How long can I go without my thyroid medicine

Hello Anonymous,

Welcome to EmpowHER. Thank you for reaching out to us with your question.

You must take the prescribed medication as directed by your physician. Most likely it is a daily prescribed dose and you should not miss a dose.

The thyroid gland is the gland that makes and stores hormones that help regulate the heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and the rate at which food is converted into energy. Thyroid hormones are essential for the function of every cell in the body. They help regulate growth and the rate of metabolism in the body.

Do you have hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which you have an underactive thyroid gland, which is not producing enough of these essential hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4).

Standard treatment for hypothyroidism involves daily use of the synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine.
Treatment with levothyroxine is usually lifelong.

Don't skip doses or stop taking the drug because you're feeling better. If you do, the symptoms of hypothyroidism will gradually return.

Have you been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which you have an overactive thyroid gland, which produces too much of the hormone thyroxine.

Treatment can include radioactive iodine. Taken by mouth, radioactive iodine is absorbed by your thyroid gland, where it causes the gland to shrink and symptoms to subside, usually within three to six months.

Regards,
Maryann