[Momof5]

#1059890

Can symptoms lag behind falling levels? I’ve been taking Methimazole and Atenolol for just about four weeks. My bp and pulse were not crazy high, but higher than normal when I started. I started on 25 mg of Atenolol, then upped to 50 mg for about two weeks.

Last week, I dropped back down to 25, and this week down to half a pill (12.5 mg). I’m FREEZING when I take the pill, even the low dose, but my heart races a bit (90’s)when I wake up and I can still feel light palps on and off throughout the day. My bp is good to low normal and my pulse is way down even on 12.5 mg. I’m also really sleepy.

Can the palps and racing heart be residual as my numbers are falling? I have a call not my endo and did Bloodwork yesterday, so I should know today or tomorrow where I stand and if my levels are still high or if they dropped.

I just don’t know what to think or feel. I actually think my anxiety was worse on the higher dose of Atenolol. Can 12.5 mgs really affect me that much?

[LaurelM]

#1178563

Hi,

Glad to read that your anxiety is lessening even with the reduced dose of the beta-blocker. That could be a good indidicator of a reduction in thyroid hormone.

As for the other symptoms, my personal experience is that whenever my levels are changing (even in the right direction or withing the ‘normal’ range), it feels like my body fights the change. My body just doesn’t seem to like it and thinks ALL change is bad. I have increased fatigue, muscle aches, palpitations etc. until my body adjusts to its new ‘normal’.

The other thing that I sometimes suspect is that my thyroid is like a car engine and that the GD is pushing on the gas peddle inconsistently. Sometimes it gives me a quick extra ‘rev’.

Take care,
Laurel

[LaurelM]

#1178564

Hi,

Glad to read that your anxiety is lessening even with the reduced dose of the beta-blocker. That could be a good indidicator of a reduction in thyroid hormone.

As for the other symptoms, my personal experience is that whenever my levels are changing (even in the right direction or withing the ‘normal’ range), it feels like my body fights the change. My body just doesn’t seem to like it and thinks ALL change is bad. I have increased fatigue, muscle aches, palpitations etc. until my body adjusts to its new ‘normal’.

The other thing that I sometimes suspect is that my thyroid is like a car engine and that the GD is pushing on the gas peddle inconsistently. Sometimes it gives me a quick extra ‘rev’.

Take care,
Laurel

[linzyyyy]

#1178565

Hi! Yes I think your symptoms can lag, and also overlap with hypo/hyper. I was on Propanolol for a few weeks following RAI and coming off the beta blocker, I would still get some weird jumps in heart rate and palps. I even had some 90s pulse days and palps when I was in the hypO range. Glad your anxiety is getting better!
Lindsay

[Momof5]

#1178566

Good news!

3 weeks and 5 days on Methimazole and….

My Free T4 went from 4.9 to 2.5 (upper range is 1.
My Total T3 went from 327 to 196 (upper range is 181).
Liver panel was still normal.

(I’m a little confused as she stated the T3 free was not as reliable as Total T3, but I thought I read just the opposite somewhere. Maybe I’m just confused)

So, it’s good news. She’s keeping me on the same dose for two more weeks and then we’ll retest again and possibly reduce if I am in normal ranges.

It seems I have been blessed to find a pretty good endo and I’m hopeful for the first time since this rollercoaster started.

We didn’t get my TRAb levels back yet, so that will be another puzzle piece to add.

[Kimberly]

#1178567

Hello – That’s great news that you are seeing some progress! Free T4 is definitely considered superior to Total T4. However, he latest medical guidance says that tests for Free T3 have not been as “widely validated” as tests for Free T4, and therefore many practices use Total T3. I assume that comment means that it just hasn’t been subjected to testing as rigorous as what has been done for Free T4.

Did your doc have any comments/suggestions on the heart palps?

[Momof5]

#1178568

She said it could be my body adjusting to the new levels and I could continue the beta blocker or discontinue as I feel ok.

[Momof5]

#1178569

Wow. I think a lot of my symptoms were actually side effects of the Atenolol. Go figure.

[sparkkeh]

#1178570

I’ve been wondering something similar! I started methiamazole 30mg day in late february, and my symptoms were pretty severe, as was the thyroid level – over five times the upper limit of normal (i forget the actual numbers, except TSH which was .02)

I haven’t had more bloodwork since then – my next appointment with my endo is not until May 31.

I had a couple weeks after it started working where I felt very high anxiety, but “good”ish – the lifelong depression lifted, I had energy, I didn’t need but 2 hours of sleep at night to feel like I had enough sleep… then I felt REALLY good – 5/6 hours of sleep, anxiety gone, I was like OH MY GOD THIS IS WHAT NORMAL PEOPLE FEEL! which I have literally never experienced in my adult life. I wasn’t hot or cold, I wasn’t irritable and screechy, I wasn’t exhuasted and achy… I felt GOOD. Not the weird manicky good like at first, just GOOD. That lasted a little more than three weeks.

Now, for the last few days I’m back to … well, where I was before my thyroid went batshit: FREEZING. Tired, depressed, fatigue, muscle aches… everything seems to take so much EFFORT. And my head hurts.

I wonder if the methiamazole worked faster/better than she expected and I’m slipping the other way? I don’t know. Can that happen? I mean, can the methiamazole work so well that I end up hypothyroid?

I’m still trying to figure all this out, and I hate it. It’s making me feel crazy.

[Kimberly]

#1178571

@sparkkeh – It’s actually common to re-test thyroid hormone levels a few weeks after being on Methimazole to see if the dose needs to be adjusted downward. Being on too high of a dose for you *can* indeed cause levels to swing from hypER to hypO.

I would suggest calling your doc’s office ASAP, letting them know about your specific symptoms, and telling them that you need a set of labs now, rather than waiting until May 31.

Take care – and please check back to let us know how you are doing!

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