Treatment Options for Hypothyroidism
Treatment Options for Hypothyroidism
Dr. Friedman prescribes various different treatments for hypothyroidism. A traditional treatment is to give a preparation of levothyroxine, such as Synthroid, Tirosint, Levoxyl, or Unithroid. This can be given once a day because the T4 in it has a long half-life, which means it stays in your body for a long time. However, Dr. Friedman also uses combination therapy that would include T4 plus T3, which is also called Cytomel. He also prescribes natural desiccated thyroid (NDT), which comes from pig thyroid and has T4 and T3 in it. Brands of NDT that Dr. Friedman prescribes include Armour thyroid, NP thyroid and Adthyza. The T3, either when given alone or when given in NDT, has a short half-life, which means that it disappears form the body in a couple hours.
How Often Does Your T3 or Desiccated Thyroid Need to Be Taken?
Therefore, if you take your desiccated thyroid, or your T3 preparation, once a day in the morning, it is gone by the late afternoon and is certainly gone by the next morning. This will give you a period of hypothyroidism right after the morning dose and more importantly, hypothyroidism in the evening and next morning, and most people will feel worse on this. Many providers who are not experts on proper prescribing of T3 or DTE overlook this. To overcome this problem, the T3, or the desiccated thyroid, needs to be given twice a day. The second dose is given in the mid-to-late afternoon so that the T3 will be around in the evening, and some of it will still be around in the next morning in time for the next dose. A good time to take the second dose is about 3 PM about an hour apart from food. Some people may need to set an alarm to remind them to take the afternoon dose.
Contact Dr. Friedman Today
If you would like more information about thyroid hormone replacement, please do not hesitate to make an appointment or visit Dr. Friedman’s website at goodhormonehealth.com.