Articles — levothyroxine

A hemithyroidectomy is the surgical removal of only one of the thyroid lobes. Research says that post-operative hypothyroidism (hypothyroidism caused by the operation) develops in 5.6-48.9% of patients who undergo this procedure, and is actually the most common complication seen of the surgical procedure. Post-operative hypothyroidism, both low-grade and overt, occur because when one of the lobes is removed,  the remaining lobe cannot compensate after the absence of the other lobe. As a result, thyroid hormone levels go down. Studies have shown that treating with levothyroxine often corrects hypothyroidism that occurs post-operatively. In some cases, this type of hypothyroidism is short...

Hypothyroidism is diagnosed when a patient’s TSH level is reported as elevated. The introduction of a precise dose of thyroid hormone into the body causes the TSH levels to become normal in range, restoring euthyroidism, or normal thyroid function for the patient. Levothyroxine is the most common form of treatment for hypothyroidism. This treatment comes in a liquid and a tablet form. Studies have shown that the liquid form of levothyroxine actually is more effective and is better absorbed by the body than the tablet form. The liquid levothyroxine is able to overcome food and drink interference and malabsorption, whereas...

Levothyroxine is a synthetic version of the main hormone produced by the thyroid gland (thyroxine or T4) and is commonly used to treat hypothyroidism. Current years have witnessed a dramatic increase in levothyroxine prescriptions. Hypothyroidism is diagnosed more frequently than ever before, possibly due to increased awareness, the availability of better diagnostic testing protocols, or even as an increase in thyroid dysfunction in the general public. Still, there remains the possibility that levothyroxine is becoming over-prescribed in the medical community. Hypothyroidism is a nuanced disorder often requiring a multi-faceted treatment plan and close medical supervision. One study reviewed over 50,000...

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a deficiency in thyroid hormone production from the moment a child is born. This disorder can be caused by nutritional deficiencies or excesses or other conditions such as thyroid dysgenesis; a partially or fully incomplete development of the thyroid. Unfortunately, it affects more than 1 in 4,000 infants. The thing about CH is that symptoms are often subtle or non-existent at the time of birth because the child often receives thyroid hormone from his or her mother. That means that around that time, there is no real way to tell whether the abnormality is present or not....