Thyroid eye disease treatment options

Supportive care and monitoring

Lubricating drops, gels, or ointments may help the eye surface. Ask which preparation fits your symptoms and whether preservative-free options make sense. Smoking cessation support and stable thyroid levels are part of care.

Selenium may be considered for selected mild active cases, particularly where selenium intake is low. It is not a supplement everyone with TED should take; excessive intake can be harmful. Ask your clinician first.

Medicines for TED

US-approved targeted therapies include Tepezza (teprotumumab-trbw) and Lumvoa (veligrotug-vvze). Both are intravenous IGF-1 receptor inhibitors. Important risks and practical differences need an individual discussion.

Specialists also use glucocorticoids and, in selected cases, other immune-modifying medicines. Some TED uses are off-label. The medication comparison explains the main distinctions.

Double vision and radiotherapy

Prisms or an occlusive lens may help some people manage double vision. Selected patients may be offered orbital radiotherapy, sometimes alongside medication. Ask what problem each option is intended to address.

When surgery is considered

Urgent surgery may be needed for vision-threatening compression or severe surface exposure. Planned surgery for eye prominence, alignment, or eyelid position is often considered after stability. The sequence matters because one procedure can change the need for another.

Read the surgery guide.

Decide what matters to you

• Which symptoms are we trying to improve?
• What benefit is realistic, and when will we reassess?
• What monitoring and visits will I need?
• What are the alternatives if this does not help or is not covered?