Is surgery inevitable with an overactive thyroid?
Surgery is now rarely used to treat hyperthyroidism, except possibly when there is a single hot hormone secreting nodule. There are 2 other possible managements. Use of the anti-thyroid drug carbimazole, and more permanently radioactive iodine, which basically destroys most of the thyroid gland. This is a good management since it treats the condition once and for all. Most treated patients do however end up under-active, but this is easily managed with a daily thyroid supplement. (heleneaustin’s answer is a problem since giving levothyroxine to a patient who is already thyrotoxic would be potentially fatal!
