Frequently asked questions about the thyroid

No. You can register with us directly. If you have been sent by your gynaecologist, GP or internist, please bring your existing results with you – it saves duplicate tests.

Fasting is not required for the thyroid values themselves. If other values such as blood sugar or blood lipids are to be measured at the same time, we will tell you when you book your appointment.

The laboratory is in-house, so most thyroid values are available the same or the following day. Antibody tests can take a little longer. We discuss the results with you as soon as they are complete.

These examinations and treatments are tied to a nuclear medicine facility. Where they make sense, we organise them with a specialised centre and take over the discussion of results and further care back at our practice.

Most patients describe it as less unpleasant than a blood draw. The needle used is very thin, and the puncture takes only seconds. A slight feeling of pressure in the neck may remain for one to two days.

That depends on your results. For stable, well-controlled hypothyroidism, an annual check is usually sufficient. After a dose change, we re-measure after six to eight weeks. We monitor nodules at intervals of six to twenty-four months, depending on size and ultrasound appearance.

Because TSH is the most sensitive single value. If it is within the normal range and you have no symptoms, additional hormone values generally provide no further insight. As soon as the TSH deviates or symptoms are present, we extend the testing.

For hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto's or resulting from surgery, as a rule yes, because the missing hormone has to be replaced permanently. For temporary hypothyroidism – for instance after an inflammation or after childbirth – treatment can be stopped again after a few months. We decide this together on the basis of your follow-up values.

No need to worry. Levothyroxine has a long half-life, so one forgotten tablet hardly matters. Take the next one as usual. Double doses are not necessary.

Only the water retained because of the hypothyroidism – usually one to three kilograms. Levothyroxine is not a slimming aid, and overdosing to lose weight is dangerous for the heart and bones. Read more on the page Thyroid, weight and menopause.

A balanced diet with enough iodine and selenium supports the thyroid but cannot replace missing hormones. With Hashimoto's we expressly advise against high-dose iodine supplements.

According to current knowledge, the autoimmune reaction itself cannot be reversed. However, the resulting hypothyroidism can be fully compensated – and that leaves you symptom-free. In practice, that is the decisive difference for most women.

There is nothing we need to treat. What makes sense is an annual check of TSH and fT4 so that we notice developing hypothyroidism early. If you are trying to conceive or are pregnant, we monitor more closely.

Stress alone does not cause an autoimmune disease. Stressful periods in life, infections or a pregnancy can, however, be the trigger that brings an existing predisposition to light for the first time.

Without restriction, once your levels are in the target range. With untreated hypothyroidism, exercise often feels laborious and unrewarding – that usually changes markedly once your medication is properly adjusted.

You do not have to give up iodised table salt or normal foods. What you should avoid are high-dose iodine supplements, seaweed and kelp products and – after consulting us – iodine-containing X-ray contrast agents. Before a CT scan, please always say that you have an overactive thyroid.

Blood levels usually improve within two to six weeks; how you feel often follows a little later. Beta blockers, on the other hand, work against palpitations and tremor within just a few days.

Yes, but it should be well controlled beforehand, and the choice of medication changes during pregnancy. Please plan this together with us – see also Thyroid in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

No, quite the opposite: most nodules are simply monitored. Surgery is performed if malignancy is suspected, if a nodule is so large that it causes symptoms, or if hyperthyroidism cannot be brought under control any other way.

Many remain unchanged for years. Some grow slowly, a few even shrink. That is exactly why we monitor them – not because we expect things to get worse, but so that we notice any change early.

A tendency towards nodules and goitre does indeed often run in the family. So please mention during your consultation whether your mother, sister or grandmother had thyroid problems – it affects how closely we monitor you.

Not for everyday life, but if you are trying to conceive the value is above the target range. A low-dose tablet is usually enough to bring it below 2.5. We then re-check after four to six weeks.

That depends on your initial results. If treatment was started only because of the pregnancy and there are no antibodies, it can often be stopped again afterwards. With Hashimoto’s it usually continues. We check a few weeks after the birth and decide together.

Iodine requirements rise considerably in pregnancy. Most pregnancy vitamins therefore contain iodine, which makes sense at this dose. If you have known Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, we discuss this individually.

In the first trimester a low TSH is common and usually harmless, because hCG also stimulates the thyroid. What matters is the fT4 and whether you have symptoms. We therefore always assess the value in context, never in isolation.

Routine testing is not part of the Mutter-Kind-Pass (Austrian maternity record) programme. However, if you have a known thyroid condition, confirmed antibodies, a family history, previous miscarriages or corresponding symptoms, checking is clearly worthwhile.

No. Correctly dosed, it provides exactly the supply your baby needs. What is dangerous is an untreated underactive thyroid, not its treatment.

Across all nodules, it is below five percent. If the ultrasound shows no risk features, it is considerably lower still. That is exactly why we do not biopsy every nodule, only the suspicious ones.

In the early stages usually not. Persistent hoarseness, a rapidly growing nodule or palpable lymph nodes in the neck should, however, always be investigated.

Yes. Once treatment is complete and your levels are well adjusted, there are generally no restrictions – work, sport, travel and also pregnancy are possible. The timing of a pregnancy should be agreed with us.

If TSH and fT4 are within the target range, the dose is right – and in that case the weight gain is very probably not the thyroid. Increasing the dose would not help here; it would do harm.

No. Products that market thyroid hormones or high-dose iodine for weight loss are medically indefensible and carry real risks for the heart and bones.

Oestrogen therapy can increase the need for levothyroxine because more binding protein is produced. If you start or stop hormone therapy, we therefore re-check the thyroid values a few weeks later.