Endocrine Patients and Coronavirus. What should thyroid and Hashimoto’s patients know? [WE EXPLAIN]

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The coronavirus pandemic is a crisis situation, especially for patients who are treated for chronic diseases. Canceled visits to doctors, difficult access to tests and medications – this is what patients have had to deal with for many weeks. A large group is made up of endocrine patients, who are more exposed to the psychological consequences of a sense of danger and social isolation. We ask Dr. Luiza Napiórkowska, who is well known to patients as Dr. Luiza, the author of the blog Okiem Doktor Luiza, about their situation today.

Endocrine disorders and the risk of coronavirus infection

Co-morbidities, or multi-disease, are a factor that is associated with the severe course of the disease caused by the coronavirus. Certain medical conditions that impair the function of the immune system increase the risk of infection. Does this also apply to hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism and other endocrine diseases?

– If your thyroid hormones are balanced, then don’t – compensated thyroid disease does not affect the immune system. The patient would need to be severely underactive or overactive for the disease to increase the risk of developing the disease. There are various reports on this, but the information that thyroid patients are at risk is not true. The same is the case with people with compensated Hashimoto’s disease and in euthyroidism, says Dr. Luiza Napiórkowska.

In the event of suspected thyroid problems or the first symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease, it is worth performing a panel of tests to diagnose this descent.

To support the work of the thyroid gland, start supplementing Hashima Forte for thyroid and immunity – a preparation containing zinc, selenium, vitamin B1 and vitamin D3.

What about medical examinations?

According to Dr. Luiza, the greatest difficulty and threat for patients with hormonal disorders today is the poor availability of laboratory tests and medical consultations.

– In times of coronavirus, we are more nervous. Sometimes the symptoms of hyper / hypothyroidism overlap and, in fact, without the thyroid profile tests, it is difficult for us to judge what to do with the drugs – increase or decrease the dose. Telemedicine is helpful when we have test results. However, it should be remembered that without a physical examination of the patient, we are not able to verify some symptoms and sometimes make a final diagnosis. This is an intermediate solution, but probably the only one nowadays – says Dr. Luiza.

With hypothyroidism, you can have tachycardia, i.e. an accelerated heart rhythm, in addition, tachycardia can be accompanied by insomnia or sweating – these are symptoms characteristic of hyperthyroidism. Endocrine patients may experience greater emotional agitation which makes them feel worse. Patients report that they suffer from palpitations, soreness in the thyroid gland, non-specific feeling of breathlessness, fatigue – they say that something is happening to them. But is it due to hormone activity or psychosomatics? It is difficult to verify without tests, and patients are afraid to have blood tests because they are afraid of infection. It is possible to draw conclusions from the conversation, but if there are no blood tests, treatment is extremely difficult.

Availability of drugs for the thyroid gland. Euthyrox is missing again

Today’s situation has influenced people suffering from endocrinology in yet another way. Problems with the availability of drugs returned, which disappeared from pharmacies after patients started stocking up – even for 3-6 months. The basic commodity is Euthyrox. Its reserves have clearly diminished over the past few weeks.

– The problem with Euthyrox has been present for several months since the manufacturers began to change the composition of the drug and packaging. I called the drug availability hotline, where I was informed about a global increase in the need for L-thyroxine and therefore problems in increasing production. It should be remembered that L-thyroxine is produced by two pharmaceutical companies, the second of them increased production. We can change drugs, it does not matter whether we choose this or that company (the active substance is the same), although patients are attached to a specific product and some of them hardly accept the change – explains Dr. Napiórkowska.

We learn from the editorial office of Ktomalek.pl that in the case of drugs for hypothyroidism, the greatest problems with availability concern Euthyrox preparations in doses of 112, 137 and 175 mcg. The situation is similar with the drugs Novothyral and Novothyral 75. The drug Iodid (in doses of 0,1 and 0,2 mg) is practically unavailable, and the situation has lasted for many months. There is no analogue of this drug. Thyrozol 5, 10 and 20 (for hyperthyroidism) is also difficult to obtain.

Even more difficult are patients who want to buy HRT (hormone replacement therapy) preparations.

SOURCE: Ktomalek.pl / The statistics concern 9184 pharmacies that cooperate with the website. In the case of drugs that are difficult to obtain, availability is only at the level of a few percent of pharmacies.

Do you want to support the work of the thyroid gland? Reach for a selenium dietary supplement available on Medonet Market at an attractive price.

Chernobyl confusion. Can Lugol’s solution harm the thyroid gland?

The recent Chernobyl fire (there is still radioactive cesium-137 around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant) also raised concern among endocrinologically ill patients amid the coronavirus confusion.

“The patients asked me if they should drink Lugol’s solution,” says Dr. Luiza.

The vote on this matter was quickly taken by the National Atomic Energy Agency, which states that the level of radiation resulting from forest fires in the vicinity of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant currently has no impact on the radiation situation in Poland. PAA also warns against taking preparations with stable iodine on your own – this may be harmful to your health.

– Lugol’s solution contains iodine, and iodine is a substrate for the production of thyroid hormones. If we take too much iodine, we can cause hyperthyroidism, especially when we have autoimmune thyroid disease – explains Dr. Napiórkowska.

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Have a question about the coronavirus? Send them to the following address: [email protected]. You will find a daily updated list of answers HERE: Coronavirus – frequently asked questions and answers.