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Q: Several months ago I saw my physician because I had gained weight, felt weak, and started to get cold easy. He first did a blood test and told me that my thyroid function was decreased. He prescribed thyroid hormone and now I feel better. Also I recently repeated the blood test and my thyroid function is now O.K. Can I now stop taking the thyroid hormone?
A: You have indicated in your question some typical symptoms of hypothyroidism. By definition, hypothyroidism is the condition in which the thyroid gland is not working as well as it should, leading to thyroid hormone deficiency. When this condition is present, the individual usually feels fatigued, weak, gets cold easy, gains weight, may feel depressed, etc. When blood work is then done, one finds that the thyroid hormone is low. Other frequent abnormalities seen in the blood test are an increased cholesterol level, anemia ( a decrease in the red blood cells), low sodium value, low sugar, etc.
The treatment of hypothyroidism is to give thyroid hormone until the function of the thyroid normalizes. Once therapy is started, the blood values are again repeated after about a month in order to see whether the thyroid function has normalized and the right amount of hormone is being given. If this is not the case, the dose of thyroid hormone being given is adjusted and the procedure is repeated until the correct dose of thyroid hormone is being given. Once this is the case, the hormone is continued to be taken at that dose. Once it has been established that an individual is taking the right amount of thyroid hormone, blood work should be repeated in intervals of about six months, in order to determine whether the hormone dose should again be readjusted. However, once it is established that an individual needs thyroid hormone, this need will usually persist during the entire lifespan of the individual. Hence, you cannot stop taking the thyroid hormone and , most likely, you will probably need to take it during your entire life. However, you should have your blood periodically checked in order to determine whether you are taking the right amount of hormone.
Updated: 01/16/99
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