Many people would like to blame weight gain and fatigue on a lack of thyroid, or hypothyroidism. Sometimes this is a true cause and other times it is not. Read about the man-made thyroid replacement hormone, levothyroxine (Synthroid) and reflect on the following questions.
How do primary care providers determine that a patient needs thyroid replacement therapy?
What are the risks, if any, of just adding a small dose of levothyroxine to help a patient feel better even if they do not need the hormone?
What are the side effects of levothyroxine?