Top 7 tips to take thyroid medication

Dr. Karishma Shaikh
Dr. Karishma ShaikhApril 22, 2022

Have you been feeling tired all day long? It may be due to your sluggish thyroid gland. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland. It is liable for the production of thyroid hormones. These hormones ensure everything is fine and every organ in the system is doing its job correctly. When the thyroid stops working accurately, it leads to various complications. It can cause two types of thyroid conditions: hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). Thyroid Medication

There is a piece of good news for a person with a thyroid condition. Thyroid medication is available to manage thyroid conditions nowadays. Basically, it is a thyroid hormone replacement medication, and there are numerous things you need to keep in mind while you are on thyroid medication. Here are a few tips that can make things easier for you.

Top 7 tips to take thyroid medication

As per statistics, around 42 million people have thyroid conditions in India. The most common thyroid disorder in India is hypothyroidism. It affects 1 out of 10 adults. Let's dive deeper to know amazing tips for managing thyroid conditions.

How to take thyroid medication

Have you talked to your thyroid specialist? If yes, you should probably know the answer to this question. In case you forget to ask, let us help you. The thyroid doctor suggests taking thyroid medication on an empty stomach. You can take it 45 minutes to an hour before your first meal.

Are you wondering why to take medicine on an empty stomach only? An empty stomach helps your body to absorb the full thyroid medication dosage and helps to ease symptoms. Join Thyroid Community/

When to take thyroid medication

It is essential to understand what time is best to take thyroid medication for you. It would be great to talk to your doctor about it before taking your thyroid medication.

Do you know levothyroxine is the most common thyroid hormone replacement medication? This medication doesn't cure your thyroid condition, but it is an artificial thyroid hormone thyroxine. It is also named T4. The doctor suggests taking thyroid medicine in the morning time mostly. The person is advised to take medicine with water and wait for around 45 minutes to an hour before breakfast.

Avoid taking iron, aluminium, or calcium supplements at least four hours after taking thyroid medicine

Experts suggest not to take iron, aluminium, or calcium supplements within 4 hours after taking thyroid medicine. What happens when you take any of these supplements after taking thyroid medicine? It binds to thyroid medicine and stops it from being fully absorbed in the body. When the full dose of medication isn't absorbed in the body, you won't get any relief from thyroid symptoms.

It is vital to keep an eye out that your supplements intake does not interfere with thyroid medication. Ensure at least four hours of gaps between thyroid medication and supplement intake.

Always check your thyroid doctor for common thyroid-replacement therapy side effects

Once you start thyroid medicines, you also have to watch for side effects. The common side effects include hair loss, excessive sweating, weight gain, diarrhea, insomnia, anxiety, nervousness, and fatigue.

If you witness any of these side effects, you should inform your healthcare expert. They may adjust your medicine dose. The main aim is to get a balance where thyroid medication eases symptoms but doesn't induce any side effects.

Remember, you won't get instant relief from thyroid symptoms

Yes, we understand thyroid symptoms are annoying, and you want some relief as soon as possible. But you should keep in mind that thyroid medicine doesn't work instantly. It can take around two weeks to see any improvement in symptoms and numerous weeks to get total symptom relief.

You have to continue your thyroid medication as prescribed for at least a whole month to find out if it works well for you or not. If you still struggle with thyroid symptoms or any other side effects, the healthcare provider can increase your decreased thyroid medication dose until you become symptoms-free.

Switching drug brands is a bad idea

Never switch thyroid medication brands because different brands contain different levels of thyroid hormone in thyroid medicine. For instance, a bottle of 100 mcg levothyroxine tablets from one brand might not have the exact amount of thyroid hormone as a bottle of levothyroxine from another brand. So it is crucial to stick to one brand only.

If you switch brands, your thyroid doctor may end up changing your dose a bit.

Never stop your treatment in between

Sometimes, people feel a little better, and they stop their treatment even without consulting their doctor. Do you know how many problems it can create for your treatment? It is always good to discuss with your doctor first and plan to reduce your dose and stop the medication slowly.

Can pregnant women take thyroid medication?

The answer is pretty clear to this question. Yes, pregnant women can take thyroid medication. But if the medicine contains the T3 hormone, it is not safe during pregnancy.If women had hypothyroidism before getting pregnant, the doctor would increase the medicine dose during pregnancy.

Once you start thyroid medication, you should do a regular thyroid test to know your TSH level (thyroid-stimulating hormone), T3, and T4, as per the doctor's advice. But did you know that doctors recommend not to take thyroid medicine before you go for a blood test? Yes, it's true because it can interfere with your test result. But after the blood test, you can take your medication.

Thyroid medications don't cure the thyroid completely. You may have to take these medications throughout life. In a few cases, symptoms may go away with time, but still, you need medication to control the thyroid hormone. It is the harassing truth that we cannot overlook. But do you know that the functional medicine approach is being used to treat thyroid conditions nowadays? The functional medicine approach is distinct from the conventional approach. This approach is more health-oriented, patient-oriented, and more focused on identifying the cause of the diseases.

"The functional medicinal approach is a unique way to reset your thyroid dysfunction."

We’re here to help. Please get in touch with us and we can help address your concerns and assist you in your journey to better health. Book a call with Jeevam Health Team NOW!

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