Side effects of medication for hyperthyroidism in women

Hyperthyroidism (Hyperthyroidism) is a disease with a long history, and people have a gradual understanding of the harm of hyperthyroidism. Since Wamer discovered that Graves' disease affects the patient's periorbital area in 1883, in the nearly 100 years that followed, experts and scholars have gradually discovered that Graves' disease has serious damage to the nervous system, endocrine system, skin, blood system, and liver. After a woman develops hyperthyroidism, will taking medication cause side effects?

The main cause of hyperthyroidism is excessive production of thyroid hormones. There are only three ways to treat hyperthyroidism worldwide. The first is anti-thyroid cyst drugs; the second is radioactive iodine treatment; the third is surgical treatment. At present, the most commonly used drugs in China are still anti-thyroid cyst drugs. There are two common anti-thyroid cyst drugs, one is methimazole and the other is propylthiouracil. The side effects of the two anti-thyroid cyst drugs are similar. Both of their side effects include leukopenia or liver function test damage, skin allergies, and rash. There is also a specific change for propylthiouracil, which is vasculitis. Therefore, during the treatment period of anti-thyroid cyst drugs, blood routine tests and liver function tests should be frequently followed up to see if there are any serious side effects. If so, the drug should be stopped immediately.

Common questions about taking hyperthyroidism medications:

1. Check before treatment: routine blood and urine tests and liver and kidney function tests; (and follow up regularly according to the patient's condition)

2. Before and during treatment, if you experience side effects such as prurigo, jaundice, bileless stool (light gray) or dark brown urine, joint pain, abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue, fever, pharyngitis, etc., you should stop taking the medicine and tell your doctor immediately;

3. After taking iodine, patients with hyperthyroidism must undergo elective surgery according to the doctor's instructions, otherwise hyperthyroidism crisis may occur, which may seriously endanger the patient's life; pregnant patients should pay special attention to the adverse effects and risks of taking iodine;

4. The treatment process may last for about 12-18 months. You should take the medicine under the specific guidance of a physician and do not need to reduce or stop taking the medicine on your own.

5. If hyperthyroidism still occurs after a course of medication, you may consider iodine-131 treatment or thyroid cystectomy. Patients who do not respond to methimazole therapy may be considered for longer-term, low-dose treatment;

6. Definition of remission of hyperthyroidism: TSH, FT4, and T3 remain normal for 1 year after cessation of medication. The remission rate is about 20-40%, and increasing the treatment time cannot increase the remission rate;

7. If you want to get pregnant or breastfeed, you must inform and consult your doctor. When thyroid cystectomy is used to treat hyperthyroidism, surgery should be performed in the second or third trimester of pregnancy (taboo in the first or last trimester);

8. Pay attention to low-iodine diet, avoid fatigue, and refrain from smoking, drinking alcohol, tea, coffee and iodine drugs;

9. Regular follow-up and re-examination and follow-up of discomfort should be carried out under the specific guidance of a college doctor. Please bring your medical history materials (including past medical history materials).