Carbimazole

[Debsoxford]

I've now been on 20mg for 7 weeks results before taking tsh 0.01 3T4 20.7 3T3 9. After results tsh0.01 (.30-4.20) 3T4 25.3 (9-19) 3T3 7.9.(2.6-5.70)

Can somebody please explain what's going on?

Thanks

[Raventhorpe]

I think your not on high enough dose of carbimazole, what has your endo said about your results? You obviously need an increase in my opinion, but I'm not a doc just someone who has had graves desease.

[Debsoxford in reply to Raventhorpe]

Ok thanks Raventhorpe. Haven't seen Endo there was a 6 month wait and as I'm due to move totally out of atea soon I didn't book it. GP is phoning later I agree with yoy Aaron getting palpitations back which stopped after 4 weeks of carbimazole

Best wishes

Debs

[Fruitandnutcase]

I took 20mcg a day for four weeks and it made virtually no difference, think there was a slight change in my T4 but the TSH remained <0.03 below reference limit, my endo wrote to me (three month waiting before I could actually meet her) telling me to get more pills from my GP and to double up to 40mcg.

Did that and two months later I was quite hypo. Unfortunately I was only tested after the first four weeks on 20mcg so I'm not sure at what point I stopped being hyper and became hypo.

Once I got started on block and replace -40mcg carbimazole daily with ever increasing thyroxine, I was eventually taking 100mcg Levothyroxine, my body got back to normal. It took almost exactly a year.

Should say that even when I started with the Levo as soon as I needed an increase I got the palpitations and hyper signs back. I thought I was gong hyper again but some on here told me (correctly!) that I was probably needing an increase in Levo.

[Debsoxford]

Thanks fruitandnutcase I've not seen an endo my GP as from today has increased my dose to 40mg daily and I've already booked the blood test as agreed with him for 6 weeks, hopefully this will sort levels out more

Best wishes

Debs

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Debsoxford]

Good that your doctor has increased it and good that you've booked your next blood test. Hopefully you won't become hypo. Believe it or not being hypo is just a horrid as being hyper but just in a different way.

Do you know how the endo / hospital you are going to treats hyperactive thyroids? Also do you know if you have thyroid antibodies that would indicate that your overactivity is caused by Graves Disease?

I knew from the start that I was hyper and that I had thyroid antibodies , I read a lot about it and the first endo I saw explained everything to me but never mentioned Graves. In the end he said something and I said 'what you mean like Graves Disease ?' He looks ken at me then pointed at me and said 'Graves Disease, yes, that's what you've got, you use got Graves Disease.

Have to say I was left wondering if he would have mentioned the G word if I hadn't.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Carbimazole has a short half-life in the body.

Some people find that taking it in one dose means that it simply does not adequately cover 24 hours. Split dosing can help.

Although 20 milligrams may well not be sufficient, now you find your dose increased to 40 milligrams, take the two tablets around 12 hours apart. That will help keep the level of the medicine high enough to be effective round the clock.