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PTU or methimazole?

Posted , 3 users are following.

wendydong
wendydong

I took 80mg of methimazole daily for about 3 weeks until i had severe skin rash and muscle pain.

I stopped for about 12 days now.

Before I stopped methimazole, my T3 T4 was in range, and my TSH was detectable (0.018)

Now after 12 days, my T3 T4 is slightly above range and TSH is undetectable again:

FREE T3 6.2 pg/mL (2.0 - 4.4 pg/mL)

Free T4 2.77 ng/dL (0.82 - 1.77 ng/dL)

TSH <0.006 uIU/mL (0.450 - 4.500 uIU/mL)

My endo wants surgery, but i said no.  She now pretty much leaves the treatment up to me, and prescribed me PTU. So now I have PTU and Methimazole at home

Should I try Methimazole at a much lower dosage (10mg?) or try PTU?

Thanks

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Mike61308
    Mike61308 wendydong

    Posted

    Hi Wendy, First, I think you should ask your doctor for lowering MMI dose (to maybe 5mg?)   Second, ask doctor to diagnose the actual type of thyroid disorder (toxic thyroid nodule, graves, etc.)  And third, do research on the natural cure of autoimmune/graves disease (e.g., diet, supplement, herb etc.- lot of information can be found in this forum) and try the process.
    • wendydong
      wendydong Mike61308

      Posted

      Thank you.  I have started on the herbal stuff (a cocktail of Bungleweed/motherwort/lemon balm).  And adding Carnitine and CoQ10.  

      would treatment be different if my cause is a toxic thyroid nodule? My endo never gave me an iodine uptake test.  So i am wondering if i do take the test and it's decided it's a toxic thyroid nodule, would the treatment be different?

    • wendydong
      wendydong

      Posted

      I have couple thyroid nodules.  And they did a biopsy and it was benign.  But when I talked to the ENT for my hyperthyroid, she said to treat my hyperthyroid, she would do take out my whole thyroid.  she said it wouldn't be effective if she just take out partial... 

    • Mike61308
      Mike61308 wendydong

      Posted

      Yes, I think the treatments for toxic nodule and graves disease should be different because toxic nodules cause thyroid disorders (thyroid turn bad), but graves disease is caused by autoimmune disorder, i.e., thyroid is the victim, in this case, suffered from the attack of the miss-fired immune system. For serious nodule problem, surgery may be needed to remove the cause-- nodule or thyroid grand. However, for graves disease, it can be resolved by curing/recovering immune system. You need a sure diagnose on which type disorder/hyperthyroidism.
  • linda187
    linda187 wendydong

    Posted

    Your Free T3 and T4 are not that much over range.  Mine were there and came down into mid range on a 10 mg dose of Methimazole.  However, I continued to take the 10 mg dose and kept them in mid range but my TSH was less than 0.001 for two years until I added first Regular L-Carnitine 3,000 mg and then added 1,000 mg of Acetyl-L-Carnitine to this and my TSH just shot right up.  I did however, get my Total Carnitine and Free Carnitine levels checked before I started the supplement and I was deficient.  I also was tested for Vitamin D and was deficient and vit D is very important for thyroid patients so I took this too.
    • wendydong
      wendydong linda187

      Posted

      I don't even know where to get the Carnitine level and vit D level tested.  I asked my doctor, and she can't even find the test in her system.  

       

  • linda187
    linda187 wendydong

    Posted

    Where do you live Wendy?  I know they are done in large teaching hospitals in large cities.
    • wendydong
      wendydong linda187

      Posted

      I live in seattle, and i go see doctors at Swedish hospital.  But when I talked to my doctor, she tried to find it in the system to order, and she can't...

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