This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Amiodarone induced hypothyroidism

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

  • incidence
    • in areas with high iodine intake - 13%
    • in areas of low iodine intake - 6.4%
    • patients with low environmental iodine e.g. Italy develop more amiodarone induced hyperthyroidism than amiodarone induced hypothyroidism - the opposite occurs where there is high environmental iodine e.g. UK, USA
  • diagnosis
    • low T3, T4; increased TSH
    • in the first three months of amiodarone therapy there may be a transient increase in TSH levels

  • treatment
    • continue amiodarone therapy in combination with thyroxine therapy

Notes (1,2,3):

  • about 37% of amiodarone contains organic iodine by molecular weight
    • each 200 mg tablet is estimated to contain about 75 mg of organic iodide of which 10% (7.5 mg) is de-iodinated to yield free iodine
      • results in a high iodine supply to the body that far exceeds the daily recommended optimal iodine intake (0.2 to 0.8 mg)
  • elimination half-life of amiodarone is about 2-3 months, and total body iodine stores may remain elevated for up to 9 months even after discontinuation of the drug
  • amiodarone-induced thyroid dysfunction is a complex phenomenon; however, its exact pathogenesis largely remains unknown

Reference:

  • BMJ 1999;319:894-99.
  • Harjai KJ, Licata AA. Effects of amiodarone on thyroid function. Ann Intern Med. 1997;126:63-73
  • Bogazzi F, Tomisti L, Bartalena L, Aghini-Lombardi F, Martino E. Amiodarone and the thyroid a 2012 update. J Endo-crinol Invest. 2012;35:340-8

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.