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Levothyroxine has a half-life of 7.5 days when taken daily, so about six weeks is required for it to reach a steady level in the blood. [5] Side effects from excessive doses include weight loss, trouble tolerating heat, sweating, anxiety, trouble sleeping, tremor, and fast heart rate. [5]
Adding liothyronine to levothyroxine has been suggested as a measure to provide better symptom control, but this has not been confirmed by studies. [9] [16] [66] In 2007, the British Thyroid Association stated that combined T 4 and T 3 therapy carried a higher rate of side effects and no benefit over T 4 alone.
However, for a chronic illness like Hashimoto’s disease, long-term treatment may be required. Hypothyroidism is treated with a thyroid replacement medication called levothyroxine, says Jaggi.
Thyroid diseases are highly prevalent worldwide, [10] [11] [12] and treatment varies based on the disorder. Levothyroxine is the mainstay of treatment for people with hypothyroidism, [13] while people with hyperthyroidism caused by Graves' disease can be managed with iodine therapy, antithyroid medication, or surgical removal of the thyroid ...
[15] However, subgroup analysis found that patients who remain the most symptomatic while taking levothyroxine may benefit from therapy containing liothyronine. [15] There is a lack of evidence around the benefits, long-term effects and side effects of dessicated thyroid extract. It is no longer recommended for the treatment of hypothyroidism. [78]
[68] [69] Dogs which display coprophagy, the consumption of feces, and also live in a household with a dog receiving levothyroxine treatment, may develop hyperthyroidism if they frequently eat the feces from the dog receiving levothyroxine treatment. [70] Hyperthyroidism may occur if a dog eats an excessive amount of thyroid gland tissue.
The signs and symptoms of Graves' disease generally result from the direct and indirect effects of hyperthyroidism, although they can also be caused by other thyroidal conditions, such as Graves' ophthalmopathy, goitre and pretibial myxedema. These clinical manifestations can involve virtually every system in the body.
Hypothyroidism is common in pregnancy with an estimated prevalence of 2-3% and 0.3-0.5% for subclinical and overt hypothyroidism respectively. [8] Endemic iodine deficiency accounts for most hypothyroidism in pregnant women worldwide while chronic autoimmune thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in iodine sufficient parts of the world.