Some patients are confronted with a thyroid gland problem. The chances are that their glands do not produce enough thyroid hormones, which causes them to suffer from various symptoms, such as fatigue, weight gain, and hair loss, among others. Because of this, they are usually prescribed with thyroid hormone replacement medications.
Thyroid medications such as levothyroxine (Synthroid) allow your gland to produce enough hormones needed by your body. Individuals suffering from hypothyroidism must take this regularly. However, one of the frequently asked questions by many patients is how long one can go without these medications.
In this article, we’ll share what it takes to go without thyroid medications.
Thyroid hormone replacement therapy
As a patient with a thyroid problem that doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones naturally, you must have thyroid hormone replacement therapy. This therapy involves using artificial thyroid hormones to increase the abnormally low levels of natural thyroid hormones in your body.
Furthermore, thyroid medications are used to control the enlarged thyroid gland’s growth, for treatment after the thyroid removal for malignant disease, and after treatment of hyperthyroidism by radioactive iodine ablation.
The medications come in the form of pills consisting of thyroid hormones taken orally. In fact, pure synthetic thyroxine (T4) is said to be the most common thyroid hormone replacement.
Skipping vs. overtaking your medication
As far as thyroid medication intake is concerned, two major concerns need to be addressed—skipping a dose or overtaking a medication. Take note of the following details:
- Skipping your thyroid medication: If you happen to skip your thyroid medication, know that there’s little harm as your pre-consumed hormones usually stay in the blood for several days. For this reason, if you miss one dose, you won’t be impacted at all. But the problem starts when you haven’t taken your pills after a long period. This is when you will start manifesting symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, depression and/or anxiety, constipation, hair loss, and weight gain. As a rule of thumb, your thyroid medication will work if you take it consistently, on an empty stomach, and at the same time every day.
- Overtaking your thyroid medication: Keep in mind that overtreatment of hypothyroid is common. In fact, a number of people who take the hormone replacement would likely be better off without this medication or if they reduce its intake. Because of this, managing your thyroid medications becomes imperative. It’s best if you can finally discontinue your thyroid hormone replacement, but this will only be achievable with the right health support.
Here at My Medication Log, you can take advantage of our MedManage as a medication tracker app. All it takes is to log in and manage your medications or help take care of your family members. Our app has a wide range of uses, such as monitoring chronic diseases, reminding birth control pills, handling geriatric care management, and so much more. If you need a robust app for taking medicines for the thyroid, our app is for you!
Conclusion
At this point, you now know what it takes to go without thyroid medications. To that end, be sure to consider all the valuable information discussed, and always remember to consult with your doctor about your thyroid hormone replacement therapy. If it helps, take advantage of our medication tracker app to help track, monitor, and manage your thyroid medications!
Here at My Medication Log, our cloud-based medication management app aims to make the lives of patients and caregivers a lot easier as far as medication intake is concerned. If you need an app for taking medicines, check our available resources and get in touch with us today!