Hyperthyroidism medication how long

The spectrum of thyroid disease in a community: the Whickham survey. Clin Endocrinol Oxf. Levy EG. Thyroid disease in the elderly. Med Clin North Am. Differences in the signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism in older and younger patients. J Am Geriatr Soc. Knudson PB. Hyperthyroidism in adults: variable clinical presentations and approaches to diagnosis.

J Am Board Fam Pract. Fitzgerald PA. Current medical diagnosis and treatment. New York: McGraw-Hill, — Primary care medicine: office evaluation and management of the adult patient. Ambulatory medicine: the primary care of families. Weetman AP. N Engl J Med. Woeber KA. Update on the management of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Arch Intern Med. Toxic adenoma and toxic multinodular goiter. Thyroiditis: differential diagnosis and management [published correction appears in Am Fam Physician ;].

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American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists medical guidelines for clinical practice for the evaluation and treatment of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Endocr Pract. Thyroid disease. In: Taylor RB. Family medicine: principles and practice. New York: Springer, — J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Ginsberg J. Radio-iodine treatment of hyperthyroidism-prognostic factors for outcome.

Society of Nuclear Medicine procedure guideline for therapy of thyroid disease with iodine— sodium iodide. Alsanea O, Clark OH. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. J Surg Res. Long-term follow-up study of radioiodine treatment of hyperthyroidism. Oxygen consumption in patients with hyperthyroidism before and after treatment with beta-blockade versus thyrostatic treatment: a prospective randomized study.

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Rivkees SA. The use of radioactive iodine in the management of hyperthyroidism in children. In: Current drug targets. Immune, endocrine and metabolic disorders. Vol 1. Boca Raton, Fla. Timing for repeated treatment of hyperthyroid disease with radioactive iodine after initial treatment failure.

Clin Nucl Med. Surg Today. Plasmapheresis: an effective therapy for refractory hyperthyroidism in the elderly. Indian J Med Sci. Percutaneous ethanol injection of large autonomous hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules. J Am Coll Surg. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them.

Graves' disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. If your hyperthyroidism is not caused by Graves' disease, this information may not apply to you. When you have hyperthyroidism, your thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormones control your metabolism —how your body turns food into energy—and they influence your heart rate, digestion, muscle and bone strength, and cholesterol levels.

These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions. Who would have thought that the symptoms I was having were caused by my thyroid gland? I thought that they were just part of growing older. But after I decided to pay attention and wrote down how I felt and told my nurse practitioner, she did blood tests that showed that I had an overactive thyroid gland.

Then she referred me to a doctor for treatment. I have never been a guy who liked to take medicine, so I opted to take radioactive iodine. I like the idea that I only had to take it once and then it was over and done with. Now I take thyroid hormone every day. But it's easy to take, and I just see my doctor once or twice a year for monitoring.

Some people tell me that taking radioactive iodine is the best treatment for my thyroid condition. But I don't like the idea of taking something that's radioactive.

Maybe I am too cautious. My doctor tells me that the amount of radioactive iodine is so small that it doesn't cause problems. I just can't get past that word "radioactive. I don't think I'll have a problem with them. I have a pretty regular kind of life and take vitamins every day, so remembering to take another pill won't make a big difference to me.

I took antithyroid medicine for my overactive thyroid about 2 years ago. I had trouble remembering to take the pills every day, and sometimes when I would go out of town to visit my family, I would forget to take my pills with me. Now, my thyroid is acting up again. I don't want to mess with pills. I worry that I might get some of those side effects from taking medicine.

I have decided to take radioactive iodine. I know that I have a risk of hypothyroidism because of this treatment, but I am willing to take thyroid hormone pills if that happens.

My neighbor Geraldo took radioactive iodine for his overactive thyroid gland, and his thyroid gland became underactive. So now he has to take thyroid hormones. I guess I'll just skip the radioactive iodine and take pills.

Besides, my doctor tells me that because of my age I might even be able to stop taking the pills and never have to take them again.

That sounds good to me. Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements. I'm worried that radioactive iodine will damage my thyroid and I'll have to take thyroid hormone pills for the rest of my life.

I can live with the damage to my thyroid, because I know I can take thyroid hormone pills to treat it. I don't mind taking pills for a few years to see if that will fix my thyroid problem. I worry more about putting something radioactive into my body than about side effects of antithyroid medicine.

I worry more about side effects of antithyroid medicine than about putting something radioactive into my body. Now that you've thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now.

How sure do you feel right now about your decision? Preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time with your doctor. For hyperthyroidism, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.

Diagnosis Hyperthyroidism is diagnosed using: Medical history and physical exam. During the exam your doctor may try to detect a slight tremor in your fingers when they're extended, overactive reflexes, eye changes and warm, moist skin. Your doctor will also examine your thyroid gland as you swallow to see if it's enlarged, bumpy or tender and check your pulse to see if it's rapid or irregular. More Information Thyroidectomy.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references AskMayoExpert. Rochester, Minn. De Leo S, et al. The Lancet. Merck Manual Professional Version. Accessed Oct. American Thyroid Association.

Hyperthyroidism overactive thyroid. Burch HB, et al. Management of Graves disease. Graves' disease. They stop your thyroid producing excess hormones. The main types used are carbimazole and propylthiouracil. You'll usually need to take the medicine for 1 to 2 months before you notice any benefit. You may also be given another medicine called a beta blocker to help relieve some of your symptoms in the meantime.

Once your thyroid hormone levels are under control, your dose may be gradually reduced and then stopped. But some people need to continue taking medicine for several years or possibly for life. During the first couple of months, some people experience the following side effects:.

A less common but more serious side effect is a sudden drop in your white blood cell count agranulocytosis , which can make you very vulnerable to infections.