Is Oral Synthroid Medication Better Than Injectable Ones?

Posted on Tue, 12 Jul 2016

Question: I was originally diagnosed with graves disease , did the radiation and then we found out that my body didn't absorb Synthroid or any of the other thyroid medications orally so I have to get it through an IV 500 µg once a week well my new doctor wants to try oral medication again and since we've been trying this all the sudden I am just exhausted my heart rate is in the 90s and hundreds but I'm not running a fever basically comes down to just really really really tired muscles are tired loss of appetite a little unsteady on my feetfeet but it's starting to scare me because I literally could sleep all day I have fallen asleep sitting upright on the couch but the doctor thinks we should continue the oral from month what should I do I also have been freaking out and dripping wet sweats even though the house is not hot

Answered by Dr. Om Lakhani (43 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Need a little more information...

Detailed Answer:
Hi

I have gone through your history and here are my opinion on the same:

1. I agree with your second doctor rather than the first. Even if you have malabsorption of thyroid medications, it is unusual to have NO absorption at all. Hence oral thyroid supplementation , even if in high doses, is surely safer than injectable.
2. What kind of malabsorption do you have ? Have you undergone any gastrointestinal surgery in past ? Most cases of malabsorption in these cases is associated with Celiac disease. If you are having celiac disease and you are on Gluten free diet, then the absorption should improve overtime with avoiding gluten in diet.
3. The best your current situation would come from a thyroid function test report, which you have not provided. Please share with us a recent T4 and TSH report. If you donot have this report, I would advice you to get a Free T4 and TSH done ASAP.

So in summary I would need the following information from you :

1. Do you have celiac disease ?
2. What is the recent thyroid function test report ?

Regards
Dr. Om J Lakhani, MD
Department of Endocrinology
Sir XXXXXXX XXXXXXX Hospital,
New XXXXXXX

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad