Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHypothyroidismHyperthyroidismWhat to Do Instead of StoppingWhen It’s OK to StopOverdose
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
What to Do Instead of Stopping
When It’s OK to Stop
Overdose
If you don’t take your thyroid medication to treat your thyroid condition, you’ll likely start to have an array of adverse symptoms. These include fatigue, hair loss, changes in blood pressure, heart palpitations, and increases or decreases in weight.
The bigger concern is that discontinuing drugs when you havehypothyroidismplaces you at an increased risk of blood clots, infertility, and even coma.If you havehyperthyroidism, the lack of treatment can cause vision problems and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.Always check with a healthcare provider before discontinuing medication.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
Stopping Medication for Hypothyroidism
If you have hypothyroidism—whether due toHashimoto’s disease, thyroid surgery, orcongenital hypothyroidism—you shouldn’t suddenly stop taking levothyroxine or other thyroid hormones without speaking with your healthcare provider first.
With hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), the medications used are synthetic versions of the thyroid hormones that the body needs to function, known as:
Stopping these hormones for even a week may cause side effects. Stopping them for a long time when the disease is uncontrolled can pose many health risks, including:
If you lack thyroid hormone for a very long period of time, you risk a dangerous condition calledmyxedema coma. This develops when your body’s functions slow to a point where life systems are compromised. Myxedema coma requires emergency medical treatment.
How Long Can You Go Without Thyroid Medication?Thedrug half-lifeof levothyroxine is six to seven days, which means it takes about four to five weeks for your body to be completely rid of the drug.Even so, most people will start to experience symptoms within a week, which gradually worsen over time.
How Long Can You Go Without Thyroid Medication?
Thedrug half-lifeof levothyroxine is six to seven days, which means it takes about four to five weeks for your body to be completely rid of the drug.Even so, most people will start to experience symptoms within a week, which gradually worsen over time.
Stopping Medication for Hyperthyroidism
If you haveGraves' disease,toxic nodules,thyroiditis, or another cause of hyperthyroidism, you may need to take PTU or Tapazole for 12 to 18 months to temper the overproduction of T3 and T4.
If you skip or stop your medicine entirely, you can experience a number of short- and long-term side effects, including:
Untreated hyperthyroidism can increase your risk of stroke or heart attack. It can also increase the risk of a potentially life-threatening condition called athyroid stormin which your heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature can soar to dangerously high levels.
What Do I Do if I Miss a Dose?If you miss a dose of any thyroid drug, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double up doses to catch up.
What Do I Do if I Miss a Dose?
If you miss a dose of any thyroid drug, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double up doses to catch up.
What to Do Instead of Stopping Medication
People stop thyroid medications for many reasons, often placing their health at risk. There are several tips and solutions that can help before taking the dangerous step of stopping your medication.
Know Your Medication Will Take Time to Work
Thyroid medications usually do not work right away. It can take a few days to a few weeks for you to start noticing a difference in how you feel.
If you don’t feel better after taking your medication for several months, you may need a dose adjustment or a different medication. Speak with your healthcare provider.
Ask About New or Worsening Symptoms
If you have lived with untreated thyroid disease for years, you may have gotten used to the symptoms. Or, it may have caused weight loss and reduced need for sleep, which some people welcome.
Thus, you may understandably be dismayed when you start treatment and find yourself gaining weight, losing hair, having leg cramps, or experiencing changes in your menstrual cycle.
Talk to your healthcare provider, as these may be short-term effects of your thyroid drugs. Or, you may be over-treated and require a dose adjustment or a different medication entirely.
The risk of serious side effects due to thyroid medication is extremely small. Side effects are also most likely to occur within the first three months of treatment.
Keep in mind that when thyroid disease is left untreated, it places extreme stress on your heart and bones, and puts your overall health at risk.
Look Into Cost-Saving Measures
Paying for medications can be stressful. If you have privatehealth insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid, most plans will cover thyroid medications fully or partially.
Use Daily Reminders for Medication
If you often forget to take your medications, there are a number of strategies you can use to help, such as setting a daily reminder on your phone. Keep your medications in an obvious place, like your bedroom or kitchen, and use a daily pill organizer to help you keep on track for the entire week.
Ask Your Healthcare Provider Before Using Natural Remedies
There are no natural substitutes for antithyroid medications. Check with your healthcare provider before using any natural or herbal remedies.
People on antithyroid drugs are generally treated for 12 to 18 months. After that, the dose may be slowly decreased or stopped if symptoms go away and if TSH levels are normal.
