Drug induced hypothyroidism

Summary Drugs and dietary substances which may induce goiter and hypothyroidism are reviewed. Another group of pharmacological agents alter the serum or cellular binding of thyroxine and triiodothyronine but do not induce hypothyroidism in animals and man whose hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis is intact. In view of the widespread clinical use of many of these therapeutic agents, it is essential that the physician be aware of the effects of these drugs on thyroid function in order to avoid true hypothyroidism or misinterpretation of thyroid function tests.