# methimazole itching



## Grandma Karen (Aug 11, 2013)

Three weeks today since I was diagnosed with graves and started my 30mg a day of methimazole. First ten days I was taking all three 10 mg pills first thing in the am...on advice from here (thank you!) My endo said take one 3x a day....today I itch ...no welts, no spots, no throat symptoms, nothing but very itchy for a few minutes, that place stops itching and another one starts...it's distracting but not horrible.

Called the endo and the nurse said they'll put a note on my chart, the Dr will review in the morning and then they'll call me.

I dont want to have to stop taking this since the levels are going down, did anyone have this and stay on it?


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

I had it, drove me crazy enough that they moved me over to PTU (propylthiouracil). *That* made me so nauseous that I gratefully transferred back to the MMI.  I simply starting taking a 24 hour antihistamine every day which controlled the itching pretty well.

What was the reason for the suggestion to take your whole dose at the same time? Typically the dosage spacing is three times a day, twice at the minimum, because the half life of MMI is 4 to 6 hours with a few individuals having a half life elimination of as little as 2.5 hours.


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## Grandma Karen (Aug 11, 2013)

I was prescribed 1x a day when I was in the hospital and at discharge, at the follow up the next week, I told the endo I was advised, here, to split the doses into 3x day, and she said yes. So I've been 3x a day for two weeks!

Once you went back to the MMI you didn't itch again? My labs dropped quite a bit, so I hate to have to try something else! I'll try Benedryl if the itching gets bad! Thanks


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

Ah, okay. Sorry that I misunderstood. 

Oh, I started itching again alright. IIRC it took a little longer the second time to kick in, but eventually it was back just as bad. It was still better than feeling like I was newly pregnant 24/7 on the PTU though. lol

Benadryl makes me spacey so I took the generic for Claritin which worked well.


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## Grandma Karen (Aug 11, 2013)

Well, the nurse called back this morning - said that I should stop taking methimazole today. See her Wed. morning. Track all symptoms I have, and she'll discuss Wed. and decide what to do about meds. She said that hyperthyroid also can cause itching - maybe this is to see if its the thyroid or the meds?

I hope I won't have any major issues over the weekend... I'm still on beta blocker original dosage when I was "sky high" and my labs a week ago showed FT3 and FT4 both dropped quite a bit. Grrrr this makes me nervous to go unmedicated...


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

I went about the same amount of time in between. Just watch your stress levels, pamper yourself a little between now and then and you should be fine.


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## Grandma Karen (Aug 11, 2013)

Just watch your stress levels, pamper yourself a little between now and then and you should be fine.

Thanks StormFinch! I'm glad its a holiday weekend, and I can relax most of it! I am babysitting for two grandkids this weekend, they are the best medicine!


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

Grandma Karen said:


> Thanks StormFinch! I'm glad its a holiday weekend, and I can relax most of it! I am babysitting for two grandkids this weekend, they are the best medicine!


You're very welcome Karen. Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy those grandbabies!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Grandma Karen said:


> Well, the nurse called back this morning - said that I should stop taking methimazole today. See her Wed. morning. Track all symptoms I have, and she'll discuss Wed. and decide what to do about meds. She said that hyperthyroid also can cause itching - maybe this is to see if its the thyroid or the meds?
> 
> I hope I won't have any major issues over the weekend... I'm still on beta blocker original dosage when I was "sky high" and my labs a week ago showed FT3 and FT4 both dropped quite a bit. Grrrr this makes me nervous to go unmedicated...




This Graves' Disease is a bummer. Have you considered ablation? Has your doctor outlined all your options?


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## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

Grandma Karen. Just a little trick I use for Grandma Duty. You set them down and sniff all the youth out of the top of their little heads. Does great for graves.


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## Grandma Karen (Aug 11, 2013)

Thanks for that advice hot grandma! I've got seven grandsons, between11 and 2 years old. Last night I had the 4 & 2 year olds...the two year old has a head FULL of beautiful curls...some day they'll be gone because I sniff and touch them so much! I'll start working on sniffing out some youth!

Andros she has not really gone into detail with me on anything other than trying meds first. In 2005 my mom was diagnosed with graves and she went into remission on meds and hadn't had any issues since then. If I'm going to end up allergic to the meds I know I'll end up having to do something else, but really haven't read much, since my hopes were set on meds and remission :-(


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## evak (Jun 4, 2013)

For what it's worth, I experienced the same at exactly the 3 week mark on Methimazole. The itching was very, very bad. An OTC antihistamine did the trick, and over the following 10 days, I needed the antihistamine less and less, and then not at all. My dose of Methimazole never changed and the itching went away on its own. The antihistamine just help manage the itch for me.


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## Grandma Karen (Aug 11, 2013)

If I can get to the point of a very low dose I'm going to ask her if I can go back to the methimazole, which from what I've read is not as hard/dangerous on your liver.. right?

I hate taking pills!


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## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

Grandma Karen said:


> If I can get to the point of a very low dose I'm going to ask her if I can go back to the methimazole, which from what I've read is not as hard/dangerous on your liver.. right?
> 
> I hate taking pills!


I agree with your strategy on going back to MMI on a lower dose. Right not as hard on your liver.

Maybe try putting the pills in a spoon of jello. You can also get empty gel caps at the health food stores and put them in the gel caps, won't taste them that way.


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## kristiemarie (Oct 7, 2013)

Yeah, I've had itching associated with several medications I've been on and every time my doctor has taken me off. It's not an allergy, per se, but it's a sensitivity that can turn into an allergy.

Try PTU and if not, you can opt for RAI or surgery.


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## Grandma Karen (Aug 11, 2013)

I'm having some itching going on again, with the rash that comes and goes, now that I've been on the PTU for about 4 weeks - my levels have come down quite a bit and my dose was reduced somewhat - but my I'm planning to do the RAI in about a month from now - (my liver enzymes were very slighly off this last time I had bloodwork done, and I'm terrified of being on long term anti-thyroid medications - I'm aware I'll be on long term synthroid, etc. but I am very attached to my liver (LOL) and want to prevent long term damage! I'm aware I'm also going to most likely go to slightly HypO during this last month before the RAI, and my Dr. said that the itching could actually just be from the thyroid hormones too - either when hypER or hypO... Benedryl helps, and it usually happens after 8pm anyway....


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Grandma Karen said:


> Three weeks today since I was diagnosed with graves and started my 30mg a day of methimazole. First ten days I was taking all three 10 mg pills first thing in the am...on advice from here (thank you!) My endo said take one 3x a day....today I itch ...no welts, no spots, no throat symptoms, nothing but very itchy for a few minutes, that place stops itching and another one starts...it's distracting but not horrible.
> 
> Called the endo and the nurse said they'll put a note on my chart, the Dr will review in the morning and then they'll call me.
> 
> I dont want to have to stop taking this since the levels are going down, did anyone have this and stay on it?


It was horrible; one of the very things that propelled me towards RAI. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!

Only thing that would help were cool showers and that did not go over so good in the wintertime. LOL!


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## Grandma Karen (Aug 11, 2013)

Me too Andros, me too!

You tell people you get a rash pretty much nighly and "insane itching" and they say oh. Thats too bad. But, I've *never* had this type of itching before and could probably go insane if I dealt with it long!

I get it often on my feet/legs, and instead of a shower sit with the cold water running into the tub and hang my legs in there, under the flow of water... doesn't always help, but takes my mind off of it for a while!


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