Treatment should only stopped (or the dose decreased) under the direction of a healthcare provider.
What if I Take Too Much Thyroid Medication?
If you accidentally take an extra dose of thyroid medication, you probably won’t notice any adverse effects.However, taking more than one extra thyroid medication can lead to an overdose. If you or someone you know takes too much thyroid medication, contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or call 911.
Some of the signs of a thyroid medication overdose include:
Signs of an antithyroid drug overdose include:
Summary
Not taking your hypothyroid or hyperthyroid medication can cause undesirable and even life-threatening symptoms, ranging from fatigue and hair loss to infertility and death.
If you are feeling conflicted about taking thyroid medications, discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider. You may need a different medication or a dose adjustment, but you should never quit without your provider’s approval.
A Word From Verywell
—LINDSAY COOK, PHARMD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dayan C, Panicker V.Management of hypothyroidism with combination thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormone replacement in clinical practice: a review of suggested guidance.Thyroid Res. 2018;11:1. doi:10.1186/s13044-018-0045-xNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).Doubleday AR, Sippel RS.Hyperthyroidism.Gland Surg. 2020;9(1):124-35. doi:10.21037/gs.2019.11.01Duntas LH, Jonklaas J.Levothyroxine dose adjustment to optimise therapy throughout a patient’s lifetime.Adv Ther.2019;36(Suppl 2):30–46. doi:10.1007/s12325-019-01078-2Orlando Health.Why you shouldn’t stop your thyroid medication.Medline Plus.Thyroid storm.Medline Plus.Levothyroxine.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Older therapies aren’t necessarily better for thyroid hormone replacement.NHS.Levothyroxine.MedlinePlus.Thyroid preparation overdose.NIH DailyMed.Methimazole tablet.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dayan C, Panicker V.Management of hypothyroidism with combination thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormone replacement in clinical practice: a review of suggested guidance.Thyroid Res. 2018;11:1. doi:10.1186/s13044-018-0045-xNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).Doubleday AR, Sippel RS.Hyperthyroidism.Gland Surg. 2020;9(1):124-35. doi:10.21037/gs.2019.11.01Duntas LH, Jonklaas J.Levothyroxine dose adjustment to optimise therapy throughout a patient’s lifetime.Adv Ther.2019;36(Suppl 2):30–46. doi:10.1007/s12325-019-01078-2Orlando Health.Why you shouldn’t stop your thyroid medication.Medline Plus.Thyroid storm.Medline Plus.Levothyroxine.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Older therapies aren’t necessarily better for thyroid hormone replacement.NHS.Levothyroxine.MedlinePlus.Thyroid preparation overdose.NIH DailyMed.Methimazole tablet.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Dayan C, Panicker V.Management of hypothyroidism with combination thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormone replacement in clinical practice: a review of suggested guidance.Thyroid Res. 2018;11:1. doi:10.1186/s13044-018-0045-xNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).Doubleday AR, Sippel RS.Hyperthyroidism.Gland Surg. 2020;9(1):124-35. doi:10.21037/gs.2019.11.01Duntas LH, Jonklaas J.Levothyroxine dose adjustment to optimise therapy throughout a patient’s lifetime.Adv Ther.2019;36(Suppl 2):30–46. doi:10.1007/s12325-019-01078-2Orlando Health.Why you shouldn’t stop your thyroid medication.Medline Plus.Thyroid storm.Medline Plus.Levothyroxine.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Older therapies aren’t necessarily better for thyroid hormone replacement.NHS.Levothyroxine.MedlinePlus.Thyroid preparation overdose.NIH DailyMed.Methimazole tablet.
Dayan C, Panicker V.Management of hypothyroidism with combination thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormone replacement in clinical practice: a review of suggested guidance.Thyroid Res. 2018;11:1. doi:10.1186/s13044-018-0045-x
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).
Doubleday AR, Sippel RS.Hyperthyroidism.Gland Surg. 2020;9(1):124-35. doi:10.21037/gs.2019.11.01
Duntas LH, Jonklaas J.Levothyroxine dose adjustment to optimise therapy throughout a patient’s lifetime.Adv Ther.2019;36(Suppl 2):30–46. doi:10.1007/s12325-019-01078-2
Orlando Health.Why you shouldn’t stop your thyroid medication.
Medline Plus.Thyroid storm.
Medline Plus.Levothyroxine.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Older therapies aren’t necessarily better for thyroid hormone replacement.
NHS.Levothyroxine.
MedlinePlus.Thyroid preparation overdose.
NIH DailyMed.Methimazole tablet.
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