[lileone]

#1060410

Well, after three weeks of quickly-dropping levels of FT3 and FT4 and feeling wonderful, I have developed the weird itch from the ATD (I’m taking methimazole, 20 mg, and just dropped down to 10 mg). My endo is not concerned and told me to just take Benadryl, that in a week or two as my body adjusts it should go away.

The itch isn’t constant. I’ll get a mosquito bite feeling somewhere (e.g., my wrist) and then a couple of tiny white bumps develop surrounded by red. In a little bit, maybe 10 mins, they go away and move somewhere else. This doesn’t happen all the time, maybe a couple of times a day, and at night when I go to bed I get an actual hive welt here and there. Or my palms and soles of my feet will itch for 10 mins then stop.

My endo again doesn’t want to do anything besides put me on Benadryl. It IS helping, I can sleep, and I don’t need it during the day just at bedtime. He is a professor of endocrinology at a respected school here, found him on this website, and he’s supposedly the best locally, so he is very knowledgeable.

This is the weirdest side effect ever! I was feeling so great, too. Not sure what to do, honestly. I’m OK on the Benadryl, but I worry.

I’ve been through the forum, and some docs have immediately taken you off the meds. Some have struggled through and the itching has gone away. It’s interesting reading, and I’m so glad this forum is here to research!

[snelsen]

#1182471

Hi, it seems your doc is doing the reasonable right thing at this time. It is a total pain to be taken off your ATD, and presents a whole bunch of new problems and decisions.

As you have seen in the forum, itching is a problem for some who take ATD’s.
The only other suggestion I have, is to continue to watch your labs, and ask your good doc if he will check your liver function, if that is not happening already.

People who have not experienced itching, do not understand that it can be every bit as disturbing as pain. Glad the benedryl is helping. And hope all goes away soon.
Shirley

[Kimberly]

#1182472

Hello – You mentioned that your levels are coming down, but I don’t know if you are still in hyper territory…if so, that can contribute to itching as well.

The latest medical guidance does note that for “minor” skin irritation with ATDs, you can keep taking the meds in conjunction with antihistamines.

Hope that you can get some relief soon!

[lileone]

#1182473

My current labs from late last week:

Ft3 5.7 pg/ml (range 2.3 -4.2)
Ft4 1.3 ng/dl (range 0.9 -1.

Three weeks ago my Ft3 was over 20 and Ft4 was 5.8! There’s no doubt the methimazole is working, the question is can I handle the itching and hives for much longer.

[keilinger]

#1182474

I had exactly this. The welts seemed to appear mostly at night. Taking an anti-histamine (Zyrtec) after dinner helped prevent them or at least reduce the itching and redness. There’s no way I could have slept without the Zyrtec, so even though it’s not fun to be on multiple drugs, the benefits of taking an anti-histamine seem to outweigh the costs. After a week, I tapered off the Zyrtec and after about two weeks, the itching completely went away. My methimazole dosage changed from 30mg to 20mg over the course of these two weeks; that might have helped, or maybe my immune system just adapted.

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