Synthroid
Product information
Drug name: Synthroid
Synthroid generic name: Levothyroxine
Strength: 0.025mg – 0.300mg
Formulation: Tablet
What is Synthroid used for
Synthroid is an orally given pill used to treat symptoms of an underactive thyroid. This may develop spontaneously or as a result of thyroid surgery or damage. Normal mental and physical health needs a functioning thyroid.
Before use, talk to your prescribing doctor if you have a history of:
- Increased thyroid hormones
- Decreased adrenal gland function
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
Too much Synthroid is possibly causing an overdose. Fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat, disorientation, loss of consciousness, or seizures are all warning signs to watch out for. Synthroid and coffee should never be mixed. Between them, give it at least an hour.
If you have diabetes, this medicine may cause your blood sugar levels to rise, so keep track of them. Shakiness, unusual sweating, hunger, dizziness, and increased urination/thirst are all side symptoms that should be discussed with your doctor. As required, speak with your prescribing doctor about making a prescription change.
Side effects are more noticeable in children and elderly people. Headaches, hip/leg discomfort, and visual abnormalities are more common in children than in adults. Thyroid hormone levels that are too high in children can have long-term consequences such as slowed bone formation and growth, as well as a reduction in full adult height. A fast/pounding/irregular pulse is more common in older individuals.
Before any treatments, inform your doctor and/or dentist about your medicines. Consult your prescribing physician about the risks and benefits of Synthroid if you are pregnant or nursing. Although it goes into breast milk, it is not harmful to breastfeeding babies.
Possible interactions include:
- Blood thinners
- Digoxin
- Sucroferric oxyhydroxide
How to take Synthroid
This drug is generally given once a day, every day, for the rest of one’s life. Take Synthroid half an hour to an hour before your first meal of the day on an empty stomach. When taking this prescription, make sure to drink at least one glass of water. The capsule should not be broken, crushed, or chewed. There are tablet choices that may be broken and combined with little quantities (1-2 tsp) of water in a spoon or dropper if you can’t swallow capsules or if you’re using them for a young kid. For small children, it must be water; do not use a formula to combine. Do not prepare ahead of time.
Weight, age, lab test results, condition, and reaction are all aspects that go into calculating Synthroid dosage. There are various brands available; however, you should only switch brands if your prescribing doctor instructs you to do so. There are medicines that can interfere with the body’s capacity to absorb thyroid hormones; be aware of potential interactions and wait four hours between doses.
Synthroid Side Effects:
Common:
- Hair loss (temporary)
Serious:
- Increased sweating
- Sensitivity to heat
- Mental/mood changes
- Tiredness
- Diarrhea
- Shaking (tremor)
- Headache
- Shortness of breath
- Bone pain
- Easily broken bones
- Chest pain
- Fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat
- Swelling hands/ankles/feet
- Seizures
- Allergic reaction
