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Anti-thyroid medicines reduce the amount of hormone your thyroid gland makes.Beta-blocker medicines help reduce the symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Beta-blockers can make you more comfortable until the thyroid imbalance is under control.Radioactive iodine " Radioactive iodine comes in a pill or liquid you swallow. It destroys much of the thyroid gland. Pregnant women should not use this treatment, because it can damage the babys thyroid gland. But the treatment is safe for women who are not pregnant and for men. The amount of radiation used is small. It does not increase the chance of getting cancer, and it does not cause problems getting pregnant in the future or increase the risk of birth defects in future pregnancies.Surgery " Doctors can do surgery to remove part or all of the thyroid gland. Doctors do not often recommend surgery, because the other treatment choices are safer and less costly. But surgery is the best choice in some cases.
Most people who are treated with radioactive iodine or who have surgery end up making too little thyroid hormone after treatment. They must take thyroid hormone pills after treatment " for the rest of their life.
What if I want to get pregnant? " If you take anti-thyroid medicine, talk to your doctor or nurse before you start trying to get pregnant. You will probably need to take different medicines at different times in your pregnancy. Plus, your doses might need to be adjusted.
If you were treated with radioactive iodine, wait at least 6 months before you start trying to get pregnant. This will give your doctor enough time to find out if your thyroid is making enough thyroid hormone after the radioactive iodine treatment. If the radioactive iodine caused the thyroid to make too little thyroid hormone, you will need to take thyroid hormone pills. It is important to have a normal amount of thyroid hormone in your body before getting pregnant.
Whatever treatment you use, you should have your thyroid hormone levels checked often during pregnancy. Thyroid hormone levels must be at the right level during pregnancy to avoid risks to both the mother and the baby.
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This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014.
Topic 15437 Version 7.0
Release: 22.8 - C22.206
© 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved.
figure 1
Thyroid and parathyroid glands
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the middle of the neck. It sits just below the larynx (voice box). The thyroid makes two hormones, called triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), which control how the body uses and stores energy. The parathyroid glands are four small glands behind the thyroid. They make a hormone called parathyroid hormone, which helps control the amount of calcium in the blood.
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Thyroid and parathyroid glands
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the middle of the neck. It sits just below the larynx (voice box). The thyroid makes two hormones, called triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), which control how the body uses and stores energy. The parathyroid glands are four small glands behind the thyroid. They make a hormone called parathyroid hormone, which helps control the amount of calcium in the blood.
Graphic 66834 Version 7.0
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