Ways to Keep Thyroid Up for an Underactive Thyroid

The thyroid gland near the base of your neck produces hormones that help control the way the body metabolizes energy. If the thyroid gland is underactive, a condition called hypothyroidism, metabolism slows. The person begins to feel tired, chilled, and gains weight easily. The condition can occur in anyone, but is more common in women than men, and can be controlled with medication.

See Your Doctor

• See your doctor if you have the symptoms -- sluggishness, weight gain despite eating a normal diet, chills, high blood pressure. He can perform tests to determine if you have an underactive thyroid or another problem. Also, make sure that a new doctor knows if you've had thyroid surgery, radiation treatment or radioactive iodine treatment to the thyroid area that could have damaged the gland's ability to produce its natural hormone.

Synthetic Thryroid Hormone

• Synthetic thryroid hormone, levothyroxine, substitutes for the natural thyroid that the underactive gland is not producing. Brand names include Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid and Unithroid. The easy-to-take oral prescription will alleviate the symptoms and will be taken the rest of your life.

Monitor Your Dosage

• Synthetic thyroid hormone does not usually cause side effects. However, your physician should monitor your hormone levels periodically to ensure you are taking the correct dosage. Levothyroxine comes in various brand names, so if you change brands or go to a generic, make sure that the dosage is the same. Also be aware that too much thyroid hormone can be as bad as too little. Overdoing the hormone can make you feel nervous or shaky, cause sleep problems, or even cause heart palpitations.

Maintain Your Treatment

• Take your prescribed thyroid hormone regularly even if you're feeling better. Without treatment, an underactive thryoid can cause more serious problems including a goiter (enlarged thyroid gland), difficulty breathing, heart conditions, depression or memory problems.