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Carbimazole side effects?!?!?! Going crazy with itching, help needed!

Posted , 7 users are following.

aaooxx
aaooxx

Hi everyone! I have recently had to start taking carbimazole for Graves's disease. After 3 weeks of Carbimazole, I developed this horrible itch on my all of my body, no rash but just a terrible itch. I was given anti-hystamines by the doctor but they made no difference. A month later, my blood tests were fine and thyroid hormones within normal limits, but still itching like crazy. Went to the doctor again and they stopped the carbimazole, which they said could be the cause of this itch. 

It's already been a week since I've been off this drug and the itch has not subsided. 

Has anyone else experienced this with carbimazole? How long did it take for the itchy-ness to go away? (Just going crazy here...)

Or if anyone had any other side effects and had to change/stop these medicines, how long did it take for side effects to go away??

 

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • linda187
    linda187 aaooxx

    Posted

    What dose were you on?  Itching and rashes tend to happen on higher dosages.
  • Bexbutton
    Bexbutton aaooxx

    Posted

    Did they take bloods to check your liver? Carbimazole can effect the liver and a symptom would be itchiness.

    I've not had this but was told to look out for it.

  • hypnocool
    hypnocool aaooxx

    Posted

    I did itch 3 weeks into methimazole same as carbimazole just different name.  I was on high dosage.  T4 > 8 , t3 >8, and TSH < 0.  definitely hyper and grave's. i was put on start taking methimazole 10mg 3x/day, when i was first diagnosed.  3 weeks into it the itch came and cramping.  my husband said i might be allergic to my meds which is what internet or forums said.  which means i have to stopped the meds so i did my own researched and one girl said she was overmedicated.  my endo told me to stopped methimazole until i get my blood test and then go see her.  when i saw her she prepared this rai discussion with me or ptu and i refused to accept that answer. it is easier for her to say that rai will be worst for my grav'se.  i asked her to lower my dosage and i will go into blood test everytime i sense different with my body.  so she did lower my dosage to 10mg per day instead of 30mg.  my body felt great after that.  it just everytime i get the itch i go get my bloodtest to hopefully lower my dosage gradually.  after 2 years of blood test and back and forth meds tethering now im at a constant 5mg every other day.  if you are allergic to the meds shoudn't we get that hive first day after taking that meds? right? puzzling... 0.=""  definitely="" hyper="" and="" grave's.="" i="" was="" put="" on start="" taking="" methimazole="" 10mg="" 3x/day,="" when="" i="" was="" first="" diagnosed.=""  3="" weeks="" into="" it="" the="" itch="" came="" and="" cramping.=""  my="" husband="" said="" i="" might="" be="" allergic="" to="" my="" meds="" which="" is="" what="" internet="" or="" forums="" said.=""  which="" means="" i="" have="" to="" stopped="" the="" meds="" so="" i="" did="" my="" own="" researched="" and="" one="" girl="" said="" she="" was="" overmedicated.=""  my="" endo="" told="" me="" to="" stopped="" methimazole="" until="" i="" get="" my="" blood="" test="" and="" then="" go="" see="" her.=""  when="" i="" saw="" her="" she="" prepared="" this="" rai="" discussion="" with="" me="" or="" ptu="" and="" i="" refused="" to="" accept="" that="" answer.="" it="" is="" easier="" for="" her="" to="" say="" that="" rai="" will="" be="" worst="" for="" my="" grav'se.=""  i="" asked="" her="" to="" lower="" my="" dosage="" and="" i="" will="" go="" into="" blood="" test="" everytime="" i="" sense="" different="" with="" my="" body.=""  so="" she="" did="" lower="" my="" dosage="" to="" 10mg="" per="" day="" instead="" of="" 30mg.=""  my="" body="" felt="" great="" after="" that.=""  it="" just="" everytime="" i="" get="" the="" itch="" i="" go="" get="" my="" bloodtest="" to="" hopefully="" lower="" my="" dosage="" gradually.=""  after="" 2="" years="" of="" blood="" test="" and="" back="" and="" forth="" meds="" tethering="" now="" im="" at="" a="" constant="" 5mg="" every="" other="" day.=""  if="" you="" are="" allergic="" to="" the="" meds="" shoudn't="" we="" get="" that="" hive="" first="" day="" after="" taking="" that="" meds?="" right?="">
  • Guest
    Guest aaooxx

    Posted

    I experienced itching while taking 30 mg Carbimazole per day. For some reason it was always worse at night. It affected mostly my arms, upper body, and oddly the palms of my hands. I noticed that scratching makes it worse and I would advise you to 'scratch' gently using your knuckles or the back of your hand (if you absolutely have to). I remember taking anti-histamines and the itching disappeared after approximately a week but also my dose got reduced to 20 mg per day.  

     

  • aaooxx
    aaooxx

    Posted

    I've had liver function tests and everything was fine with the liver. The endo said it was a common side effect even though I was on the minimum 5mg dose but I am really concerned it hasn't gone away even though I stopped the pills I still itch like crazy sad(
    • hypnocool
      hypnocool aaooxx

      Posted

      i do  like your endo because he/she endorsed the possiblity of side effects of carbimazole.  My endo wanted it off right away, RAI shortcut.  Mine took  2.5 weeks for the itchyness to come off.  and drink lots of water.  I too had itchyness at 5mg per day.  My endo tethered my dosage every 2weeks..lots of work
    • aaooxx
      aaooxx hypnocool

      Posted

      Oh wow! Thanks, it feels a bit better to know i'm not the only one out there! So you got stuck with the itch for 2 weeks after stopping carbimazole?

      I am just going crazy because nothing is making it better and I am not sure how much longer I can cope with this. Got a Gp appointment in a week and Google doesn't help at all with this sad

    • anna15782
      anna15782 aaooxx

      Posted

      i suggest you go nack to your endocrinolgst. the one who prescribed o you the carbi.

       

    • aaooxx
      aaooxx anna15782

      Posted

      it is slightly different in the UK, very hard to get to see an endocrinologist more often than every 3 months. In fact the GP first prescribed me carbimazole while I was on the waiting list for the endocrinologist... so the first point of contact for everything is the GP.

      I am on no thyroid medication now and I was really hoping this would get better soon, but I have no clue how these skin things are meant to last. 

    • Bexbutton
      Bexbutton aaooxx

      Posted

      Looks like there might be a bit of a postcode lottery on this! I was referred and seen in just under a month, and I see the endocrinologist when they think I need seeing, which has usually been 6 weekly but has been as often as 4 weeks when my bloods were worse again.

      For my initial referral I was referred by cardiology rather than my GP so don't know if that's why it was less time. Also my cardio spoke to the endo on the phone about me to see if they wanted to see me (I was subclinical at the time but have)

  • anna15782
    anna15782 aaooxx

    Posted

    hello, I too had the same experience.  was diagnosed hyperthyroid and after 3 weeks of medication i developed ichiness all over and since i am the type who cannot endure without scratching it developed into rashes from scratching.  it took only 6 hours to get all over my body, i had to drive myself to the hospital at 3 in the morning as i was having difficulty breathing.  They told me it was good i did not fall asleep as the rashes was all over inside and could have caused death due to choking in my sleep. 

    I was hospitalized for a week. I was having adverse reaction to my hyperthyroid meds (carbi) and therefore had to have another way to treat my hyperthroidism either surgery or RAI... i opted for the Radio Active Iodine which of course killed half of my thyroid function that i am now instead HYPOthyroid and am on synthroid for life!

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