Why should I take Euthyrox after thyroid cancer surgery? How to take Euthyrox correctly? Experts answer

After many patients have undergone thyroid cancer surgery, doctors will tell them that they need to take Euthyrox for a long time and will also remind them not to stop taking the medicine on their own. Then -

What is Euthyrox?

Why do we need to take Euthyrox for a long time after thyroid cancer surgery?

How to take Euthyrox correctly?

Below, experts in thyroid, hernia and vascular surgery from Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine will answer these questions.

1. What is Euthyrox?

Euthyrox is the trade name of the drug, its chemical name is Levothyroxine Sodium Tablets, and it is a thyroid hormone drug.

Its main ingredient is levothyroxine sodium, an artificially synthesized thyroid hormone that can replenish the lack of thyroid hormone in the body and maintain normal growth, development and metabolism of the human body.

It is mainly used for long-term replacement treatment of congenital hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism caused by various reasons. It can also be used for inhibitor replacement treatment of simple goiter, chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis and after thyroid cancer surgery.

2. Why do we need to take Euthyrox for a long time after thyroid cancer surgery?

1. Maintain thyroid function

The thyroid gland is the largest endocrine system in the human body, and its main function is to synthesize, store and release thyroxine.

Since the thyroid gland needs to be removed (completely or partially) during thyroid cancer surgery, there is no gland in the body to produce thyroid hormones after the removal. In order to maintain thyroid function and ensure the normal daily physiological needs of the human body, additional thyroid hormone must be supplemented.

2. Prevent recurrence of thyroid cancer

TSH is thyroid stimulating hormone, which is secreted by the pituitary gland. It can stimulate normal thyroid cells to secrete thyroxine to promote cell growth, thereby maintaining the needs of normal human activities. However, when the human body's thyroid hormone meets the demand, it will feedback to the pituitary gland to inhibit the secretion of TSH.

Thyroid cancer cells also have certain thyroid cell functions and are also regulated by TSH. If the TSH level is too high after thyroid cancer surgery, it will stimulate the abnormal growth of residual thyroid cells or potential cancer cells. Therefore, as long as the human body supplements enough thyroid hormone, it can control the TSH level and inhibit the growth of cancer cells, thereby reducing the probability of cancer recurrence and metastasis.

Therefore, patients after thyroid cancer surgery must take Euthyrox for a long time to maintain thyroid function, prevent cancer recurrence, and improve survival rate.

3. How to take Euthyrox correctly?

(1) When to take Euthyrox

The best time to take the medicine is in the early morning, on an empty stomach one hour before breakfast.

The absorption site of Euthyrox is in the small intestine. Food and other medicines will affect the absorption of Euthyrox, so it cannot be taken at the same time as other medicines and food. You must wait for more than 1 hour after taking Euthyrox before eating food or other medicines.

At the same time, you should avoid taking soy products, foods rich in calcium, iron, aluminum, etc. or medicines at the same time , otherwise it will reduce its efficacy, such as soy milk, milk, iron-containing drugs (ferrous succinate), aluminum-containing drugs (sucralfate), calcium supplements (calcium carbonate), etc. Therefore, it is recommended to take Euthyrox and these drugs at different times, with an interval of at least 2 hours.

(2) Dosage of Euthyrox

The doctor will determine the dosage of Euthyrox based on each person's specific situation, such as age, thyroid function indicators, etc. Everyone must take it strictly according to the doctor's instructions, and cannot increase or decrease the dosage or stop taking the medicine on their own. During the course of taking the medicine, the doctor will adjust the dosage based on the results of regular review.

(3) Precautions for taking Euthyrox

1. Take medication regularly

Take Euthyrox on time every day to avoid missing a dose. If you accidentally miss a dose, you can take it once on the same day. The average half-life of Euthyrox is 7 days, so it doesn't matter if you miss a dose, but be sure not to double up on the next day. You must develop a good habit of taking medicine regularly.

2. Regular review

Patients who undergo thyroid cancer surgery need to have their thyroid function checked regularly so that doctors can adjust the dosage of Euthyrox in a timely manner.

Generally speaking, the follow-up intervals are 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery, every six months from the 2nd to the 5th year, and once a year after the 6th year.

You can take the medicine or not on the day of the follow-up examination, because the thyroid function test is not affected by fasting or not. However, it should be noted that each time the dosage of Euthyrox is adjusted, the thyroid function needs to be rechecked one month later.

3. Pay attention to adverse reactions

Euthyrox has few adverse reactions, but some patients may experience symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, and insomnia. If these symptoms occur, you should inform your doctor in time, and the doctor will adjust the dosage or take other measures according to the situation.

Recovering from thyroid cancer surgery is a long process, and taking Euthyrox correctly is an important part of it. I hope everyone can pay attention to it, take Euthyrox strictly according to the doctor's instructions, and recover soon!

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zhang Jingjing, Department of Thyroid, Hernia and Vascular Surgery, Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine

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(Edited by YT)