Also, keep in mind that prescription errors can occur. So one crucial tip is always to double-check your medication. Look at the label and the actual pills, and make sure you're getting the drug and the dosage your doctor prescribed. Potencies can vary from different brands and manufacturers. If you are on generic medication, work with your pharmacist to ensure that you always get medicines from the same generic manufacturer.
Alternately, you could consider switching to a brand name to avoid this issue. Get our printable guide for your next doctor's appointment to help you ask the right questions. Taking your medication at the same time every day is essential. Not only does it help you establish a habit and make it less likely for you to miss a dose, but it also ensures that you always take it in the same way. In addition, there are some other things to keep in mind when taking thyroid medication.
You should take thyroid replacement or antithyroid medication on an empty stomach. That's because food may delay or reduce the drug's absorption by changing the rate at which it dissolves or by changing acid levels in the stomach. Ultimately, this can affect your thyroid hormone levels, your symptoms, and your test results. If you want to ensure the best possible absorption of your medication, take your thyroid medication consistently. Ideally, you should take your thyroid medicine in the morning, on an empty stomach, about one hour before eating breakfast and drinking coffee.
Alternately, you could take it at bedtime at least three hours after your last meal. Make sure to wait for at least three to four hours between taking thyroid medication and any fiber, calcium, or iron supplements. These nutrients can prevent you from absorbing your full dose of medication. Ultimately, when it comes to taking your thyroid hormone drug, consistency is essential.
If you plan to change how you take your thyroid medication, make sure you clear it with your healthcare provider first. Some herbal supplements and medications can have an impact on thyroid hormone levels. They may affect your hormones by:. Starting or stopping prescription drugs that you take for other conditions can affect your thyroid levels and symptoms. Some medications that may affect thyroid levels include:.
Certain herbs are known to increase or decrease thyroid function, alter test results, and produce various thyroid-related symptoms. These herbs include:. It is best to ask your pharmacist and healthcare provider about potential interactions with any herbs or supplements you plan to take. Thyroid levels and TSH, in particular, can change along with the seasons. For example, TSH naturally rises somewhat during colder months and drops back down in the warmest months.
Some healthcare providers adjust for this. For example, they may prescribe slightly increased thyroid replacement dosages during colder months and reduced dosages during warm periods. For people with thyroid disease, certain things can cause fluctuations in thyroid hormone levels. These may include disease progression, medication changes, other herbs and supplements, and the change of seasons. Things that may help keep your thyroid levels stable include taking your thyroid medication at the same time every day and on an empty stomach; sticking with the same brand or manufacturer of your thyroid medication; talking to your doctor about other medicines, herbs, and supplements you currently take; and asking your doctor about adjusting your medication dose with the change of seasons.
Careful management of your thyroid levels is an essential part of your thyroid treatment. Several factors can alter your symptoms and thyroid test results. Addressing these issues can help keep your thyroid levels stable. If you notice a change in your symptoms, be sure to tell your healthcare provider, who might want you to have your thyroid hormone levels retested. Depending on the results, they may adjust your medication dosing. Losing weight with thyroid disease can be a struggle.
Our thyroid-friendly meal plan can help. Sign up and get yours free! Hashimoto's disease. Updated October 18, Wong M, Inder WJ. Alternating hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism in Graves' disease. Clin Case Rep. Cleveland Clinic. Updated October 26, Many of the symptoms associated with hypothyroidism resemble the typical side-effects of aging, which may delay treatment. Many women attribute their fatigue, weight gain, and brittle hair and nails to menopause instead of a thyroid issue.
Therefore, they may not raise the issue with their doctor or seek treatment. Your thyroid levels may also vary due to medication type, potency, and dosage. Variances such as a change in health plans, change in primary care physician, or change in thyroid medication formulations may lead to an adjustment in your thyroid medication dosage or potency. Switching to a new brand of thyroid medication may lead to fluctuation in thyroid levels as your body adjusts. Specific medications may interfere with your thyroid function and absorption of thyroid medication.
Some known interactions occur between thyroid medication and corticosteroids, cholesterol-lowering drugs, corticosteroids, amiodarone, and lithium. We suggest regular monitoring of your thyroid function during the long-term use of any of the therapies listed above. To cope with the metabolic demands of pregnancy , the mother's thyroid gland undergoes noticeable modifications. Because the baby requires additional thyroid stimulating hormones, in most cases, your TSH will decrease, and T3 and T4 will increase.
However, in some women, the increase can be too drastic, leading to hyperthyroidism. In others, your T3 and T4 may not increase enough; this is common with hypothyroid women. As thyroid hormone levels change during pregnancy, the hormone replacement dose may change with them. An expecting mom should test their thyroid hormone levels every month in the first half of pregnancy and may be checked less often during the second half of pregnancy. The seasons - spring, summer, fall, winter - can affect your thyroid.
Interestingly, TSH increases during the colder winter months and decreases during the summer months. In the winter, your body may have difficulty keeping up with its hormonal needs, resulting in the TSH rise. Work with your doctor to manage thyroid level fluctuations. High TSH levels and hypothyroidism can especially affect chances of a miscarriage.
As a result, a small percentage of pregnant women may receive levothyroxine Synthroid , methimazole Tapazole , or propylthiouracil PTU to help control TSH and thyroid hormone levels, especially if they have hypo- or hyperthyroidism. Successful treatment of high TSH and hypothyroidism during pregnancy can lower your chances of having a miscarriage.
Control of TSH levels can also help prevent other pregnancy complications , such as:. This can lead to long-term complications if you have an underlying condition that leads to hypo- or hyperthyroidism. Make sure you get your TSH levels tested regularly, especially if you have a family history of thyroid disorders or have seen abnormal TSH levels on previous test results. Follow any instructions your doctor gives you to stop taking certain medications or eating certain foods before a TSH test to make sure the results are accurate.
A combination of the right nutrients and medications may help restore thyroid function and minimize symptoms of hypothyroidism. Here's all you need to…. Understand the link between your stress levels and your thyroid. Having an underactive thyroid can affect you differently in the summer than it can in the winter.
Find out what outside temperatures have to do with…. If you have symptoms of, or a history with thyroid disorders, it may make sense for you to check your TSH levels with an at-home TSH test. These are…. Learn why a thyroid-stimulating hormone test is performed, what to expect during the test, and what the test results may mean. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Kevin Martinez, M. Think of your pituitary gland as a thyroid thermometer: Abnormally high TSH levels usually mean that your thyroid is underperforming.
Your pituitary gland reacts to a lack of thyroid hormones by producing extra TSH to make up the difference. This is called hypothyroidism. Your pituitary gland responds accordingly by decreasing TSH production to get thyroid function under control.
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