Stopping thyroid medication - is it safe or possible?

Is it safe to stop taking thyroid medication? Well, yes, no, and maybe. Some people may be able to stop taking thyroid medication but you should NEVER try to go off of thyroid medication without physician supervision. These people, though, MAY be able to stop taking it.

Is it possible to stop taking thyroid medication once you start? The answer is sometimes but not always. There are some conditions which allow you to potentially stop taking your thyroid medication or to even reduce your dose.

But if you do this without the right supervision it can be dangerous.

Today, I am going to discuss 3 (or 4) different situations which relate to the idea of stopping your medication. Try to figure out which category you fit into.

#1. Those who need thyroid medication.

If you fit into this group then you will HAVE to use thyroid medication. People who fall into this group include those who don't have a thyroid (because it's been removed), those who have had their thyroid destroyed (with radioactive iodine), and those with a nonfunctioning thyroid gland.

People who have end-stage Hashimoto's fit into this category. Even though their thyroid gland is technically in their body it is no longer functioning.

#2. Those who don't need thyroid medication.

The next group of people are those who were started on thyroid medication but now no longer need it. And believe me, this group of people is actually quite large!

These people were either incorrectly placed on thyroid medication and kept on it for a long time or they are people who needed the medication at some point but no longer do (more on that below).

#3. Those who need it temporarily.

There are a number of conditions that cause a need for thyroid medication temporarily but this need doesn't stay around forever.

Conditions such as weight gain (obesity), high stress, nutrient deficiencies, iodine deficiencies, and early Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

If you have one fo these conditions it doesn't necessarily mean you need to be on thyroid medication forever because if you can treat them then you may be able to get off of your medicine.

#4. Those who may be able to reduce their dose.

Lastly, even if it isn't possible for you to stop taking your thyroid medication completely it still may be possible for you to reduce your dose by some percentage.

In order for this to work, though, you need to be addressing some of those issues listed above! For instance, if you can lose a bunch of weight then you may be able to reduce your dose of thyroid medication.

Recommended thyroid supplements to enhance thyroid function:

See ALL of my specialized supplements including protein powders, thyroid supplements, and weight loss products here:

Want more from my blog? I have more than 400+ well-researched blog posts on thyroid management, hormone balancing, weight loss, and more. See all blog posts here:

Disclaimer:

This video is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, treatment, diagnosis, prescription, or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Childs and you. You should not make any changes to your medications or health regimens without first consulting a physician. If you have any questions please consult with your current primary care provider. Restart Medical LLC and Dr. Westin Childs are not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or product you obtain through this website or video.
#thyroid #hypothyroidism #hashimoto's

[drwestinchilds]

HEY GUYS! Be sure to leave your comment below about your experience with thyroid medication. Do you think you'll be able to get off of it?

[jorishines]

I quit both Metformin and Levothyroxine in November 2014 because I was diagnosed with cirrhosis and I wanted to give my liver a better chance at healing. I've been following logic and research, it use vitamins and minerals, herbal supplements, and zero pharmaceuticals.
At 71, I'm still going.

[flaneurable]

I'm coming off it. I'm 92 and have been prescribed for years. I'm sure I was never more than a borderline case and didn't have the normal symptoms apart from cold hands. Thanks for your help.

[ludmillachurchill]

Thank you for your validation of my understanding that levothyroxin substitution could be flexible. All my GPs told me the opposite but I always knew they were wrong due to ignoring nuances. For example I had a gastric condition and practically my food digestion was impaired. For this reason, regardless of taking medication on empty stomach in the morning and waiting prior taking food, I basically couldn't absorb the thyroxine. Combination of gastric dysfunction and hypothyroidism requires constant adjustments of the dosage. When I had a gastric ulcer particularly aggravated, it felt like thyroxine would get straight into the bloodstream and my level of thyroxine would fluctuate during the day and ranging from feeling resttless and agitated like after 10 cups of coffee to feeling exhausted and drained, zero energy. My GP told my that the level of thyroxine builds up over 6-8 weeks and can't fluctuate immediately after taking thyroxine. I have stopped using the NHS (in the UK) because the stress of using the service overwhelmingly higher than the benefit

[NadjaLind]

nutrient (incl. iodine) deficiency. All specialists want to put me on medication but nobody ever checked minerals and vitamins or even asked me anything important nor brought that topic up at all! So I literally had to figure out myself what's wrong and help myself. Now I am feeling great. Thank you so much for your blog and videos, Dr. Childs!!!

