Hypothyroidism: Drug Treatment, Follow-Up Care, and Patient Education

Thyroid
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Thyroid
Hypothyroidism is a health-degenerating condition that disrupts the activities of the thyroid gland. Idrees et al. (2020) cite genetic defects and autoimmune conditions as the causes. Arcangelo and Peterson (2022) indicate that iodine deficiency is the primary culprit for the disease, despite other factors such as thyroiditis triggering its development. Once healthcare providers diagnose the disease presence using serum TSH, the only treatment approach is thyroid hormone replacement therapy. The physicians recommend a prescription of levothyroxine (T4) (Arcangelo & Peterson, 2022; Idrees et al., 2020). This approach ensures the medication restores the euthyroid state of the patient, estimated as 0.5 – 4.0 mIU/mL. This treatment continues until the patient achieves the desired levels.
Follow-up for hypothyroidism treatment is critical because dosage requires progressive adjustments until they reach the complete replacement. This process occurs incrementally by approximately 25 mcg/d after every 4 – 6 weeks (Arcangelo & Peterson, 2022). Moreover, a biochemical and clinical TSH evaluation in the 6th and 8th week after the first therapy initiation is critical for identifying overdose or underdose symptoms and...