“Did I take it or not?”: How to keep track of morning medication after thyroid cancer surgery—a question that has confused actress Kim Jung-nan, too [Health Talk]

[Financial News] “There are times when I can’t remember whether I took my thyroid medication in the morning while still half asleep.”
This is a confession from actress Kim Jung-nan, 55, who underwent surgery for thyroid cancer. Kim recently showed on her YouTube channel how she bought a weekly pill organizer so she wouldn’t forget to take her medication every day. She previously disclosed that she had surgery for thyroid cancer early this year when she appeared on the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) variety show Radio Star on September 30.
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland at the front of the neck, in front of the windpipe. It secretes thyroid hormones needed for metabolism, including the maintenance of body temperature and growth and development. Metabolism is the process of breaking down and synthesizing nutrients from food to produce energy and expelling the remaining substances from the body. If the body is compared to a furnace, the thyroid is like its temperature-control device.
Thyroid cancer often has no clear symptoms in its early stages and is frequently discovered by chance during ultrasound scans at health checkups. If a lump grows, a mass may be felt in the neck, the voice may change, and difficulty swallowing or breathing may occur.
After surgery to remove the entire thyroid, patients must take thyroid hormone medication regularly. Kim Sun-wook, head of the Thyroid Center at Samsung Medical Center (SMC), Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, explains that there are two reasons. The first is to replace hormones that are lacking. Without a thyroid, the hormones are not produced, so they must be replaced with medication for life. The second is to prevent recurrence. When there is enough thyroid hormone in the body, the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is suppressed, which is known to lower the recurrence rate of differentiated thyroid cancers such as papillary and follicular thyroid cancer.
If you experience a racing heartbeat, sudden weight loss or gain, swelling, or severe fatigue while taking the medication, consult your doctor to adjust the dose. Dr. Kim emphasized, “You must not stop taking the medication or reduce or increase the dose on your own without consulting a doctor; it is important to take it regularly.”
Bone health should also be monitored when taking the medication long term. Taking high doses of thyroid hormone medication for an extended period increases the likelihood of developing osteopenia. For this reason, the dose may vary depending on factors that affect bone loss, such as age, menopausal status, calcium intake, smoking, heavy drinking, and lack of exercise. In particular, postmenopausal women at high risk of osteopenia should have regular bone-density tests and, depending on the results, manage osteoporosis by taking calcium, bisphosphonates, estrogen, or other treatments.



[email protected] Jung Myung-jin, medical writer Reporter