How To Deal With Thyroid Disease During Pregnancy? - Part III

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Hyperthyroidism - over active
There are readily available and effective treatments for all common types of hyperthyroidism. Many factors will influence the doctor's choice of treatment, including the patient's age, the form of hyperthyroidism, the severity of the disease and other medical conditions, which may be affecting the patient's health. For patients with temporary forms of hyperthyroidism (thyroiditis or taking excess thyroid medications), beta-blockers may be the only treatment required. Initial treatment of overactive thyroid is always with tablets that suppress (Carbimazole and Propylthiouracil).

The three principal ways to treat hyperthyroidism: drug therapy, radioactive iodine therapy and surgery.

• Drug therapy: This includes using two types of drugs to control the hyperthyroidism. Two common drugs in this category are methimazole (Tapazole) or propylthiouracil (PTU) pills which are anti-thyroid agents. These drugs block the amount of thyroid hormone in the blood and make it more difficult for iodine to get into .

  Although these drugs have blocked the amount of thyroid hormone in the blood, there are still high levels of circulating thyroid hormone in the blood. To combat this, the doctor may also prescribe beta-blocker drugs, such as propranolol (Inderal), to block the action of the circulating thyroid hormone.

  Anti-thyroid drugs can have side effects such as rash, itching, or fever, but these are uncommon. The min problem of the anti-thyroid drug is that the underlying hyperthyroidism often comes back after these drugs are discontinued. For this reason, many patients with hyperthyroidism are advised to consider a treatment that permanently prevents from producing too much thyroid hormone.

• Radioactive iodine therapy is an alternative if drug treatment fails. Radioactive iodine is the most widely recommended permanent treatment of hyperthyroidism. The patient is given a capsule or a drink of water containing radioactive iodine. After being swallowed, the overactive thyroid cells rapidly absorb the "radio-iodine" and over a period of several weeks, the radioactive iodine damages the cells.

  The result is the thyroid shrinks in size, thyroid production falls and blood levels return to normal. The radioactivity disappears from the body within a few days. Hyperthyroidism can reoccur from several months to many years after this therapy.

  There is no evidence that radioactive iodine treatment of hyperthyroidism causes cancer of or other parts of the body, or that it interferes with a woman's chances of becoming pregnant and delivering a healthy baby in the future. It is also important to realize that there are different types of radioactive iodine (isotopes).
• Surgery: The preferred treatment for people with a large goiter. The surgery, involves removing a part of . If only a single lump or nodule within the thyroid is producing too much hormone, the surgeon can take out just that small part of the gland. If the entire gland is overactive, which is more often the case a total thyroidectomy is needed.

  Sometimes, the surgeon can leave a small portion of the thyroid intact - just enough to produce adequate amounts of thyroid hormone. Depending on how much of the gland is left after surgery, the patient may need subsequent thyroid replacement therapy.

  A potential down side of the surgical approach is that there is a small risk of injury to structures near in the neck including the nerve to the voice box (the recurrent laryngeal nerve). Whenever hypothyroidism occurs after treatment of an overactive thyroid gland, it can be easily diagnosed and effectively treated with levothyroxine. Levothyroxine fully replaces thyroid hormones deficiency and, when used in the correct dose, can be safely taken for the remainder of a patient's life without side effects or complications. Just one small pill per day.

  Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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