Hypothyroidism is a common issue that can affect people of any age and sex, and is characterized by a deficient production of thyroid hormone. The main cause of hypothyroidism is a low production of the thyroid hormone in the body. Below is a list of hypothyroidism treatment options along with an explanation of the dosage requirements for this treatment.

Hypothyroidism Treatment - Different Types And Required Dosage

• Hypothyroidism treatment is usually a life long affair with a few exceptional cases. The most basic remedy is injecting the patient with synthetic T4 hormones.
• Even though T3 is a more active hormone than T4, it is not preferred as it needs to be taken more than once a day and its effects are not long lasting.
• The T3 hormone, however, is taken only once a day and is more stable. Also, in some patients the T3 hormone is converted to the T4 hormone naturally in the body.

Some patients will see the symptoms wearing off in the first few weeks of treatment. However, the full response to hypothyroidism treatment might take over a month,

Different Types of Hypothyroidism Treatment

• One treatment requires only the dosage of the T4 hormone, and is the most commonly used treatment. This is also considered as the standard hypothyroidism treatment.
• Another treatment involves giving the patient both a supplement of T4 and T3 hormone.
• A natural combination of T4 and T3 is also given to patients. This is derived from porcine animals. This is known as the Desiccated Thyroid Extract.

Required Dosage of T4 for Hypothyroidism Treatment

• For an average adult, 100 to 150 micrograms of T4 is required per day.
• For children, a higher dosage is required.
• If the patient is young and healthy, a full T4 hormone replacement therapy can be started initially. This means that the patient will be given the full amount of the hormone.
• If the patient is already suffering from a heart disease, this hypothyroidism treatment may worsen the condition of the heart. This has been reported in 20% of cases.
• If an elder patient is treated with the full dosage of T4, without an unknown heart condition, this might result in a heart attack or chest pain. That is why patients who are susceptible to heart diseases are initially treated with 25 micrograms of the T4 hormone. The dosage is slowly increased over a period of time.
• It is considered ideal to take the dosage around an hour earlier than breakfast as food can decrease the absorption of the T4 hormone. Coffee is also thought to reduce absorption rates.
• It is necessary for a doctor to administer the right amount of dosage to a patient. If the amount given is too low, the patient may still feel the symptoms of hypothyroidism. If the dosage is too high, the patient might be subject to palpitations, insomnia and other signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Image via Wikipeda