A thyroid damaged by postpartum thyroid disease takes up little radioactive iodine, while Graves' disease causes the thyroid to absorb high levels of iodine. Since radioactive iodine is secreted in breast milk, a mother should not nurse for three to five days after taking this test. If a woman develops Graves' disease, though, her thyroid hormone levels need to be controlled. Radioactive iodine therapy, the most common treatment in the US, is not safe for breastfeeding mothers or pregnant women. In rare cases, surgery may be used to remove tissue from a very enlarged thyroid.
Hypothyroidism is treated with drugs that replace thyroid hormones.
This drug is considered extremely safe, even for pregnant and nursing women. It may take time to work out the correct dosage, but the results can seem miraculous to patients. This study examined both physical and emotional symptoms, and found that some patients feel better when they receive both T3 and T4, instead of just T4. Patients in this study received amounts of T4 and T3 similar to the amounts produced by a normal thyroid. In contrast, T4 replacement therapy usually requires a higher dosage of T4 than the normal thyroid makes.