How can hypothyroidism be treated?

Q: I am a 36 years old man having hypothyroidism. My TSH level was 7.56 and antisomal antibody test was 130, which was almost the double the normal level. The doctor has prescribed half a tablet of Thyronorm 50 mcg for first 10 days, then one full tablet for the next 10 days and 1.5 tablet for the next 4 weeks. Am I having severe hypothyroidism? Is this temporary due to stress? Will it normalize over time? What are the best medicines available for the treatment? Are there any side effects of this medicine?

A:Issue is subclinical hypothyroidism. Going by the reports provided by you have subclinical hypothyroidism, which is a mild form of disease. Not all patients having this condition need treatment. It seems you do fall in the same group. I suggest you to get lipid profile, haemogram, creatinine and ECG done. If all of these are normal then you should not take any medications and get your TSH repeated after 3 months. If we find a rising trend then there is a case to treat you otherwise observation is good enough. As your antibody titre is high you are more likely to develop full blown hypothyroidism. Even if you need treatment then dose requirement will not be more than 50 mg per day. Please cross-check the advice you got from your physician as such a high dose can have side effects on your bone health and heart.