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Thyroid medications encompass an array of different options, which differ not only in their composition but their intent. Hormone replacement therapy, such as Synthroid levothyroxine , is the most widely used drug for hypothyroidism.
They all, however, have one thing in common: Treatment with them must be optimized in order to adequately manage your thyroid disease. The role of the thyroid gland is to produce the hormones thyroxine T4 and triiodothyronine T3. When the thyroid gland becomes underactive—from Hashimoto's disease an autoimmune disorder , iodine deficiency , or surgical removal of the thyroid gland , among other causes—an insufficient amount of thyroid hormone is produced, leading to a variety of symptoms that affect one or more organ systems and range in severity from mild to debilitating.
In order to restore sufficient thyroid hormone levels in the body, everyone with hypothyroidism must take thyroid hormone replacement medication —exceptions include those whose underactive thyroid gland is transient e.
There are four main goals of thyroid hormone replacement medication:. Levothyroxine —also called l-thyroxine and L-T4—is a synthetic form of the T4 thyroxine hormone. T4 is the storage hormone, and it must be converted into T3, the active hormone, to be used by your cells. Levothyroxine is the drug of choice for the treatment of hypothyroidism.
Liothyronine is a synthetic form of T3 triiodothyronine. Brand names of liothyronine in the United States are Cytome l and Triostat. Keeping abreast of this research is valuable, as it may alter your thyroid care in the future.
Natural desiccated thyroid —also known as NDT, natural thyroid, or porcine thyroid,—is a prescription drug derived from the dried thyroid glands of pigs. NDT contains both T4 and T3. Common brands are Armour Thyroid and Nature-throid , and a generic is also available. Most endocrinologists and many mainstream healthcare providers do not support or prescribe the use of natural desiccated thyroid drugs; this is because they are combination drugs and because the ratio of T4 to T3 does not match up to the ratio of T4 to T3 in humans.
That said, certain select patients may respond well to NDT. Hyperthyroidism means the thyroid gland is overactive, producing too much thyroid hormone. If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember, if this is within a few hours of your usual time. If you do not remember until later than this, skip the dose and take the next dose at the usual time, unless advised otherwise by a doctor. An underactive thyroid is a lifelong condition, so you'll usually need to take levothyroxine for the rest of your life.
If you're prescribed levothyroxine because you have an underactive thyroid, you're entitled to a medical exemption certificate. This means you do not have to pay for your prescriptions. See getting help with prescription costs for more information on this.
Levothyroxine does not usually have any side effects, because the tablets simply replace a missing hormone. Side effects usually only occur if you're taking too much levothyroxine. This result was observed despite there being no differences in thyroid function blood test and psychometric test results, although use of desiccated thyroid extract was associated with some weight loss.
These results suggest that there may be a certain number of patients in who desiccated thyroid extract might be a reasonable treatment option. Further research is needed on this topic to confirm which patients this might benefit the most form desiccated thyroid extract therapy. Treatment requires taking thyroid hormone pills. Make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink too much alcohol. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller. Headaches should usually go away after the first week of taking levothyroxine.
Talk to your doctor if they last longer than a week or are severe. These symptoms should improve as your body gets used to levothyroxine. If it does not go away, or if it's causing you problems, contact your doctor. Try cutting down on coffee, tea and alcohol.
It might help to keep the room cool and use a fan. You could also spray your face with cool water or sip cold or iced drinks. The flushing should go away after a few days. If you get unusual muscle ache, which is not from exercise or hard work, talk to your doctor. You may need a blood test to find the cause. In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to levothyroxine.
These are not all the side effects of levothyroxine. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet. It's important to carry on taking levothyroxine throughout your pregnancy. Having too low or too high levels of thyroid hormone in pregnancy can cause problems for you and your baby. You'll need to have regular blood tests during pregnancy to make sure you're on the right dose of levothyroxine for you and your baby.
Most women need to take a higher dose of levothyroxine than usual while they're pregnant. It's usually safe to breastfeed while you're on levothyroxine. Thyroid hormones pass into breast milk in very low levels that are too small to affect the baby. If you're breastfeeding, it's important that you continue to take levothyroxine.
Your body needs good levels of thyroid hormones to make enough breast milk to feed your baby. Some medicines can interfere with thyroid hormones, so the dose of levothyroxine may need to be changed. They include:. Levothyroxine can change how other medicines work, so their doses may need to be altered. These medicines include:. Some medicines should not be taken at the same time of day as levothyroxine as they can reduce the amount of levothyroxine your body takes in, including:.
Read the information leaflet supplied with these medicines or speak to your pharmacist for advice on how much time to leave between taking these medicines and taking levothyroxine. There's very little information about taking herbal remedies and supplements with levothyroxine.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. The thyroid gland in your neck makes a hormone called thyroxine. Thyroxine controls how much energy your body uses the metabolic rate. It's also involved in digestion, how your heart and muscles work, brain development and bone health.
When the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroxine called hypothyroidism , many of the body's functions slow down. Some of the most common symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland are:. Levothyroxine is a synthetic version of thyroxine. You take levothyroxine tablets to replace the thyroxine that your thyroid gland cannot produce and prevent the symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Levothyroxine starts working straight away, but it may be several weeks before your symptoms start to improve and you feel any different. Treatment with levothyroxine is usually lifelong.
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