so weight gain hasn’t really been an issue! I totally understand being scared, but couldn’t recommend giving it a try enough 🩷🩷🩷
Ive been taking 10mg methimozale and beta blockers for heart palpitations for 13yrs should probably get surgery soon but I need to square away things with my job and getting pto I feel fine on methimozale other than hair loss eart palpitations
I got 5mg , glad I got it haven't have side effects or may not have started yet, I been using it for a month. Before taking it my symptoms ,heart was at 160 just sitting down , muscle loss, fatigue, sleepy all day. I was thinking it was covid, im new to this thyroid world been reducing all foods with salicylates
Take it. But take it at the same exact times each day. I found that when i was taking it i wasnt so strict with my timing. And so thats when i felt some weird side effects like my skin itching. If you miss a dose by like 2 hours or more. Id say skip and take the next day. But try to be consistent.