Synthroid Uses, Dosage & Side Effects

Seizures occurred in a 3-yearold child ingesting 3.6 mg of levothyroxine. Symptoms may not necessarily be evident or may not appear until several days after ingestion of levothyroxine sodium. SYNTHROID is indicated in adult and pediatric patients, including neonates, as a replacement therapy in primary (thyroidal), secondary (pituitary), and tertiary (hypothalamic) congenital or acquired hypothyroidism. All pharmaceutical medications have inactive ingredients and these ingredients can help delay the absorption of medications, protect the ingredients from damage in the intestinal tract, and so on.

Synthroid is a prescription medicine used to treat hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone). Levothyroxine is given when your thyroid does not produce enough of this hormone on its own. Controlled studies in pregnant women show no evidence of fetal risk. Levothyroxine enters breast milk; use caution while breastfeeding. Not recommended for TSH suppression in patients with thyroid nodules. Initiate lower dose in elderly, those with angina pectoris, cardiovascular disease, or in those with severe hypothyroidism.

Patient resources

Studies to evaluate mutagenic potential and animal fertility have not been performed.
Serum digitalis glycoside levels may decrease when a hypothyroid patient becomes euthyroid, necessitating an increase in the dose of digitalis glycosides.
Synthroid is a prescription medicine used to treat hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone).
You may be more likely to have a broken bone while using levothyroxine.
Check with your physician for additional information about side effects.

Titrate the dosage (every 2 weeks) as needed based on serum TSH or free- T4 until the patient is euthyroid see Important Considerations For Dosing. Synthroid is prescribed in tablets that range from 25 to 300 mcg in strength and is usually taken once a day with a full glass of water (about 8 ounces) 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast for best adsorption into the body. Children can take the medicine if the tablet is crushed and put into about 1 to 2 teaspoons of water; do not store or delay giving this crushed pill suspension. Doctors often may have to slowly increase the dose; patients should not increase or decrease this medication themselves. Because some preparations of the drug may contain iodine or lactose, patients should tell their doctors about such allergies or reactions to these components. Absorption of orally administered T4 from the gastrointestinal tract ranges from 40% to 80%.

Medications & Supplements

Levothyroxine is used in adults and children to treat hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid – a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone). While switching between generics may also be OK, the American Thyroid Association recommends staying with one drug rather than switching from one to the next. Whatever form of levothyroxine you use, take it daily as prescribed to ensure the best results. These authorities argued that FDA policy allows potency ranges of generical to vary by 5%, meaning that the potency can fall anywhere from 95% and 105% of the brand-name product. With levothyroxine, either extreme can be problematic—making it harder to stabilize thyroid function if patients are underdosed with one generic and overdosed with another. All generic levothyroxine products in the United States are independently certified by the USP.

Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy

The benefit of treating hypothyroidism may outweigh any risks to the baby. Synthroid (levothyroxine) treats hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) and different types of … Levothyroxine is also used in adults along with surgery and radioactive iodine therapy to treat a certain type of thyroid cancer.

Brand and Generic Medication Explained

The USP certifies that a drug contains the stated amount of ingredients listed on the product label and that no impurities were found.
Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.
You should not change from one brand of thyroid medication to another, from your brand of thyroid medication to a generic product, or from one generic product to another without first checking with your doctor.
All forms of the medicine contain the same active ingredient, however, what is added to the medicine to form the pill (inactive ingredients) can be different between generics and brands.
There are several studies that have shown similar effectiveness (how well the medication works) between brand and generic medications.

There may be multiple companies selling the same medication under different brand names. All forms of the medicine contain the same active ingredient, however, what is added to the medicine to form the pill (inactive ingredients) can be different between generics and brands. Popular brand names for levothyroxine (T4) include but are not limited to Synthroid®, Levoxyl®, Unithyroid®, Tirosint® in the United States and Euthyrox® and Eltroxin® in Europe. The recommended starting daily dosage of SYNTHROID in pediatric patients with primary, secondary, or tertiary hypothyroidism is based on body weight and changes with age as described in Table 2.

Levoxyl is another T4-only thyroid medication that is slightly more expensive when compared to Levothyroxine but cheaper than Tirosint. Another factor to consider is the cost of the various forms of T4 medications. This is a potentially big issue because most physicians, when prescribing medications, often recommend cheaper generic alternatives to name-brand medications. It may be small provera synthroid differences such as this that result in improvement when switching from one medication to the other, even though technically they are the “same thing”. This study showed that using Synthroid resulted in a more rapid rise in total serum triiodothyronine and a higher peak serum T3 when compared to other T4-only products.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. SYNTHROID is contraindicated in patients with uncorrected adrenal insufficiency see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS. If cardiac symptoms develop or worsen, reduce the SYNTHROID dose or withhold for one week and restart at a lower dose. Administer SYNTHROID at least 4 hours before or after drugs known to interfere with SYNTHROID absorption see DRUG INTERACTIONS. This document does not contain all possible side effects and others may occur. Check with your physician for additional information about side effects.

What else should I know about levothyroxine sodium?

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Levothroid is used for hashimoto’s disease, hypothyroidism, after thyroid removal, myxedema coma … Eltroxin is used for hashimoto’s disease, hypothyroidism, after thyroid removal, myxedema coma … Unithroid is used for hashimoto’s disease, hypothyroidism, after thyroid removal, myxedema coma … NP Thyroid is used for hashimoto’s disease, hypothyroidism, after thyroid removal, thyroid cancer …

In patients on a stable and appropriate replacement dosage, evaluate clinical and biochemical response every 6 to 12 months and whenever there is a change in the patient’s clinical status. Assess the adequacy of therapy by periodic assessment of laboratory tests and clinical evaluation. The recommended starting daily dosage of SYNTHROID in adults with primary, secondary, or tertiary hypothyroidism is based on age and comorbid cardiac conditions, as described in Table 1.