Treating Hypothyroidism
Doctors treat hypothyroidism with thyroid
hormone replacement medicines
Medicine is used to help restore the balance of thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in your body. This helps improve the symptoms related to your hypothyroidism that you may be feeling. Your symptoms may not go away immediately, but they should start to improve within several weeks of starting treatment. If not, call your doctor. Most people need to take thyroid medicine every day for life.
The active ingredient in thyroid medicines, such as Synthroid, is called levothyroxine sodium. It is similar to the thyroxine your body used to make naturally.
The doctor will need to carefully adjust the dose of medicine
Levothyroxine sodium has a narrow therapeutic index. This means that the amount of levothyroxine must be managed very carefully to help ensure proper treatment. The goal of treatment is to keep your TSH level between 0.3 and 3.0 mIU/L. You will need a TSH test about 8 weeks after starting treatment and with every change in dose your doctor makes. Several adjustments in dose may be needed before your doctor feels you are on the right dose for your body. TSH testing after any change in dose tells your doctor if your thyroxine level is in balance.
The goal of treatment is to keep your TSH level between 0.3 and 3.0 mIU/L.
Your doctor counts on you to share
information on how you are feeling
If your hypothyroid symptoms do not improve, or if you have new symptoms after you start taking thyroid medicine, talk with your doctor. Your dose may need to be changed. Try to be patient. It may take several months to find the right dose for your body.
Consistent treatment helps keep your TSH level in balance
Once your doctor has found the precise dose of levothyroxine that is right for your body, it is important that you get that exact amount every day. This is called consistent treatment. Any tiny change in the amount of levothyroxine your body absorbs can affect your TSH level. If your TSH level goes too high or too low, it can cause symptoms of underreplacement or overreplacement. Your doctor will do follow-up TSH tests every 6 to 12 months. Overreplacement or underreplacement can lead to problems such as heart disease, infertility, weak bones, and other health conditions. The Your Thyroid — Your Body tool can help you know these symptoms.
What can impact the precise balance of thyroxine in your body?
These things can change how much levothyroxine your body gets:
- Skipping doses. Take your thyroid medicine at the same time every day
- Food. This medicine is best absorbed on an empty stomach. Take Synthroid 30 to 60 minutes before you eat breakfast
- Other medicines or supplements you may be taking. Do not take iron supplements, calcium supplements, or antacids within 4 hours of taking Synthroid
- Changing to certain different thyroid medicines. Not all brands can be interchanged with each other. Talk with your doctor about the importance of staying with the Synthroid brand. Ask your doctor to write "Dispense as Written" (or your state's language for specifying no substitutions) on your prescription. This will help you get the brand your doctor chose for you every time you refill your prescription
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