How is hyperthyroidism treated?

Your doctor's choice of treatment will depend on your symptoms and the cause of your hyperthyroidism. Treatments include:

• Medicine.
  • Antithyroid medicines block your thyroid from making new thyroid hormone. These drugs do not cause lasting damage to the thyroid.
  • Beta-blockers block the effects of thyroid hormone on your body. These medicines can be helpful in slowing your heart rate and treating other symptoms until one of the other forms of treatment can take effect. Beta-blockers do not reduce the amount of thyroid hormones that are made.
• Radioiodine. This treatment kills the thyroid cells that make thyroid hormones. Often, this causes permanent hypothyroidism.
• Surgery. Thyroid surgery removes most or all of the thyroid. This may cause permanent hypothyroidism.