Is my son suffering from hypothyroidism?

Q: My 23 years old son’s TSH level is 23 mIU/l. The doctor has asked us to start thyronorm (125 mg) a day. Will prolonged use of thyronorm affect his health?

A:Your son has hypothyroidism, which means that his thyroid gland is functioning less. You have not told me the duration of disease as during initial stage we give a small dose and then titrate it according the TSH levels. I would suggest you to continue the same dose for 6 weeks and then get TSH done; if normal, continue with the same dose but if it is abnormal, then a change in dose will be required. As a thumb rule, if TSH is high we need to increase the dose and if low, to lower the dose. At one time, we do not make changes more than 25 ug. Regarding your query whether he needs it lifelong or not, I would say that with a TSH of 23 he is likely to need it lifelong. Also high levels of anti-TPO will suggest that he will need it for life.