NP Thyroid Uses

The normal thyroid gland makes T3 and T4. These thyroid hormones exert an effect on many important functions in the body, including metabolism, heart rate, and temperature regulation. Both too much and too little thyroid hormone in the body can cause problems. NP Thyroid is used to treat an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), a condition in which the patient’s thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormones. It works by providing exogenous hormones in people who have low hormone synthesis in their bodies.

NP Thyroid is also used to suppress thyroid function in people with conditions such as multinodular goiter, thyroid nodules, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and management of thyroid cancer.

There may be other uses of NP Thyroid. Your health care professional or pharmacist can give you further drug information.

NP Thyroid Mechanism of Action

NP Thyroid contains natural thyroid hormones obtained from pig (porcine) thyroid glands. It provides exogenous hormone effects in people who do not have enough natural thyroid hormones in their body.

NP Thyroid Doses

NP Thyroid preparations are available as tablets in doses of 15 mg, 30 mg, 60 mg, 90 mg, and 120 mg. Thyroid hormone dosage depends on the condition being treated. For hypothyroidism, the typical starting dose is 30 mg by mouth once a day. Your healthcare provider may increase the dose by 15 mg every 2-3 weeks based on clinical response and lab results. Most people require maintenance thyroid replacement therapy at doses ranging from 60 mg to 120 mg a day to maintain normal serum T4 and TSH levels.

When used for thyroid suppression therapy, NP Thyroid provides exogenous thyroid hormones. This suppresses the normal gland’s secretion of thyroid hormone (endogenous thyroid hormone secretion). The usual suppressive dose is 1.56 mcg/kilogram of body weight.

A TSH suppression test or thyroid suppression test is done to diagnose patients with subclinical or mild hyperthyroidism (people who have normal laboratory tests). It is also done to rule out or demonstrate thyroid gland autonomy (TSH-independent function of the thyroid) in people with Grave's ophthalmopathy. I-131 uptake is measured before and after NP Thyroid administration. Thyroid gland autonomy is ruled out if there is 50% or more suppression of uptake, indicating a normal thyroid-pituitary axis.