SYNTHROID- levothyroxine sodium tablet

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. Since some more severely affected children may become clinically hypothyroid when treatment is discontinued for 30 days, an alternate approach is to reduce the replacement dose of levothyroxine by half during the 30-day trial period.

Caution should be exercised when administering SYNTHROID to patients with underlying cardiovascular disease, to the elderly, and to those with concomitant adrenal insufficiency (see PRECAUTIONS). The patient should be monitored closely to avoid undertreatment and overtreatment. Undertreatment may result in poor school performance due to impaired concentration and slowed mentation and in reduced adult height. Overtreatment may accelerate the bone age and result in premature epiphyseal closure and compromised adult stature. The list of drug-thyroidal axis interactions in Table 2 may not be comprehensive due to the introduction of new drugs that interact with the thyroidal axis or the discovery of previously unknown interactions. The mechanisms by which thyroid hormones exert their physiologic actions are not completely understood, but it is thought that their principal effects are exerted through control of DNA transcription and protein synthesis.

Exercise caution when administering levothyroxine to patients with cardiovascular disorders and to the elderly in whom there is an increased risk of occult cardiac disease. In these patients, levothyroxine therapy should be initiated at lower doses than those recommended in younger individuals or in patients without cardiac disease (see WARNINGS, PRECAUTIONS – Geriatric Use, and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). If cardiac symptoms develop or worsen, the levothyroxine dose should be reduced or withheld for one week and then cautiously restarted at a lower dose.

1 General Administration Information

• Decreases in TBG concentrations are observed in nephrosis, severe hypoproteinemia, severe liver disease, acromegaly, and after androgen or corticosteroid therapy (see also Table 2).
• Adequate levothyroxine treatment during lactation may normalize milk production in hypothyroid lactating mothers with low milk supply.
• For adult patients with primary hypothyroidism, titrate until the patient is clinically euthyroid and the serum TSH returns to normal see Dosage and Administration (2.3).
• SYNTHROID is contraindicated in patients with uncorrected adrenal insufficiency see Warnings and Precautions (5.4).
• Levothyroxine (T4) and liothyronine (T3) may be administered via a nasogastric tube but the preferred route of administration of both hormones is intravenous.

Dosage titration is based on serum TSH or free-T4 see Important Considerations For Dosing. Titrate the dosage (every 2 weeks) as needed based on serum TSH or free-T4 until the patient is euthyroid. SYNTHROID® (levothyroxine sodium) tablets, for oral use is a prescription, man-made thyroid hormone that is used to treat a condition called hypothyroidism in adults and children, including infants. It is meant to replace a hormone that is usually made by your thyroid gland. SYNTHROID should not be used to treat noncancerous growths or enlargement of the thyroid in patients with normal iodine levels, or in cases of temporary hypothyroidism caused by inflammation of the thyroid gland (thyroiditis).

Primary Hypothyroidism in Adults and in Adolescents in Whom Growth and Puberty are Complete

• Consumption of certain foods may affect levothyroxine absorption thereby necessitating adjustments in dosing.
• Biotin supplementation is known to interfere with thyroid hormone immunoassays that are based on a biotin and streptavidin interaction, which may result in erroneous thyroid hormone test results.
• Initiation of thyroid hormone therapy prior to initiating glucocorticoid therapy may precipitate an acute adrenal crisis in patients with adrenal insufficiency.
• In addition, thyroid hormones and thyroid status have varied effects on the pharmacokinetics and actions of other drugs.

If cardiac symptoms develop or worsen, reduce the SYNTHROID dose or withhold for one week and restart at a lower dose. Concurrent use of ketamine and SYNTHROID may produce marked hypertension and tachycardia. Seizures have been reported rarely with the institution of levothyroxine therapy. Administer SYNTHROID at least 4 hours before or after drugs known to interfere with SYNTHROID absorption see DRUG INTERACTIONS. Our Synthroid Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

If you eat any of these on a regular basis, check with your doctor. Long-term carcinogenicity studies in animals to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of levothyroxine have not been performed. Studies to evaluate mutagenic potential and animal fertility have not been performed. Pregnant and lactating females need to discuss the dose and use of this medication with their caregivers.

Assess the adequacy of therapy by periodic assessment of laboratory tests and clinical evaluation. Persistent clinical and laboratory evidence of hypothyroidism despite an apparent adequate replacement dose of SYNTHROID may be evidence of inadequate absorption, poor compliance, drug interactions, or a combination of these factors. Assess compliance, dose of medication administered, and method of administration prior to increasing the dose of SYNTHROID. Levothyroxine therapy is usually initiated at full replacement doses, with the recommended dose per body weight decreasing with age (see Table 3). However, in children with chronic or severe hypothyroidism, an initial dose of 25 mcg/day of levothyroxine sodium is recommended with increments of 25 mcg every 2-4 weeks until the desired effect is achieved.

SYNTHROID- levothyroxine sodium tablet

Thyroid hormones may increase the risk of coronary insufficiency when sympathomimetic agents are administered to patients with coronary artery disease. In acute, emergency conditions, injectable levothyroxine sodium (T4) may be given intravenously when oral administration is not feasible or desirable, as in the treatment of myxedema coma, or during total parenteral nutrition. Intramuscular administration is not advisable because of reported poor absorption. Biotin supplementation may interfere with immunoassays for TSH, T4, and T3, resulting in erroneous thyroid hormone test results.

Thyroid hormones are also metabolized via conjugation with glucuronides and sulfates and excreted directly into the bile and gut where they undergo enterohepatic recirculation. Levothyroxine, at doses individualized according to patient response, is effective as replacement or supplemental therapy in hypothyroidism of any etiology, except transient hypothyroidism during the recovery phase of subacute thyroiditis. Serum TSH levels should be monitored and the SYNTHROID dosage adjusted during pregnancy. Since postpartum TSH levels are similar to preconception values, the SYNTHROID dosage should return to the pre-pregnancy dose immediately after delivery see Dosage and Administration (2.3).

Hypothyroidism

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using. 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, synthroid lovenox myxedema coma …