Treatments for Hyperthyroidism

June 10, 2008 - 7:30am

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Treatments for Hyperthyroidism

by ]]>Editorial Staff and Contributors]]>

Treatment will depend on your age, the severity of your symptoms, the cause of the hyperthyroidism, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

The treatment and management of hyperthyroidism involves medications and possibly radioactive iodine or surgery. The goal is to reduce the activity of the thyroid gland and achieve a normal level of thyroid hormone in your body.

Treatment may involve the following:

]]>Medications]]>
]]>Surgery]]>
]]>Other treatments—radioactive iodine]]>

Treatment with medication for 12 to 18 months leads to long-term remission rate of 60% in patients with ]]>Grave’s disease]]> . After treatment with radioactive iodine, up to 90% of hyperthyroid patients will become normal in two months. Surgery leads to a cure rate of 90%.

References:

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists website. Available at: http://www.aace.com/ .

American Thyroid Association website. Available at: http://www.thyroid.org/ .

Metso S, Jaatinen P, Huhtala H, et al. Long-term follow-up study of radioiodine treatment fo hyperthyroidism. Clin Endocrinol. 2004:61:641-648.

Pearce EN. Diagnosis and management of thyrotoxicosis. Brit Med J. 2006;332:1369-1373.

Thyroid Foundation of Canada website. Available at: http://www.thyroid.ca/ .

Last reviewed November 2008 by ]]>David Juan, MD]]>

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.