I had my carbimazole dose increased mid Nov as my hyperthyroidism flared up. On propranolol as well. How long before my sleep will improve?

How long before Carbimazole helps Insomnia caused by hyperthyroidism?

[Lalatoot]

I used to lie with one ear bud in listening to music and it helped me drift off for an hour or two.

[Hidden in reply to Lalatoot]

Thank you for the suggestion. The insomnia is the worst part of it this time. Trying to stay positive...it will return to normal again.

[pennyannie]

Hello TM40 :

Was insomnia a symptom the first time around and resolved with the AT drug ?

Insomnia was my main symptom that eventually took me to the doctor and along with the dry gritty eyes and exhaustion I'd simply accepted were all resolved within a couple of weeks of being on the Carbimazole

It's all a question of degree - symptoms v the level of AT drug being prescribed.

Is this a second flare, or you have experienced years of " Grave's phases " ?

More information helps forum members help you and them, with a better understanding of this poorly understood and badly treated auto immune disease.

Do you know of the Elaine Moore Graves Disease Foundation website ?

[Hidden in reply to pennyannie]

Hi pennyannie, thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. I was diagnosed with borderline hyperthyroidism in September but because I had such severe symptoms my GP started me on 40mgs of Carbimazole straight away. I'm still waiting for an appointment to see an Endo. In late August, early September I started suffering from insomnia and severe anxiety at night. The Carbimazole did sort my sleep out but it took at least 6 weeks. The propranolol extended-release capsules have worked very well for the night sweats and anxiety this time but I still can't sleep properly. Thanks for the website suggestion, I will take a look

[pennyannie in reply to Hidden]

Have you had a blood test run to confirm you actually have Graves Disease which is an auto immune disease. ?

You need to have the medical evidence of positive and over range unique antibodies for Graves - generally displayed as either a TSI ( a thyroid stimulating ) and or a TR ab ( a thyroid receptor blocking ) antibody.

There is more than one reason why these symptoms may have occurred :

There is also Hashimoto's, another autoimmune thyroid disease which just attacks the thyroid, which starts the same way as Graves but is not treated with AT medication.

With Hashimoto's AI thyroid Disease the hyper episodes are transient and your T3 and T4 levels comes down back into range by themselves,.

With Graves AI disease the T3 and T4 keep rising and AT drugs are prescribed, generally for a 15-18 month window as left untreated Graves is said to be life threatening.

You can read more about both these AI diseases on the Thyroid UK website and if you haven't on line access to your medical records suggest you get this arranged, as it's much easier than keep asking for copies of your blood tests results and ranges.

And on that point, do you have the blood test results and ranges at diagnosis of this borderline hyperthyroidism as we are now legally entitled to copies of all our medical records.

If the antibodies have been run there's the proof, since you either are, or are not, with an auto immune disease, either Graves or Hashimoto's Disease, both are issues with your immune system and treated differently - the antibodies are needed to be identified.

[Butterflyshaped]

Hi there,

In my experience, Vit D3 sprays have helped immensely. I used to be woken up regularly by the thumping in my ear so I know how disturbing it is. Everyone is unique and I should say that I have never needed more than 5mg Carbimazole per day in any case for Graves Disease control of T4 and TSH.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Hope this helps <3

[Hidden in reply to Butterflyshaped]

Hi Butterflyshaped, thank you for responding. I will definitely try the Vit D3 spray.

[HenriC]

Hi. I was on carbimazole and levythyroxine for 5 years to help manage my hyperthyroidism, thankfully I can say I'm off both now and my thyroid has been performing properly for 18 months which is great. I'm no expert, but the below is what I believe to be correct, though you should only take advice from a proper endo consultant obviously.

Being on 40mg of carbimazole alone will cause problems without the levythyroxine to replicate the thyroids function, it will cause problems with metabolism and with your mental health such as anxiety. You need to see the endo asap really. I put on 5 stone while I was just on carbimazole, and suffered from mental health issues such as agitation. It can also take time to find the right balance of medication, and in the meantime you can suffer side effects. I ended up being on 40mg carbimazole and 150mcg levythyroxine which was the right balance for me.

Medication aside, I believe problems with thyroids can arise because of lifestyle, diet and mental stress. If you smoke, stop. Ensure you eat a healthy, balanced diet of fresh natural food, avoid processed rubbish as much as possible. Check your vitamin levels - as others have suggested people with thyroid issues can be low in some vitamins, particularly vitamin D. Get a blood test and see if you need to take any specific vitamin supplements. And finally take care of your mental health, life stress can, in my non-medical opinion, impact on thyroid function. I adopted a more relaxed and laid back approach to life and I really believe that helped me. You have to take care of your mind and body, and take great care about what you put into it - that has been the biggest lesson for me from having this issue for 5 years.

Good luck, and know that with time things will improve.

[Sunny70]

Really sorry but I have no idea as I’ve never had trouble sleeping! To be honest I don’t know enough about carbimazole but need to ask endocrinologist when I see him next, good luck