Methimazole and Nausea: What Users Say

• Tex...
• January 27, 2020

For Hyperthyroidism "This medicine is brutal. After a short week of Methimazole, I began to start feeling aches in my muscles, nerves, and joints. I am miserable. I’m walking around here like a drunk lady. My head hurts too. My entire body feels like it’s been through a wreck. Dizziness, constipation, headaches, nausea, muscle pain, nerve pain, joint pain. I feel nauseated and dizzy and can’t go poop now! My stomach is feeling so bad. And I feel unwell all day. I’m not sure if I can keep taking this medicine. Has anyone else felt this way? Help me!"

• Tas...
• January 17, 2021

For Hyperthyroidism "I have Graves’ disease. I’m on and off this medication. I really don't like it but have no choice but to take it because I want to keep my thyroid as long as I can because once you take it out, all it will do is go to another organ, then there's another problem. I don't like the side effects of this medication: headache, nausea, constipation, dizziness, body aches, tired all the time, like you have no energy, low white blood cells. It sucks. They need to make a new medication. It’s no winning with this disease and medicine."

• Spa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 24, 2019

For Hyperthyroidism "My hands were trembling, and leg muscles were weak, hair loss and 62 lbs lost. I was diagnosed with Graves. I started a low dose of methimazole 5 mg and kept doing labs, increasing 5 more mg at a time. I am now at a 30 mg dose, which my doctor considers a high dose and thinks it’s time to radiate the thyroid as I’m not in remission. Side effects were itching, slight nausea, joints aching all over instead of usual arthritic hands. Immediate and continuous weight gain every time I increase the dose. Feeling kind of lazy and sleepy. My labs are all normal, but I’m getting a goiter-like thing in my neck. But it’s been 2 years, so I will take the radioactive meds and switch to thyroid hormones. Would be interested in knowing how the radioactive swallow works out for others. Did side effects cease? They say there are no side effects after the radiation, whereas with the methimazole, you can have liver and kidney damage over too long a period."

• DKM...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 28, 2016

For Hyperthyroidism "1) The first 4-5 days were rough - very nauseous, but then it cleared up. 2) I take it in the evening shortly after I get home from work, by itself - no other medication for at least two hours, this was done on the recommendation of the pharmacist. Always with food. 3) Getting blood work done on a required basis to make sure nothing else is going on in the bloodstream. 4) Exercising and eating small balanced meals, drinking plenty of water. 5) Swelling or itching has not been an issue so far. 6) My heart rate is down, and I am more energetic."

• Che...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 31, 2016

For Hyperthyroidism "Horrible diarrhea, headache, nausea, gastrointestinal upset, mental fogginess, weakness, flu-like symptoms, and the worst abnormal hair loss. I stopped taking this drug 2 weeks ago and want to know when these side effects will go away."

• KCJ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2022

For Hyperthyroidism "I have been taking methimazole for almost 2 weeks, 30 mg a day. Day 7, this medication made me so nauseous till I would throw up. My doctor told me I could split the doses up to help with the nausea. I now take 10 mg 3 times a day, and the nausea has gone away. I have been weighing myself because the doctor says the meds can cause weight gain, but I haven’t gained any. I had horrible night sweats and rapid heartbeat, and both have almost ceased. I do have a little more energy, but I find I’m more irritable. I get my first blood drawn in a few weeks, so hopefully things are stable. My TSH was .01, T3 12.8, T4 4.14, so I was definitely hyper."

• sur...
• January 7, 2021

For Hyperthyroidism "This is an update on my hyperthyroidism. I'm at the beginning of month 6. I'm taking 10 mg a day now, but I started with 30 mg. With my treatment, my side effects started at month 4 with being dizzy all day and feeling like gastro. I started having a lot of gas, and my stomach makes weird noises. I did all the tests twice, he said, I saw all your results and all is good, then you have to wait until we finish the treatment. It may be the meds. Finally, the nausea is gone, but I still feel my stomach weird sometimes and also some tingling. Also, a few days ago, I got some red bumps, an allergy on my right arm, but very mild and is almost going away. About the weight gain, I got 20 pounds, but I started to get back to normal once they lowered the meds. No more water retention. Just to finish, I ask you to put the time when your side effects started, because in the pharmacy, they said the side effects are at the beginning of treatment, but I doubt it. So that's why I put the time frame, so we can all compare. Cheers."

• Zan...
• August 20, 2016

For Hyperthyroidism "I just started taking methimazole, and I don't like how I feel. My back hurts, and my right hand near my little finger gets sharp pains shooting through it. I can't eat because I'm nauseated all the time. I get dizzy and can't focus. I looked at the side effects, and I have a few of them, I don't like that."

• Dre...
• October 16, 2020

For Hyperthyroidism "I was diagnosed 3 months ago with hyperthyroidism and have been taking 20 mg of Methimazole daily. I had lost 65 lbs before taking the meds and have since put on 25 lbs. I have been hit with many side effects after about a month of taking meds. I am hungry every 2 to 3 hours, and the stomach pain I get is unbearable. I get bad nausea where I have to throw up. The nerves in my legs and whole body are really bad. I twitch so bad at night that my girl has to sleep in another bed. I can't sit still while watching TV. I get the shakes in my hands and legs. My stool is really black, and my heart feels like it's coming out of my chest sometimes. My hands and arms get tingling, and my voice is hoarse. I go see my doctor next week, and I will tell him he has to change the dosage or change the medication. I worry about what it's doing to my body. I work out 4 to 5 days a week to maintain my weight."

• Goo...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 11, 2022

For Hyperthyroidism "I love and hate methimazole. I love that it effectively keeps my flu-like symptoms, mood swings, and anxiety attacks under control. I hate that I let this drug get me so sick just because it was “the lesser of two evils” for so long. Two months after starting a low dose of 5 mg, I started getting regular lower abdominal pain, dizziness, muscle pain, and peripheral neuropathy. Now, seven years later, my body has finally said enough. I am so nauseous and dizzy and anxious I can’t go out of my house. I have swollen glands in my neck that are painful, and I pee all night long. My recent symptoms have gotten much worse lately, and I’m getting my thyroid removed soon so that I can get off this drug. Praying whatever drug I’ll need to be on next will at least be a little better than this."

• Hyp...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2018

For Hyperthyroidism "I've been taking this drug for a week. The first week, I took it along with a new set of anxiety and allergy pills... and BOY, let me tell you, be careful driving while taking this pill. I was on the way to work in 8 AM Atlanta traffic and felt really woozy and dizzy in that traffic. I also was on an iced coffee binge that week, and it really upset my stomach. In addition to stomach pain, nausea, headache, and loss of appetite. I just recently found out I was hyperthyroid last October, and I battled back and forth with starting this medication. I honestly preferred the radioactive iodine based upon research, but my doctor advised this would be the best route for me to take. My symptoms have eased, and I don't suffer from as bad stomach cramps, nausea, and loss of appetite."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 29, 2020

"I have Graves' disease, and this medicine, methimazole, makes me euthyroid, but my stomach feels awful while taking it. I can barely eat, I feel nauseous and bloated. I can't find a lot of people with this side effect, though, so I'm not sure what the problem is. I thought it wouldn't have any effects other than taking away my hyperthyroidism..."