If you have hypothyroidism, see your health professional every 6 to 12 months so your condition can be closely monitored and your treatment adjusted, if necessary.

It is important to take thyroid hormone medicine correctly. Talk with your health professional if you do not understand the reason for taking medicine regularly or if you think you have any side effects from the medicine. You usually need to have regular blood tests to determine whether you are receiving the correct amount of thyroid hormone.

Children with hypothyroidism also need to see a health professional regularly because the amount of thyroid hormone medicine they need changes as they grow. Untreated hypothyroidism in infants and very young children can have severe consequences. As soon as you think your child is old enough to share the responsibility for his or her own health care (usually around age 9 or 10), teach him or her about hypothyroidism, the importance of taking medicine correctly, and why regular health checkups are important.

Some health food stores in the United States sell "natural" forms of thyroid hormone. The quality and effectiveness of these natural agents are unregulated. Some may not work at all. Others may have an active ingredient that does work but that may be dangerous to certain people.