Lack of thyroid medication can cause some adverse effects on your body, says Dr. Pradip Shah.
I had a roommate in college who always asked me to wake her up at dawn so she could take her medication on an empty stomach (I was an early riser). She would take her medicines religiously at 6 am, go back to sleep and wake up an hour later to prepare for the class. Only then would I take a sip of tea. I never asked, but a few months later I knew that the pills she took religiously were for her thyroid problem. He was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism when he was younger and had been taking thyroid Replacement medication since then, every day for ten years on an empty stomach. Out of curiosity, I asked him: "What happens if you forget your dose?" She shrugged and said, "I do not know, I never have!"
Doctors strictly advise thyroid patients never to lose their medications, but I bet many of you will wonder what would happen if you forgot a single dose. So I asked Dr. Pradip Shah Specialist in general medicine, Fortis Hospital, Mumbai about your opinion This is what I had to say.
Why are thyroid medications prescribed?
"True to their name, thyroid replacement medications are used to replace the thyroid hormones that occur naturally in the human body to treat diseases such as hypothyroidism, where the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones, "says Dr. Shah, it can also be used in the treatment of goiter.The thyroid hormones help the tissues to develop, control muscle growth and maintain brain function among other things. Thyroid medication is usually taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and a gap of one hour is observed before eating anything else.
What happens if you forget to take a thyroid medication?
"Usually, when a dose is omitted, there will not be much difference, our bodies have the hormone reserves of previous doses that will help even if you miss a dose, "says the doctor, but if you miss more doses, it could be causing problems, according to Dr. Shah.
"Thyroid hormone is necessary for energy metabolism in our body. If you omit 2 or 3 doses, the reserves of hormones in the body will be depleted, and gradually begin to show symptoms of lethargy and water retention, "says Dr. Shah.
What to do if you miss a dose?
"Ideally, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, but because these medications should be taken on an empty stomach, you should not eat anything for 3-4 hours before taking thyroid replacement medications," Dr. Shah
Image source: Shutterstock
Reference: https://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/what-happens-if-you-miss-a-dose-of-your-thyroid-medication-k0417/, by Sandhya Raghavan
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