Curing Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism, an ailment characterized by too little generation of thyroid hormones by the thyroid glands, is a long-term illness and thus those who are afflicted with it have to endure it in their lifetime. It is however pretty manageable as you only have to take certain medicines. Here are a few different approaches on how hypothyroidism is handled.

The standard remedy used for dealing with hypothyroidism is synthetic levothyroxine (T4). Even though the most active thyroid hormones is actually triiodothyronine (T3), the synthetic T4 is the ideal treatment since it is more dependable and only needs once a day dosing, while T3 is shorter-acting and therefore needed to be ingested on a multiple basis. Additionally, T4 is readily transformed to T3 in the bloodstream. Synthetic T4 is preferably taken in the morning, ten minutes prior to eating. Other drugs that contains iron and antacids should be avoided as they definitely could mess with the absorption of T4 by the body.

Grown ups are often required a dose of 100 to 150 micrograms of synthetic T4 per day. Children however require a greater dose for their development and metabolism. Synthetic T4 is not a good idea for people with an underlying heart problem as it could aggravate it.

Aside from the ordinary T4 medication, there are also other treatments that people with hypothyroidism can choose to take. For instance, one can receive a combination of both T3 and T4 treatments. Some researchers reported that taking extra T3 along with the standard T4 can help people feel better by relieving them a few of the symptoms like depression, fatigue, and brain fog. An additional alternative medication is desiccated thyroid extract made from pork or a combination of pork and beef thyroid glands. This therapy includes both T3 and T4 thyroid hormones, although the problem with it is that it didn't have consistency of strength from batch to batch. However, some advocates of this treatment claim that its better since it is more natural and is helpful in relieving symptoms like fatigue and depressed mood.

People who undertake treatment of hypothyroidism must be supervised on a regular basis to ensure that their thyroid hormones are stable. This is important to make sure that the procedure is working for the patient and to make certain as well that what is being given is not too much, as it can lead to symptoms of hyperthyroidism.