This video will discuss the side effects of stopping thyroid medication abruptly.
Is it safe to stop taking your thyroid medication? The answer is no for several reasons which I will explain here.
But first, we need to talk about why you are taking thyroid medication, to begin with.
Thyroid medication is prescribed to those people who are deficient in thyroid hormone (meaning their body isn't producing enough).
So if you were to stop taking your thyroid medication then your body would revert back to whatever it was capable of producing before you started taking thyroid medication.
This process usually results in certain symptoms including:
- Hair loss
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Increased pain
- Increased fatigue
- And other symptoms of hypothyroidism
But why do you experience these symptoms?
These 4 reasons will help you understand why you will most likely feel worse if you do:
#1. Your body may be reliant upon thyroid medication.
If you've had your thyroid removed or if it's been destroyed by radioactive iodine then you may not be able to produce thyroid hormone on your own. In this case, you will be required to take thyroid hormone.
#2. Your HPT axis may be blunted.
Taking thyroid medication blunts the normal HPT axis in your body and it can take weeks to months for this system to recover. During this period you will most likely feel very poorly.
#3. Your body may not be able to produce thyroid hormone by itself.
Conditions such as Hashimoto's damage the thyroid gland and even though you may be able to produce some thyroid hormone you may not be able to produce enough to sustain yourself.
#4. Thyroid supplements do not replace thyroid medication.
Lastly, you want to make sure that you use supplements to compliment your medication but not to replace it. Supplements can help improve natural conversion and production of thyroid hormone but they aren't as powerful as thyroid medications.
Recommended thyroid supplements to enhance thyroid function:
- For thyroid hormone production and conversion: https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-adrenal-reset-complex/ + https://www.restartmed.com/product/t3-conversion-booster/
- For hair loss: https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-hair-regrowth-complex/
- For weight management: https://www.restartmed.com/product/gut-bomb-350-billion/ + https://www.restartmed.com/product/functional-fuel-complete/
- For gut health: https://www.restartmed.com/product/ultra-biotic-x100/
- For energy and adrenal health: https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-adrenal-reset-complex/ + https://www.restartmed.com/product/power-b-complex/
I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it.
You can learn more about high-quality supplements that I create (and personally use) here:
https://www.restartmed.com/shop/
You can find more general information on my site here:
https://www.restartmed.com/
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This video is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you have questions about your health please consult your physician or primary care provider. Dr. Westin Childs goes to great lengths to produce high-quality content but this is NOT a substitute for medical care.
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