Treatment
Several treatments for hyperthyroidism exist. The best approach for you depends on your age, physical condition and the severity of your disorder:
• Radioactive iodine. Taken by mouth, radioactive iodine is absorbed by your thyroid gland, where it causes the gland to shrink and symptoms to subside, usually within three to six months. Because this treatment causes thyroid activity to slow considerably, you may eventually need to take a medication every day to replace thyroxine.
• Anti-thyroid medications. These medications gradually reduce symptoms of hyperthyroidism by preventing your thyroid gland from producing excess amounts of hormones. They include propylthiouracil and methimazole (Tapazole). Symptoms usually begin to improve in six to 12 weeks, but treatment with anti-thyroid medications typically continues at least a year and probably longer. For some people, this clears up the problem permanently, but other people may experience a relapse.
• Beta blockers. These drugs are commonly used to treat high blood pressure. They won't reduce your thyroid levels, but they can reduce a rapid heart rate and help prevent palpitations. For that reason, your doctor may prescribe them until your thyroid levels are closer to normal.
• Surgery (thyroidectomy). If you can't tolerate anti-thyroid drugs and don't want to have radioactive iodine therapy, you may be a candidate for thyroid surgery, although this is an option in only a few cases.
In a thyroidectomy, your doctor removes most of your thyroid gland. Risks of this surgery include damage to your vocal cords and parathyroid glands — four tiny glands located on the back of your thyroid gland that help control the level of calcium in your blood. In addition, you'll need lifelong treatment with levothyroxine to supply your body with normal amounts of thyroid hormone. If your parathyroid glands also are removed, you'll need medication to keep your blood-calcium levels normal.