[aathiabithap]

Thank you for the Video Doctor. My mom started with Throid medicine, when my Dad passed away. My Dad's death, put her in lot of stress and she got Diabetes and Thyroid from that. Its been four years now. I think its the time to reevaluate that.

[sunshinelovenv]

I went to the ER last year with very fast heartbeat and skipped beats. I was taking 25 for 5 days and 50;for the other 2 days. I was diagnosed with hypo. They said my doctor overdosed me I had aniexty too. Now my numbers are in range and he still tells me to take 50 and 25. I stood at only 25. In March my test was still normal . I just took myself off 2 weeks ago and I don't have any hypo symptoms. I am gonna take the test again in October.

[chelseyguyton]

How long do you need to quit taking thyroid medication before you do a lab to determine if thyroid levels are normal range or not to see if you can get off the medication??

[Angelahhh]

Can you make a video about how to ween off of the meds? Because I heard quitting cold turkey has consequences like bad symptoms

[barbarasapp]

Thanks for the great information, picking up a lot of knowledge 👍. Only one thing wish you would do. Have a large chalkboard maybe on wheels etc. So we are able to write down notes would be so much easyer for alot of us.
For example, another one I really enjoy watching that has great information is Dr. Eric Berg 😊. I'm going threw a lot of health problems on your subject 😢. Will be looking for more great information. 👍

[annlong]

I take 1 teas ashwagandha powder in camomile tea every night. No more anxiety

[soniaaugustine]

Thank you doctor, for the excellent description. Actually I was looking for a video like this, which has good information and enable to clear the real doubts of thousands of people. Amazing explanation.

[petervanrun]

real good balance view, imo an great reminder, meds may be necessary, but need ongoin evaluation, if people can b bothered, but, yeah, thank u Westin

[pcopeland]

Thanks. Nice. Nice structure to your vid with the written transcript too.

[Masqueesha]

I’m coming off my thyroid med. After 3 recalls (one of which came AFTER I had taken the whole bottle) and difficulty finding my med, I’m done. I just paid 3 times what it should cost because my dosage was recalled and all the pharmacy had was the super expensive one.

[arcthearc]

Thank u for information , it's great to know it will help many people, I'm sure .God bless u

[daniellevasconcellos]

I am 5'3 114lbs. I was/am a jogger. Since the pandemic (last 2 years) I've avoided any potential exposure to Covid. It was stressful and I practically avoided going out period. Recently, I've been told I have an under active thyroid. I was @ 9.0. Then I bargained with my DR to give me 6 weeks to see if I can bring my levels down. I started supplementing (iodine & zinc) & tread milling. In 6 weeks I was down to 8.5. He still insisted I take the medication bc my levels are still to high. I truly believe that if it went down that it could keep going down. Am I wrong in assuming that's true? I really do not want to take this medicine unless I try it my way first. Is sub clinical hypothyroidism the group that must take medication? Or is it more complicated than that? I've read, the rule of thumb is (if its over 10) then you def need medication.

[ceces]

Thank you fir the video. It’s very informative...

[zoetate]

Hi thanks for the video I've been on Synthroid for 10 years. I just started at 25 micrograms and I went up to 50 75 and now I'm on 88th I never knew what the root cause was before and last year I was definitely diagnosed with Hashimoto's but before that I was just hypothyroid for basically almost 10 years now I want to find out the root cause I think there's a lot more research going on and for me it was definitely stress and antibiotic abuse I think that kind of started in my gut and the thyroid in the gut are closely linked I hope you do a video about that soon I've been really paying attention to nutrient dense foods and decreasing my stress when I take my dose down though I don't know how much my thyroids been damaged my point is I'm trying to get down to 75 micrograms or even last because I don't want to be on synthroid for the rest of my life and very dependent on it it's actually a scary feeling I don't think I should have been put on it the beginning cuz my lab test for just one time. My former Dr. put me on Synthroid in 2009 I've slowly but steadily been gaining weight I'm 5 6 and 160 pounds when I started and now I'm a hundred and eighty-five pounds my top weight even though I'm eating better than ever it's hard for me to lose weight

[karenn]

I've stopped all thyroid meds. Originally my doc put me on T3 only which over time drove my T4 down. Another doc put me on T4. After awhile I started have feelings of anxiety and stopped everything. I never went back on it. My recent labs were completely normal. I'm one of those folks who was always asymptomatic and never felt different after starting meds.