Methimazole Information
Pronunciation
(meth IM a zole)
What is this drug used for?
• It is used to treat an overactive thyroid gland.
Frequently reported side effects of this drug
• Headache
• Itching
• Change in taste
• Fatigue
• Muscle pain
• Joint pain
• Hair loss
• Skin discoloration
• Vomiting
• Nausea
Other side effects of this drug: Talk with your doctor right away if you have any of these signs of:
• Infection
• Liver problems like dark urine, fatigue, lack of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, light-colored stools, vomiting, or yellow skin.
• Kidney problems like unable to pass urine, blood in the urine, change in amount of urine passed, or weight gain.
• Lupus like rash on the cheeks or other body parts, sunburn easy, muscle or joint pain, chest pain or shortness of breath, or swelling in the arms or legs.
• Low blood sugar like dizziness, headache, fatigue, feeling weak, shaking, fast heartbeat, confusion, increased hunger, or sweating.
• Shortness of breath
• Coughing up blood
• Burning or numbness feeling
• Swollen glands
• Bruising
• Bleeding
• Severe loss of strength and energy
• Edema
• Signs of a significant reaction like wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Medication Safety Issues
Sound-alike/look-alike issues:
MethIMAzole may be confused with methazolAMIDE, metOLazone
Storage and Stability
Store at 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F)
Adverse Reactions
Cardiovascular: Edema, periarteritis
Central nervous system: Drowsiness, drug fever, headache, neuritis, paresthesia, vertigo
Dermatologic: Alopecia, pruritus, skin pigmentation, skin rash, urticaria
Endocrine & metabolic: Hypoglycemic coma, hypothyroidism, insulin autoimmune syndrome
Gastrointestinal: Ageusia, enlargement of salivary glands, epigastric distress, nausea, vomiting
Hematologic & oncologic: Agranulocytosis, aplastic anemia, granulocytopenia, hypoprothrombinemia, leukopenia, lymphadenopathy, thrombocytopenia
Hepatic: Hepatitis, jaundice
Neuromuscular & skeletal: Arthralgia, lupus-like syndrome, myalgia
Renal: Nephritis
Rare but important or life-threatening: Acute hepatic failure, acute pancreatitis, acute renal injury, cerebral vasculitis, glomerulonephritis, hepatotoxicity, hypersensitivity angiitis, neuropathy, pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage, vasculitis (including ANCA positive)
