Do you have a dysfunctional thyroid that requires you to take a medication prescribed by your medical doctor? If you are like most patients, you may be under the assumption you will be stuck taking it for life.

Is this a common misconception — or is it the truth? Will you have to take your thyroid medication forever? Let’s dig into this question and get you the information you need to make better decisions for your health.

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What is Thyroid Medication?

Before we move forward, we must establish what thyroid medication is and the role it plays within the body. This medicine is that which is designed by pharmaceutical companies to address the issues with thyroid hormones. Many actually contain some natural or synthetic form of these hormones within them, including:

●    T3 hormones that will be used by the body

●    T4 hormones that need to be converted into T3 hormones for the body to use

●    Both T3 and T4 hormones

Most medical doctors will prescribe their patients these medicines when basic blood work shows that the thyroid needs some extra help. Maybe it isn’t producing enough of one or both of the hormones- or any hormone at all. Or, maybe it is prescribed because the body appears unable to convert the T4 hormones.

While there are many different thyroid medications to choose from, most doctors stick to the most popular options. If you’ve been told by your doctor that you need to take thyroid medication, don’t be surprised if you know others who take the same thing.

What everyone wonders, of course, is whether or not they will ever be able to stop taking thetakingthe medication.

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Getting to the Root Cause

Believe it or not, thyroid dysfunction, such as hypothyroidism can occur for various reasons. For instance, it could be due to Hashimoto’s Disease, an autoimmune disorder that can cause hypothyroidism. Or, nutrient deficiencies can also lead to issues, especially when it comes to lacking selenium, zinc, vitamin A, and iron. These nutrients play a large role in thyroid function so when they are missing, there could be a problem.

Other factors can impact how well a thyroid functions such as:

●    Dieting

●    Iodine deficiency

●    Stress

Getting to the root cause of why your thyroid is struggling is always a great idea so that you can take the proper steps for healing.

Is Thyroid Medication the Answer?

Just because a thyroid medication works does not always mean it is the right answer.

In a nutshell, thyroid medication that is prescribed by your medical doctor can help the thyroid to regain its proper function. Most often this medicine is prescribed when routine blood work shows that thyroid hormones are out of whack. They watch the numbers. If needed, minor adjustments can be made to reach the ideal range.

The problem, however, is that doctors do not always dig deeper to find out why the thyroid is not functioning as it should be. Routine blood work may reflect thyroid function, but it doesn’t always show nutrient levels to determine if there are deficiencies or take a patient’s lifestyle into consideration, for example.

In other words, someone presenting with a selenium deficiency could be placed on thyroid medication when all they needed was a supplement to boost their levels. Since the medicine would make the thyroid function appear normal, no one would think to look further into your health to discover the deficiency. Without addressing the cause, you may very well find yourself on thyroid medication for life.

Working with a functional medicine doctor in Stuart, Florida can grant you the ability to get to the bottom of your thyroid issues once and for all. In-depth bloodwork and questions about your lifestyle habits can help uncover the culprit.

Will you have to take thyroid medication forever? Find out with the help of functional medicine.

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