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How To Keep Thyroid Disorder In Control?
Question: Hello: I was detected for thyroid (Hyper) in 2011 when i was in USA for couple of years. Since then I was taking medicine till March 2013. After i returned to XXXXXXX i started taking homeopath medicine. During some medicine gap at the starting of this year my TSH was increased. Which came under normal range when I resumed homeopath medicine. With increased thyroid i always feel dull lazy and my weight also increases. I want to check for any additional (domestic) step which can help me control thyroid and avoid rest less? These days i am again feeling more lazy and tireless so want to check if i need to go for any additional steps. My last thyroid test was in Apr 2014 where T3, T4 ans TSH was normal.
Brief Answer:
restarting medications & dietary modifications
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thanks for posting the concern in HCM.
Firstly, it is good that your thyroid profile was normal back in April. But, stopping medicine without a medical was is not justified.
As it has been almost 6 months since you did the last thyroid profile, you need to check the same again. As you had discontinued medicine, this time you need to check fT3, fT4, TSH in fasting status. If the TSH is increased, medicine should be taken.
Now, regarding the type of medications, I never suggest my patients to have homeopathic medicine for hypothyroidism. This is a condition in which your body is not producing enough T4 and T3 (thyroid hormone). So, medications are just external supply of levo isomer of your thyroxine hormone to meet that deficiency. So, this is the best possible way to overcome the problem, without showing any disregard to homeopathy practitioners.
Alongwith medicine, lifestyle changes including dietary modifications and exercise are very important. You need to restrict refined carbohydrates, saturated fats and oils. So, eat high fibre diet including vegetables, fruits more than rice, paratha or potato. Have plenty of oral fluid which would reduce the hunger too. Restrict oil to 2 tablespoons per day. Start yoga or exercise at least 30 min per day. Then increase gradually.
Now that you have become a specialist in managing your hypothyroidism, it's time to discuss dosage and follow up details. The medicine should be started at lower dose and gradually increased. The starting dose is determined by your thyroid profile report. After starting treatment, if you remain asymptomatic, the follow up is at 3 months. At that time, you will only check your fasting TSH level because that is the only guide to decide whether to continue or modify the prescribed dosage.
Alongwith these some other tests are needed because hypothyroidism is a silent killer and is associated with the increased risk of certain diseases. So, you have to check fasting lipid profile, HbA1c levels. Also get an Echocardiography and Ecg done to rule out any cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia respectively, which are serious complications of hypothyroidism.
Now that you have almost equal knowledge about the hypothyroidism management as me, I would say, consulting a local endocrinologist is also a rational choice at this point of time. As you are already symptomatic, I think to get yourself examined clinically would be a wise decision.
Now, if you find that the thyroid profile is normal, but you still have symptoms, immediately consult your local physician or write back to me directly. You would need different line of evaluation then.
If you are satisfied with the answer, please close the thread and rate my answer.
Regards,
Dr. Kaushik Sarkar
restarting medications & dietary modifications
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thanks for posting the concern in HCM.
Firstly, it is good that your thyroid profile was normal back in April. But, stopping medicine without a medical was is not justified.
As it has been almost 6 months since you did the last thyroid profile, you need to check the same again. As you had discontinued medicine, this time you need to check fT3, fT4, TSH in fasting status. If the TSH is increased, medicine should be taken.
Now, regarding the type of medications, I never suggest my patients to have homeopathic medicine for hypothyroidism. This is a condition in which your body is not producing enough T4 and T3 (thyroid hormone). So, medications are just external supply of levo isomer of your thyroxine hormone to meet that deficiency. So, this is the best possible way to overcome the problem, without showing any disregard to homeopathy practitioners.
Alongwith medicine, lifestyle changes including dietary modifications and exercise are very important. You need to restrict refined carbohydrates, saturated fats and oils. So, eat high fibre diet including vegetables, fruits more than rice, paratha or potato. Have plenty of oral fluid which would reduce the hunger too. Restrict oil to 2 tablespoons per day. Start yoga or exercise at least 30 min per day. Then increase gradually.
Now that you have become a specialist in managing your hypothyroidism, it's time to discuss dosage and follow up details. The medicine should be started at lower dose and gradually increased. The starting dose is determined by your thyroid profile report. After starting treatment, if you remain asymptomatic, the follow up is at 3 months. At that time, you will only check your fasting TSH level because that is the only guide to decide whether to continue or modify the prescribed dosage.
Alongwith these some other tests are needed because hypothyroidism is a silent killer and is associated with the increased risk of certain diseases. So, you have to check fasting lipid profile, HbA1c levels. Also get an Echocardiography and Ecg done to rule out any cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia respectively, which are serious complications of hypothyroidism.
Now that you have almost equal knowledge about the hypothyroidism management as me, I would say, consulting a local endocrinologist is also a rational choice at this point of time. As you are already symptomatic, I think to get yourself examined clinically would be a wise decision.
Now, if you find that the thyroid profile is normal, but you still have symptoms, immediately consult your local physician or write back to me directly. You would need different line of evaluation then.
If you are satisfied with the answer, please close the thread and rate my answer.
Regards,
Dr. Kaushik Sarkar
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
Answered by
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