How To Fix Hypothyroidism After Thyroid Being Removed Via Surgery?

2 Responses for "How To Fix Hypothyroidism After Thyroid Being Removed Via Surgery?"

1. Anonymous July 15th, 2009 at 2:04 pm

   There is no way to fix the problem. She will be on a thyroid medication for the rest of her life. After you start synthroid it will take about 6 weeks for the medication to start really kicking in. I bet the reason she had part of her thyroid removed was due to hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). Now that she doesn’t have all of her thyroid it has become underactive. They do the procedure because it is much easier to treat hypothyroidism tan to treat hyperthroidism. I hope this helps. She just needs to take her medication at the same time every day and in a matter of a few weeks she will likely be okay. Tell her to take care of herself to. Eat right and exercise.

2. Michelle S July 15th, 2009 at 7:27 pm

   If she has been on her medication for a while, your friend should go back to her doctor and have her levels checked again. Even if her levels have been stable, they need to be checked at least once per year. The synthetic thyroid hormone needs to be taken on an empty stomach, so if she has gotten lax with taking it properly, which can happen over time, she may not be getting her full dose.
   Most people who are experiencing hypothyroidism also gain weight, even if eating very little. I gained 25 pounds over a period of 6 months when my thyroid hormone dose was slightly too low. Without dieting or increasing my exercise, I lost the weight again in less than a year because I started taking the right amount of medication.
   If it isn’t her thyroid, it could be depression. Or it could be both. I have spoken with more than one person whose hypothyroidism triggered depression for them. It is nice that you care about your friend enough to ask about her situation.