Synthroid Uses, Dosage & Side Effects
Treat patients with adrenal insufficiency with replacement glucocorticoids prior to initiating treatment with SYNTHROID see CONTRAINDICATIONS. Titrate the dose of SYNTHROID carefully and monitor response to titration to avoid these effects see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION. Consider the potential for food or drug interactions and adjust the administration or dosage of SYNTHROID as needed see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION, DRUG INTERACTIONS and CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY. Concurrent use of sympathomimetics and SYNTHROID may increase the effects of sympathomimetics or thyroid hormone.
What is levothyroxine used for?
- Levothyroxine (T4) overdose is not frequently encountered and for the clinical signs to materialize, the ingested dose, the rate of conversion of T4 to T3 and chronicity of overdose can be held accountable.
- You may not be able to take Synthroid if you have certain medical conditions.
- Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.
- She had a verbal argument with her husband following which she took that medication.
- Larger doses may produce serious or even life-threatening manifestations of toxicity, particularly when given in association with sympathomimetic amines such as those used for their anorectic effects.
Thyroid hormones may increase the risk of coronary insufficiency when sympathomimetic agents are administered to patients with coronary artery disease. SYNTHROID increases the response to oral anticoagulant therapy. Therefore, a decrease in the dose of anticoagulant may be warranted with correction of the hypothyroid state or when the SYNTHROID dose is increased. Closely monitor coagulation tests to permit appropriate and timely dosage adjustments.
Levothyroxine overdose in a hypothyroid patient with adjustment disorder: A case report
The thyroid is a major gland in the body that is involved in important functions such as metabolism, growth, development, and regulation of body temperature. Levothyroxine is a synthetic version of the main hormone of the thyroid gland, known as thyroxine (T4). In patients who have an underactive thyroid, there is not enough production of thyroid hormones and levothyroxine is prescribed to help maintain normal thyroid hormone function.
Drugs Known To Affect Thyroid Hormone Pharmacokinetics
- Employ the following treatment approach in acute levothyroxine overdose.
- Seizures have been reported rarely with the institution of levothyroxine therapy.
- A clinician should then order TSH and free T4 levels immediately.
- Therefore, initiate SYNTHROID therapy immediately upon diagnosis.
Synthroid is synthroid tachycardia also used in patients who need surgery and radioiodine therapy to manage a type of thyroid cancer called well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Synthroid is a thyroid medicine that replaces a hormone normally produced by your thyroid gland to regulate the body’s energy and metabolism. Levothyroxine should not be used to treat obesity or weight problems.
Soybean flour, cottonseed meal, walnuts, and dietary fiber may bind and decrease the absorption of SYNTHROID from the gastrointestinal tract. Grapefruit juice may delay the absorption of levothyroxine and reduce its bioavailability. SYNTHROID may reduce the therapeutic effects of digitalis glycosides.
What to do if someone takes too much levothyroxine or takes it by accident
- You should refer to the prescribing information for Synthroid for a complete list of interactions.
- Rarely critical cardiac conditions, coma, seizures will follow massive doses of L-Thyroxine.
- Synthroid should not be used to treat obesity or weight problems.
- If cardiac symptoms develop or worsen, reduce the SYNTHROID dose or withhold for one week and restart at a lower dose.
- As no standard guidelines are currently available, the management of levothyroxine overdose should be individualized based on the amount ingested, as well as the clinical symptoms and signs of the patient.
An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of the medications; however, sometimes it does. Speak to your doctor about how drug interactions should be managed. His home medications included levothyroxine 150 µg daily, hydrocortisone 20 mg in the morning and 10 mg in the afternoon, testosterone 200 mg intramuscular injection every two weeks, bupropion 150 mg daily, and enalapril 10 mg daily.
This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Consider changes in TBG concentration when interpreting T4 and T3 values. Measure and evaluate unbound (free) hormone and/or determine the free-T4 index (FT4I) in this circumstance. Pregnancy, infectious hepatitis, estrogens, estrogen-containing oral contraceptives, and acute intermittent porphyria increase TBG concentration. Nephrosis, severe hypoproteinemia, severe liver disease, acromegaly, androgens, and corticosteroids decrease TBG concentration. Familial hyper- or hypo-thyroxine binding globulinemias have been described, with the incidence of TBG deficiency approximating 1 in 9000.
Drug-Food Interactions
Toxic effects may include increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias and central nervous system stimulation. Administration of sertraline in patients stabilized on SYNTHROID may result in increased SYNTHROID requirements. We report a case of asymptomatic levothyroxine over dosage (2.5mg) in a chronic hypothyroid patient who also was concomitantly taking propranolol and sertraline for adjustment disorder. Thyroid preparations are medicines used to treat thyroid gland disorders. Overdose occurs when someone takes more than the normal or recommended amount of this medicine. Symptoms of thyroid preparation overdose can be the same as symptoms of stimulant medicines.
Studies to evaluate mutagenic potential and animal fertility have not been performed. If cardiac symptoms develop or worsen, reduce the SYNTHROID dose or withhold for one week and restart at a lower dose. Our Synthroid Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication. Notify your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Synthroid including rapid heartbeat, fluttering in your chest, or chest pain.
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. Thyroid hormones, including SYNTHROID, either alone or with other therapeutic agents, should not be used for the treatment of obesity or for weight loss. In euthyroid patients, doses within the range of daily hormonal requirements are ineffective for weight reduction.