Anyone have hyperthryoidism/Grave's Disease or taking a beta-blocker?

[mom1982]

Hi I have just been diagnosed less than 2 weeks ago and have been put on 20mg propranolol(beta blocker) twice a day and 5mg carbimazole(lowers thyroid) twice a day. I have only been taking the carbimazole.

Part of my anxiety is being afraid of taking new meds and just wondering if anyone here has taken either or both, what doses and how did it make you feel?

I usually have low to normal blood pressure but a resting heart rate of 90 to 110 bpm for one year now(even when i was not hyperthyroid).
The beta blocker is to slow down my heart rate but propranolol is also used as a bp med to lower bp and i am scared if i take it, it will make my bp too low & i'll get dizzy or pass out (i've seen it happen many times to my dad cause he has to take a high dose of bp meds).

Any advise?

[countrygirl]

I can understand your fear especially as your blood pressure is low side anyway. How much betablocker have you been given if its just 10mg dose a day then unlikely to affect your blood pressure as they use much higher doses of this.
why don't you arrange a day when someone can be with you all day or even ask your Drs surgery if you could take it there and wait in waiting room in case you react badly - they may think your nuts but at least you would know there was a nurse or Dr around in case but this is extreme I would just make sure someone was with me and be at home so if you did get low blood pressure then you are near your doctors - not that they would do anything other than say stop the betablocker. At least you would know what was causing low blood pressure.
It all depends on dose?????
The most important drug is the antithryoid one make sure you do take that religiously.

[joannap]

i can totally relate to what you are saying because last year i was diagonsed with over active thyroid but to be honest - i felt happier taking the propranalol rather than carbimazole - this was because i was given an emergency letter to give to a gp/hospital to get priority treatment if i had a very sore throat/high temp. this is because carbimazole can have the side effect of lowering your immune system. However - before you worry about this (as i did obesessively!) it is very rare and other drugs such as paracetamol etc can cause this and i have been taking paracetamol for years without worrying.

it is important to take the propranalol to stop the racing heart etc - i had to take mine because my heart literally shook me physically - my thyroid was that bad. my bp was normal/low and i was on 80mg propranalol a day so much more than you have been prescribed.

there really is no need to worry - the worst that can happen is that you may feel a little dizzy/spaced out - if that is the case then just simply take a little less - it is not going to lower your blood pressure to dangerous levels.

have you actually being diagnosed with graves from blood tests as they presumed i had classic graves but mine was a temporary inflammation - i only took the carbimazole for around 6 weeks.

[joannap]

ps - i did get a terrible throat when on carbimazole and had to rush to a and e for a blood test - all fine - turned out to be a cold!

[mom1982]

Thanks for the advice, i started taking the carbimazole at a kids party so i'd be surrounded by people :) it's so sad that the anxiety makes us do things like that. my husband always takes new mes at home even when nobody is around, i forget what it's like to be "normal".

I know the white blood cell thing and it scared the heck out of me. i do have a dry uncomfortable throat since taking it, low grade fever and some phelgm. i might have had it the day before i took the carbimazole and haven't got better after one and a half weeks now. i'm scared the carbimazole lowered my immune so i can't get better. i've been itching to see a doc and get a blood test, other than that i haven't been too sick besides palps every day and my heart jumping out of my chest at 100bpm!

[blueangel]

Hi there

The maximum daily dose of propranolol is 240 mg, so you're only taking a very small proportion. At low doses, the side effects are likely to be minimal at most. I take 80mg daily to control migraines and the only real side effects I've ever had is cold hands and some slightly weird dreams at first.

[joannap]

the local pharmacy told me that if you were ill because of the carbimazole affecting yoru immune system it would be severe - not just a bit of a sore throat (because i seemed to have this as soon as i started taking it! but maybe because i was worried about getting symptoms!). when i went for a blood test for my throat - it was so sore i could not swallow and bright red so i would not worry if you just feel you have a bit of a cold etc. xx