Medications such as levothyroxine, propyltiouracil or metimazole are used to treat thyroid disorders because they help regulate the functioning of this gland.
The thyroid may suffer from diseases that cause an exaggeration of its functioning, hyperthyroidism or insufficient functioning, generating hypothyroidism, which can be caused by inflammation, diseases of the immune system or infections. Learn more about diseases that can affect your thyroid.
- Thyroid remedies can help regulate these changes and should be indicated by your doctor.
- Especially the endocrinologist.
- And the type of medication.
- Dose and duration of treatment depend on the cause.
- Type of disease.
- As well as symptoms.
Drugs used to treat hyperthyroidism are called antithyroid drugs because they are responsible for inhibiting thyroid hormone production. Some of them are:
These remedies have antithyroid action, responsible for inhibiting the production of thyroid hormones. The dose of the drug can be gradually reduced as the values are normalized. Alternatively, high doses may be administered in combination with levothyroxine to prevent pharmacological hypothyroidism.
Your doctor may also prescribe a beta blocker, such as propranolol or atenolol, for example, to control adrenergic symptoms, especially in the early stages, while antithyroid drugs have no effect.
In some cases, medications may not be enough to treat hyperthyroidism, and your doctor may indicate therapies such as radioactive iodine or even thyroid surgery. Learn about other treatment options.
Medications used to treat hypothyroidism are responsible for replacing or supplementing thyroid hormones:
Levothyroxine should always be initiated at low doses and adapted to each person’s scans, to avoid excessive doses that cause side effects or even hyperthyroidism, especially in older patients, who may be more sensitive to the effects of the drug.
Medications to treat thyroid disorders can cause symptoms, while your dose has not yet been adjusted correctly. The main symptoms are:
The dose of thyroid remedies is not safe and linear, with significant differences between patients. There are people who may find low-dose well-being, while others need higher doses.
Thus, it is normal to have the need to change the dose of the drug over time and, therefore, the endocrinologist requests periodic blood tests, and evaluates the symptoms presented, in order to find the ideal dose for each case. This setting can take 3 to 6 months to reach and, even after reaching the ideal, can be changed months or years later.
By taking medications to treat hyperthyroidism, the person may gain weight because it slows down metabolism. Conversely, people in treatment for hypothyroidism may lose weight because the drug increases metabolism, causing the body to burn more fat, even without increasing daily activities, but there is no general rule that suits everyone.
When the person has significant weight loss, more than 10% of the starting weight, he or she may ask the doctor to re-test, as underweight can be a health hazard.
Watch the following video, nutritionist guidelines on how foods can promote thyroid function: