How to Know If Your Thyroid Medicine Is Working

When physical symptoms of thyroid disease are slow to disappear, or new ones develop, a physical exam alone cannot fully diagnose the progress of the disease. Many other diseases and disorders can share similar physical manifestations. Thus it is important to monitor your health by including laboratory work as a vital part of your health assessment. Common among thyroid medications is thyroxine, used to help reestablish normal levels of thyroid hormone for individuals with low or absent thyroid function. After initial dosage, it usually takes several weeks before normal thyroid hormone levels are achieved. Periodic laboratory blood tests are needed to help monitor health progress.

Things You'll Need

• Prescription thyroid medication
• Physician consultations

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Instructions

• 1

  Set and keep an appointment with a qualified medical doctor, who can order and interpret thyroid laboratory tests. Your physician should examine you for signs and symptoms of your thyroid disease, and order any laboratory tests needed. Be sure to discuss drug therapy options and be sure you are taking the best medication available to you. Some medications may be more effective than others.

• 2

  Thyroid laboratory tests can confirm thyroid function. Should your thyroid function change, your doctor will let you know if medication changes are necessary. If changes should need to be made, additional lab testing will be required about six weeks after starting the new prescription.

• 3

  Continue to monitor your thyroid function by visiting your physician for regular consultations and follow-up lab work. Thyroid disease care is a lifetime commitment, and your medication is essential to your well-being.

• 4

  How well you feel is very important in determining the effectiveness of your thyroid medicine. So while lab results can give quantitative results, how well you feel is a qualitative measure not to be overlooked.