Hypothyroidism

Key points

• Women are much more likely than men to develop hypothyroidism, and it is more common in people older than 60.
• Levothyroxine is offered as first-line treatment for primary hypothyroidism in adults, children and young people.
• Left untreated, hypothyroidism during pregnancy can affect both the mother and the baby.

Signs and symptoms

Tiredness, weight gain, feeling cold, dry skin, joint and muscle pain, a slower heart rate and low mood are common. Constipation and slower thinking can occur too. These are often put down to stress or ageing before a blood test points to the thyroid.

How it is treated

Treatment replaces the hormone the gland no longer produces. Levothyroxine is a synthetic form of the main thyroid hormone, taken once daily, and is available as Levothroid and Synthroid. Liothyronine acts more quickly and is available as Cytomel. The dose is set from blood test results and checked again from time to time, so a steady routine, with the tablet taken at roughly the same hour daily and usually before food, helps keep levels even. Pharmacy partners in India ship to Malaysia in discreet packaging.

When to get medical help

Severe untreated hypothyroidism can rarely progress to myxedema coma, an extreme form in which body functions slow to a life-threatening point; it needs immediate medical treatment. Untreated congenital hypothyroidism in newborns can lead to intellectual disability and growth failure.

What the sources say

• Nearly 5 out of 100 Americans aged 12 and older have hypothyroidism, though most cases are mild or have few obvious symptoms (NIDDK).
• Because hypothyroidism develops slowly, symptoms may not be noticed for months or even years (NIDDK).
• Thyroid disease usually responds well to treatment (NICE).

Further reading

• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) - Healthdirect
• Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) - NHS
• Thyroid disease: assessment and management
• Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid) - NIDDK