Thyroid medicines
There are various medications to treat thyroid, but the right medication for you depends on your thyroid condition. According to the type of your thyroid disease and the treatment method, different drugs are prescribed, which we will discuss further.
What are the uses of thyroid drugs?
Thyroid drugs have their own specific uses and are different. For example, levothyroxine is used for thyroid hormone replacement therapy, which is the most widely used drug for hypothyroidism. On the other hand, for hyperthyroidism, an anti-thyroid drug such as Topazol (Metimazole) may be used. In addition, people with thyroid cancer may need radioactive iodine treatment or chemotherapy.
What is hypothyroidism?
The role of the thyroid gland is to produce the hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These thyroid hormones regulate everything from heart rate and body temperature to respiratory function and menstrual cycles.
The thyroid gland may become underactive for a number of reasons, including:
- Hashimoto’s disease (an autoimmune disorder)
- Iodine deficiency
- Thyroidectomy (surgical removal of the thyroid gland)
When your thyroid is underactive, it produces insufficient thyroid hormone. This deficiency leads to various symptoms that affect one or more organs and their functional systems. The severity of symptoms can range from mild to debilitating.
What are the goals of hypothyroidism treatment?
People with hypothyroidism usually use thyroid hormone replacement drugs to restore adequate levels of thyroid hormone in the body. However, drug therapy may not be necessary for some conditions where the thyroid gland is temporarily and transiently underactive.
For example, some cases of thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland) are caused by reversible conditions such as a response to medication, infection, or after pregnancy, so they may not require medication.
The four main purposes of using thyroid hormone replacement drugs are:
- Reducing the symptoms of hypothyroidism
Normalization of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level
Reducing the size of the enlarged thyroid (goiter)
Avoiding excessive treatment (hyperthyroidism)
- Correct use of hypothyroid drugs
What are the medicines for hypothyroidism?
Levothyroxine
Levothyroxine—also called L-thyroxine and L-T4—is a synthetic form of the hormone T4 (thyroxine). T4 is a storage hormone that your body must convert to T3, the active hormone, for cells to use.
Levothyroxine is the first drug to treat hypothyroidism. Its brand names are:
- Synthroid
- Levoxyl
- Unithroid
- Tyrosinte
- Liothyronine
liothyronine is the synthetic form (T3triiodothyronine).
In most cases, experts recommend T4 monotherapy (treatment with only T4) rather than T4/T3 combination therapy for the treatment of hypothyroidism. Therefore, healthcare providers do not usually prescribe this drug.
Research is ongoing into whether combination T4/T3 therapy may be beneficial for a subgroup of people with hypothyroidism who have a specific genetic mutation.
Natural desiccated thyroid
Natural desiccated thyroid — also known as NDT, natural thyroid, or porcine thyroid — is a prescription drug derived from desiccated thyroid glands of pigs. NDT contains both T4 and T3.
Common brands are Armor Thyroid and Nature-throid. Generics are also available.
Most of the endocrinologists do not welcome and do not prescribe natural desiccated thyroid medicines. This is because they are combination drugs and the ratio of T4 to T3 in animals does not match the ratio in humans. However, certain individuals may respond well to NDT.
What is hyperthyroidism?
Hyperthyroidism means that the thyroid gland is overactive and produces too much thyroid hormone. There are several causes of hyperthyroidism, including:
- Grave’s disease (an autoimmune disorder)
- “Hot” or hyperactive non-cancerous nodules
- Thyroiditis
In addition, a stage of Hashimoto’s disease can cause hyperthyroidism as well as hypothyroidism.
How is hyperthyroidism treated?
Treatment of hyperthyroidism in Grave’s disease or traumatic nodules is generally more complicated than hypothyroidism and requires one or more types of treatment. In the following, we will get to know hyperthyroid drugs and their treatment methods.
Hyperthyroid medicines
- Anti-thyroid drug
- Radioactive iodine (RAI)
- Thyroidectomy
Two of the anti-thyroid drugs that are prescribed for hyperthyroidism are:
- Tapazol Methimazolia (MMI)
- Propyl t uracil (PTU)
Metimazole
The antithyroid drug Tapazol stops the thyroid from using iodine to produce thyroid hormone. You usually take this medicine once a day. Topazol has fewer side effects and cures hyperthyroidism faster than PTU.
Propylthiouracil (PTU)
Like Topazol, PTU stops the thyroid gland from using iodine. Therefore, it slows down the overproduction of thyroid hormone and also prevents the conversion of thyroid hormone T4 to T3.
PTU has a short duration of action, meaning that it only works for a short period of time, which means that people using this medication usually need to take it two to three times a day to effectively lower thyroid hormone levels. PTU has more side effects than other antithyroid drugs. Therefore, it is preferred only in few cases.
What are the thyroid cancer medications?
The primary treatment for most thyroid cancers is surgical removal of the thyroid. Sometimes it involves removing the entire thyroid gland (total thyroidectomy) or just one lobe of the thyroid gland (lobectomy). After surgery, you will need thyroid hormone replacement drugs (levothyroxine) to replace thyroid hormone production and suppress tumor regrowth. Suppressing TSH is important to prevent cancer from returning.
References
https://www.verywellhealth.com/thyroid-disease-medications-3231845
