Often, patients with hypothyroidism (low levels of thyroid hormones) avoid therapy or quit treatment as soon as they notice the slightest unpleasant side effects. However, Synthroid therapy absence can be deadly dangerous for patients with thyroid disease. Today, I will tell you about the potential risks of not taking synthetic hormone.
What are the risks of not having Synthroid therapy for hypothyroidism?
First of all, mind that, for patients, hypothyroidism itself becomes some kind of a way of life. At the same time, the quality of life of people receiving replacement therapy is almost identical to the quality of life of healthy or relatively healthy people. But Synthroid therapy absence for patients with insufficient thyroid function might lead to the development of serious complications, up to deadly threatening ones.
The most dangerous of these consequences is the so-called hypothyroid coma. The risk of developing this extremely dangerous condition increases with age. Moreover, it increases in the absence of adequate therapy even in younger people. Most often, patients in a state of hypothyroid coma die from respiratory and heart failure. In addition, in some cases, death occurs from cardiac tamponade.
According to statistics, hypothyroid coma leads to death in 40% of patients in case of timely intervention, and in 60-90% of cases if a patient doesn't seek medical attention immediately.
How can you identify a hypothyroid coma with Synthroid therapy absence?
Medically speaking, a coma consists of alveolar hypoventilation followed by hypoxia of vital organs. The main symptoms include a critical decrease in body temperature, bradycardia (too slow heart rate), hypoglycemia, decreased blood pressure, depression of all types of reflexes, drowsiness. Quite often, disorders of the cardiovascular system finally lead to death.
In the absence of Synthroid replacement therapy, patients with hypothyroidism may experience a hypothyroid coma, during which all the symptoms of hypothyroidism increase.
Prevention of dangerous complications in patients with thyroid disease
Hypothyroid coma most often occurs as a result of the lack of proper maintenance therapy. Thus, both doctors and patients should avoid Synthroid therapy absence. Patients with hypothyroidism themselves, if they self-medicate, should carefully select the dosage of the drug and be extremely attentive to their condition. In most cases, appropriate replacement therapy helps to avoid such risks.
