Hypothyroidism how long to regulate

Find out how to get your medication right and discover the pitfalls of getting it wrong. To determine your levothyroxine dosage, your doctor will draw your blood to test for thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH. The pituitary, which is a part of your brain, makes TSH in response to how much thyroid hormone is in your blood. The higher your TSH level , the more starved your brain and body are for thyroid hormone — a sign that your doctor needs to increase your dose of the synthetic replacement hormone.

Unless your TSH levels are unusually high or you have a known cardiac condition, such as a rapid heartbeat or angina , your doctor typically will start you out at a low dose of about 50 micrograms a day. Because of the very long half-life of the hormone, it will take a least three to four weeks for the blood levels of thyroid hormone to stabilize. Then you'll probably have a TSH test every four to eight weeks, and the readings from those tests will be used to determine your precise hypothyroidism treatment.

Based on the test results, your doctor may increase or decrease the dose until your thyroid hormone levels stabilize. If you find that your levels are not stabilizing, you and your doctor will need to discuss alternatives.

Your doctor might prescribe another type of levothyroxine or see if you respond better to a combination of different thyroid hormones. Medications and Supplements to Consider and Avoid. Levothyroxine, a synthetic thyroid hormone product, is the standard treatment for managing hypothyroidism and is available under various brand names eg, Levothroid, Synthroid.

The good news is that hypothyroidism can almost always be completely controlled with the use of synthetic levothyroxine, as long as the recommended dose is taken daily as instructed. The exact dose will depend on your age and weight, the severity of the hypothyroidism, the presence of other health problems, and whether you are taking other drugs that might interfere with how well the body uses the thyroid hormone.

About 1 to 2 weeks after you start treatment with levothyroxine, you will likely notice that your levels of fatigue have improved. It is important that you take your medication exactly as prescribed and not miss any doses as well as maintain routine checkups with your primary health care provider. Your doctor will monitor your thyroid stimulating hormone TSH levels about 6 to 8 weeks after you begin therapy and make any necessary dosage adjustments when warranted. If your dose needs to be adjusted, you will require more labs to check your TSH levels.

Once you are at a stable dose, your doctor will typically require you to have blood tests repeated in 6 months, and then once a year after that.

While hypothyroidism cannot be prevented, you can lead a normal and productive life if you take your medicine as prescribed. Some important things to remember once you start taking thyroid hormone medication include 3,4 :. Without enough iodine in the diet, people can develop an iodine deficiency. This can cause hypothyroidism and a goiter a swollen and enlarged thyroid gland to develop 3,9. In places where people have access to enough iodine in their diet, hypothyroidism is most often caused by an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's disease Physical or medical damage to the thyroid.

Hypothyroidism can also develop when the thyroid is physically damaged. This can happen when someone is receiving treatment for hyperthyroidism or having surgery or radiation around the area of the thyroid 7. Medication, such as lithium, can also cause hypothyroidism as a side effect Pregnancy can cause a disorder called postpartum thyroiditis. Postpartum thyroiditis usually begins between two and six months after childbirth, and generally lasts up to one year Postpartum thyroiditis affects about 7 in pregnancies, and should be managed with the help of a healthcare provider About 1 in 5 people with postpartum thyroiditis develop hypothyroidism that is lifelong 4, Hypothyroidism can be diagnosed in two forms: subclinical hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism.

People with subclinical hypothyroidism do not usually have any of the typical symptoms. On laboratory blood tests their thyroid hormones T4 are shown to be within normal ranges Subclinical hypothyroidism is diagnosed through laboratory tests, which indicate that the thyroid stimulating hormone TSH—the hormone that signals from the brain to the thyroid is above the normal range Subclinical hypothyroidism is more common than typical hypothyroidism 14, Some people with subclinical hypothyroidism can progress to develop hypothyroidism.

In comparison, people diagnosed with hypothyroidism have clear underfunctioning of their thyroid gland and often have typical symptoms. The dosage might also be influenced by other medicines you take—be sure to tell your provider about any other drugs you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and dietary supplements.

Levothyroxine is most effective if you take it on an empty stomach, minutes before eating DailyMed, Also, to maximize effectiveness, do not take calcium carbonate like in over-the-counter antacids or iron supplements, as they can prevent levothyroxine from being absorbed.

Proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole brand name Prilosec and other antacids brand names Maalox, Mylanta, etc. You may need to adjust your dosage over time. Often, healthcare providers start people on a low dose to get people used to the hormone replacement medicine and prevent symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Thyroxine is slow-acting, and it can take time for levels of this hormone to rise to the target level. In a typical scenario, your healthcare provider will test your TSH level after weeks to see how you have responded Garber, Thyroid medication can cause a number of side effects, especially as you and your healthcare provider look for the right dosage for you. Most of the side effects of levothyroxine are similar to the symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

They usually indicate that you are getting too much of the drug—in other words, too much thyroid hormone. The U. Large doses of levothyroxine can lead to serious and life-threatening effects. Common side effects of levothyroxine include DailyMed, :. Serious side effects can occur, especially if the levothyroxine dose is too high.

They mainly involve the heart and may include DailyMed, :. If you experience any of these side effects, seek medical attention right away. Lastly, if you are experiencing any of the side effects mentioned, you should seek medical advice.