Thyroid Medication Side Effects

Individuals who are diagnosed with an imbalance of thyroid hormones are given medications to correct the condition.

The conventional and common treatments prescribed for thyroid problems are synthetic hormones, surgical incision, radioactive iodine treatment, and thyroid health supplements.

These medications usually work successfully but are not literally perfect because they also cause side effects in the body, which may range from mild to severe.

Hence when it comes to taking thyroid medication, there is a need to control and monitor the thyroid treatment drugs that you are taking or about to take to prevent any ill effects or complications brought about by the side effects. The side effects or adverse effects of these thyroid treatment drugs may lead to grave conditions.

Common Side Effects Of Thyroid Medications

The common side effects that are associated with any of the thyroid medications are as follows:

• Abnormality or loss in sensation
• Drowsiness
• Vomiting
• Gastric upset
• Restlessness
• Emotional changes
• High blood pressure
• Flushing
• Tremors
• Fatigue
• Libido is decreased
• Sound sensitivity
• Light sensitivity
• Insomnia
• Itching
• Skin rash
• Severity in hair loss
• Joint ache
• Muscle ache
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Tachycardia
• Irregularity in the menstruation period
• Diarrhea
• Abnormal weight loss or gaining of weight
• Increase in the person’s appetite
• Nausea
• Sweating
• Headache
• There is an inability for heat tolerance
• Tachycardia or having the abnormal rapid beating of the heart
• Anxiety
• Depression

In general, the side effects mentioned may affect several systems in the body.

When you encounter any of the said side effects which are associated with thyroid medications, this could be a sign that your body could be taking too much or too little of the medication. Or this could mean that your medication could be reacting with other substances that you are taking.

For example, if you experience dizziness or palpitations, it means that there is no suppression of the thyroid hormone – which means you may not be taking enough hyperthyroidism medication or too much hypothyroidism medication.

When you continue to experience sensitivity to cold, hair loss, weight gain, and weakness, it may mean that you are still experiencing the effects of hypothyroidism which can be brought about by inadequate intake of hypothyroidism medication or too much hyperthyroidism medication.

Tips To Keep In Mind When Taking Medication

To prevent the occurrence of side effects, you should always follow and stick to your prescribed dosage.

Next, you should take some precautionary measures like telling your doctor your complete medical history especially if you have or have had diseases such as cardiac problems, diabetes, allergies, and problems relating to the adrenal glands.

Also, it is important to avoid using the prescribed thyroid drugs for weight loss. Hypothyroidism drugs may cause weight loss for patients, but if you are not suffering from any thyroid disorder, you should prevent using them.

Precautionary measures must also be taken especially when the ones taking the thyroid drugs are in their elderly stage. Most older individuals are prescribed lower doses.

On the other hand, pregnant women can use or take such prescribed thyroid medication. Lactating women can also take thyroid medications. While these medications pass through the breast milk they are not dangerous and do not cause ill effects on the child. Still, any woman who becomes pregnant or plans to lactate during the treatment must inform his or her doctor right away for the dosages to be adjusted.