What are the precautions for taking oral hyperthyroidism medication?

  Hyperthyroidism is a completely curable disease. We hope that patients will take the road less traveled and not trust the charlatan doctors, but strictly and standardized western medical treatment.  Patients should pay attention to their diet: avoid eating seaweed, nori, and iodine-rich foods such as saltwater fish, sea shrimp and crab.  Medication: Generally, there are three stages: (1) Initial treatment stage: 1-3 months: In this stage, we should pay close attention to the side effects of hyperthyroidism drugs. Common side effects are: skin allergy, leukopenia, abnormal liver function; the following indicators should be monitored regularly: blood routine (every 10-15 days), liver function (once a month if taking propylthiouracil). Seek medical attention as soon as symptoms such as skin wind mass, scratching, fever and sore throat appear.  (2) Reduction phase: Consider reducing the medication after 1.5-3 months of regular dosing. At this time, pay attention to rechecking thyroid function (i.e. T3, T4, TSH) every 45-60 days to avoid recurrence of the disease too quickly.  (3) Maintenance phase: Generally, after 4 months of medication, patients feel better, weight gain is obvious, and laboratory results are close to or all normal. However, if the medication is stopped at this time, generally within 18 months, the patient will have another attack of hyperthyroidism, and the treatment will have to start from the beginning again. Therefore, it is recommended to take one pill a day and maintain it for more than 2 years before stopping it, so that the possibility of complete cure of hyperthyroidism can be greatly increased.  If the patient is unable to take the medication, or has recurrent attacks even after taking regular medication, it is recommended to use isotope treatment. However, the disadvantage of isotope treatment is that a small number of patients will have permanent “hypothyroidism” after taking the medication, so they have to take the medication for life. Patients are advised to weigh the pros and cons with the help of their doctors.