Can Carbimazole cause hypothyroidism ?

[Kari55]

My husband has been on 40mg of Carbimazole for 3 weeks and his next endo appointment is in 3 weeks. He has started feeling much better now and we are worried that he has to stay on such a high dose that long. What are your thoughts?

[Kari55]

Thanks for replying. When this dose can start causing problems? Is he ok to continue for another 3 weeks?

[Hennerton]

No, I reacted very quickly to Carbimazole and had a dose reduction after two weeks. I think you should ask for a blood test next week and check how he is doing. It would be useful to keep a record of all these results. Ask your GP for a printed copy each time. You need to keep on top of things yourselves as doctors will not do it for you unless asked.

[Rmichelle]

Yes i woyld get new bloods done but it is not unsual to feel ok at first and then feel more poorly on it, i went through the same!!

[Kari55 in reply to Rmichelle]

He is meant to have blood tests in 2 weeks and see his endo in 3. Should he have them done earlier? I don’t think his endo would be happy.

[Rmichelle]

Personally i would get them done earlier, i have my bloods done every 4 weeks, its not the endos body its his!! Everybody reacts to carbi differently i was on carbi 20mgs for 3 months as my levels moved slow at first but that was in july, however in december i became hypo as it is very difficult to get the balance right. 😊

[Rmichelle]

Dont forget printouts of bloods you are in charge of his health DO NOT leave it to endos and gps as they are useless at the best of times.😊😊

[Kari55 in reply to Rmichelle]

Oh yes, he learnt it the hard way as never took his printouts when he was in remission and the unexpected relapse his him badly.

[Rmichelle]

Yes we all learn from our mistakes, hope he gets bloods done.☺

[Fruitandnutcase]

Definitely ask for bloods to be done.

When I started treatment for Graves I was on 20mcg carbimazole for four weeks and nothing really happened when I was retested after that time.

I was then put on 40mcg and not tested until I was due to go for my first endo visit two months later by which time I was quite hypo. I went from <0.03 - I was told my TSH would have been lower than that but that’s as low as the lab goes - anyway I went from rock bottom to nearly 7.00 so ask for another blood test. I would definitely have preferred not to have become so hypo.

Hypo felt quite different to being hyper but it wasn’t a pleasant experience to lurch from one extreme to the other and if you can avoid it I would.

[Kari55 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thanks Fruitandnutcase. My husband should have asked for sooner tests last Friday but he is worse than a child sometimes. Sorry to hear you had such a journey. Did you then go back from hypo to normal or is that not possible?

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Kari55]

Yes, I did get back to normal. By the time I was hypo I was ready to start on the replace part of my block and replace treatment. The endo suggested I stop my carbimazole for ‘a few days’ but to start the levothyroxine straight away, so I stopped the carb for five days then started it again.

Tell me about men! My husband has finally had a new hip! It must have been needing done for at least five years but - there’s wrong with my hip, by the time he had it done he could barely walk. Silly man.

Hope it all works out ok for your other half and even if he does end up hypo it’s not the end of the world - I would just have preferred not to.