This site is intended for healthcare professionals

account_circleSign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Advice for patients with newly diagnosed hypothyroidism

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The following advice should be given to the patients who are diagnosed recently with hypothyroidism:

  • inform that it will take at least a week after initiating therapy for the patient to start feeling better
  • there will be no noticeable effect if one dose is missed
  • take a double dose on the day after a missed tablet (except in active ischaemic heart disease and atrial fibrillation)
  • in patients who present with muscle weakness, stiffness, or cognitive defects that it may take up to six months to fully resolve the symptoms
  • Levothyroxine should be taken on an empty stomach to maximise absorption
  • treatment is life long and a yearly measurement of TSH level is necessary and the dose may be adjusted accordingly
  • in the UK, patients with hypothyroidism are eligible for a medical exemption certificate for prescription charges (1)

Reference:

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page