Make meds work for you

A prescription should only be used when blood tests show a thyroid disorder. Sounds obvious, but people offered medication from a doctor (or taking someone else’s) when they have normal function has ‘led to more hospital admissions than I can count’, says Dr Narang. Before you take on a daily pill, know these facts.

01. Not everyone needs them

‘There are new ways of thinking about who needs to be treated,’ says Dr Lowe. For mild cases, particularly if you feel fine (but, say, a blood test suggests you’re borderline low), your doctor may opt to keep tabs on your levels before giving a prescription down the line. But if you’re thinking of getting pregnant in the next five years, your GP will likely recommend starting treatment to top off levels for fertility.

02. They’re high maintenance

These medications need to be taken first thing in the morning, 30 minutes

before eating food or drinking coffee, and four hours before any iron, fibre or calcium supps, or consuming soya – all of which interfere with absorption, says Dr Stephanie Smooke Praw, endocrinologist at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in the US. Not a deal-breaker, of course. Just be on your A game.

03. They can’t undo bad habits

Sleeping only five hours a night? ‘No amount of thyroid medication is going to fix fatigue,’ says Dr Narang. Re-evaluate behaviours that might be contributing to your problems to support the work that medicine does.