Causes of Hypothyroidism: Hyperthyroid Treatments
Posted on: February 24, 2006 | Posted in: Medical Information
A fairly obvious cause of hypothyroidism is previous treatment for a hyperthyroid condition. This probably doesn’t need much discussion, but I thought I should cover it for the sake of thoroughness…
Some hyperthyroid conditions may be treated via thyroidectomy: partial or complete surgical removal of the thyroid. Thyroid cancer and goiter are usually treated this way, as well as thyroid nodules and non-specific hyperthyroidism that doesn’t respond to non-surgical treatment. Obviously, if your thyroid is removed, you will suffer from a resulting shortage of thyroid hormone.
Another hyperthyroid treatment that often (but not always) leads to hypothyroidism is radioactive iodine treatment. The thyroid gland utilizes and accumulates iodine in proportion to the level of thyroid activity. Radioactive iodine is chemically identical to normal iodine, and so an overactive thyroid gland will accumulate the radioactive substance in large enough quantities and retain it long enough to radiate the gland and cause a reduction of thyroid activity. Because “radioiodine” works by actually damaging thyroid cells (thereby reducing the thyroid’s ability to produce excess hormones), hypothyroidism may result as a long-term side effect of this treatment.
In cases where the hyperthyroidism is suspected to be temporary, drugs such as methimazole and propylthiouracil (PTU) may be prescribed to reduce thyroid output. These medications simply reduce the efficiency of the thyroid gland, thereby reducing thyroid hormone levels. The effect of these medications wears off when the patient stops taking them, so they are highly unlikely to cause hypothyroidism over the long term. However patients who’s hyperthyroid conditions do not resolve in time will likely be urged to opt for one of the more permanent treatment options.
The consolation to patients who’s hypothyroid condition is due to a hyperthyroid treatment is that few doctors are liable to send them away without proper hypothyroid treatment. While individuals with primary hypothyroidism may struggle to have their symptoms taken seriously enough for testing, or may face a doctor who believes the goal of treatment is only to bring their blood test levels “within normal range” rather than pursuing alleviation of their symptoms, a previously hyperthyroid individual is much more likely to be taken seriously from the outset.
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