Clinton health care statement: Which medications is Hillary taking?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}July 31, 2015: Democratic U.S presidential candidate Hillary Clinton makes a speech on Cuban relations at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. (Reuters)
On Friday, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign released a health care statement revealing that the former Secretary of State has hypothyroidism as well as allergies, and is taking Armour Thyroid. It also stated that the 67-year-old Democratic candidate has allergies and is taking antihistamines, vitamin B12 and Coumadin.
Amour Thyroid is the brand name for a hormone used for treating an underactive thyroid. It’s also used to prevent certain types of enlarged thyroid glands and to manage thyroid cancer, according to EveryDay Health. The medication works by replacing the thyroid hormone when the body does not make enough on its own. It’s a natural product made from animal thyroid glands.
According to the report, Armour Thyroid should not be used to treat obesity or weight problems, and incorrect use of the medication can cause serious or sometimes life-threatening side effects. Large doses of it may cause symptoms of toxicity, especially if combined with diet pills.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}More than 20 million Americans suffer from thyroid disorders, according to the American Thyroid Association. An estimated 60 percent of cases go undiagnosed, which may put patients at risk for serious conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and infertility.
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck that produces hormones to control the speed of your metabolism. The most common types of thyroid disorders include:
Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, in which the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, in which the thyroid gland produces too much hormone.
Thyroid cancer, in which cancer develops in the thyroid gland.
After suffering a concussion in 2012, Clinton was found to have a transverse sinus venous thrombosis, and began taking anticoagulation therapy to dissolve the clot. She currently takes the popular blood thinner, Coumadin, which according to the Cleveland Clinic controls the way blood clots inside blood vessels.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Coumadin controls how fast the blood clots, preventing life-threatening clots from forming inside the arteries, veins or heart during certain medical conditions. If there is an existing blood clot, Coumadin may prevent the clot from getting larger, while also acting to prevent a piece of the clot from breaking off and traveling to the lungs, brain or heart. It does not work to dissolve the clot, though clots sometimes dissolve on their own. Patients are advised to avoid taking vitamin supplements that provide more than 100 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance, as well as chronic, heavy drinking of alcoholic beverages.
According to the health care statement, Clinton has not experienced any side effects from her prescribed medications.