Types of Thyroid Medication
There are numerous types of thyroid medication on the market used to treat thyroid-related disorders. The type of drug that you'll be prescribed depends on whether your physician is treating you for a condition associated with hypothyroidism, such as Hashimoto's Disease, or a disorder that causes hyperthyroidism, such as Graves' Disease. This article contains a description of the various thyroid medications that are commonly prescribed to treat both conditions.
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T4 Hormone Replacement
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Thyroid hormone is used to treat patients with hypothyroid-related disorders by replacing the hormone that a healthy thyroid gland would produce. The most popular method of hormone therapy is synthetic T4 hormone replacement, which replaces the thyroxine absent in the body. These medications go by the trade names of Synthroid, Unithroid. L-Thyroxin, Levo-T, Levoxyl, Novothyrox, Levothroid and Levolet. Thyroxine (T4) is only one hormone that is produced by the thyroid gland.
T3 & T4 Hormone Replacement
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Prior to the invention of synthetic thyroid treatments, patients were given natural hormones that come from the desiccated thyroid of animals, and in fact, this therapy has been around for more than 100 years. Natural hormone therapy replaces both the T4 and T3 (triiodothyronine) absent in the body of someone who suffers from hypothyroidism. T3 is the "active" hormone stored in the tissues. Critics of natural hormone therapy point out that animal hormones are not "natural" for humans; however, numerous patients find that receiving both T4 and T3 better relieves physical symptoms of hypothyroidism. A popular natural thyroid drug is Armour Thyroid.
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Antithyroid Medications
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Patients with hyperthyroidism are treated with antithyroid medications, which inhibit the thyroid gland's ability to produce excessive thyroid hormone. There are two types of drugs used to treat hyperthyroidism, methimazole (Tapazole) and propylthiouracil (PTU). Over time, these drugs work quite effectively to reduce hyperthyroidism and do not result in any permanent damage to the thyroid gland. Only rarely will serious side effects occur. Antithyroid drugs are considered a "front line" treatment for hyperthyroidism in most Western countries (except for the United States), Japan, and other modernized Asian countries.
Beta-Blockers
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Patients with hyperthyroidism are initially prescribed beta-blockers to relieve symptoms of their condition, such as a rapid heart rate, tremors and nervousness. These drugs take effect almost immediately and are taken until antithyroid drugs have reduced the amount of thyroid hormone being produced. They go by the trade names of Tenormin, Lopressor, Corgard and Inderal-LA and are taken once or twice a day.
Radioactive Iodine Treatment
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While not a conventional drug, radioactive iodine (RAI) is a one-time oral treatment given to patients with certain types of hyperthyroidism, usually that which is related to Graves' Disease. RAI destroys the cells in the thyroid that produce the thyroid hormone, and in many cases, the entire thyroid gland is destroyed. In the majority of cases, patients who undergo RAI treatment are left with permanent hypothyroidism, which is treated in the manner described earlier. While RAI is the preferred treatment prescribed by doctors in the U.S., it is considered a "last resort" in other Westernized countries, including Europe, Australia, modernized Asian countries, and Latin American countries. Japan has strict safety regulations against the use of radioactive pharmaceuticals; rarely will RAI be used in Japan.
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