Why is thyroid medication is necessary for hypothyroidism? Different kinds of thyroid medication What happens when you stop taking thyroid medication? How long can you go without thyroid medication before symptoms?
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Your dose will likely need to be increased. Your health team may want to keep a closer eye on your thyroid levels while you're expecting. It's considered safe to take your thyroid medication while breastfeeding. Studies show minimal amounts get into your milk. Switching brands of levothyroxine or changing to a generic may affect how they feel.
The pharmacy can make substitutions without your healthcare provider's knowledge. The amount of levothyroxine in a tablet can differ. For example, a mcg tablet may contain between 95 mcg and mcg of hormone. It's usually recommended that you take levothyroxine in the morning. If you follow that advice, take it on an empty stomach. Then avoid food and drink, including coffee , for at least an hour.
Some recent research supports taking thyroid medication at bedtime to maximize absorption. Talk to your healthcare provider to figure out the best time for you to take your thyroid drug. Consider your lifestyle and other medications and supplements you're on. Drugs for both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism work better if they're taken correctly. That starts with verifying your prescription is filled right. For hypothyroidism, be consistent about time.
Watch for brand-switching by the pharmacy, which can impact how you feel. Ask whether you should take it in the morning or at night.
Tell your provider if you're pregnant as you'll likely need a dosage increase. Food can affect the absorption of thyroid hormone by binding with it.
That can change how fast it dissolves and keep your intestine from absorbing it properly. A few simple dietary changes can help. Several hundred drugs interact with thyroid medications.
They include prescription and over-the-counter products. Go over your possible interactions and what to do about them with your healthcare provider and pharmacist whenever you start a new medication. You may be able to take the drug, but your thyroid hormone levels may need to be monitored more closely.
You may also want to take these drugs at a different time from your levothyroxine. Many other drugs may interfere with thyroid hormones. Some that cause significant interactions include:.
A wealth of other drugs can interact with thyroid medicines, as well. Many dietary supplements can interfere with the absorption or action of thyroid hormones or affect thyroid testing.
Some of the more common ones include:. Check supplements for potentially problematic ingredients and talk to your healthcare provider before taking them. A number of medical conditions may affect the absorption of thyroid medications and change the effectiveness of your dose.
Some of these include:. Polymorphisms genetic differences can lower the effectiveness of thyroid hormone in some people. One example is differences in a gene called iodothyronine deiodinase 2 DIO2. DIO2 affects how your body converts T4 into T3, which is the active form of the hormone. The drug levothyroxine brand Tirosint has fewer ingredients and may be better tolerated by people with digestive conditions including:.
Also, the liquid or gel cap form of levothyroxine may be better absorbed than levothyroxine pills. If you have any of these conditions, your healthcare provider may want to test your thyroid levels more frequently.
While uncommon, allergic reactions or sensitivities to levothyroid or the inactive ingredients in thyroid medications are possible. For example, the brand Synthroid contains:. Always let your healthcare provider and pharmacist know about your medicine and food allergies.
With natural desiccated thyroid medications, debate exists over whether taking it sublingually under the tongue gets it into the bloodstream faster. The counterargument is that it could lead to irregular absorption. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to take your medication and whether you'd need more frequent thyroid tests. Foods, drugs, supplements, and medical conditions all can interfere with absorption. Allergies are possible. Check in with your provider and pharmacist about anything new you're taking, and whether you should swallow it or take it sublingually.
Medication for hyperthyroidism overactive thyroid is simpler than for hypothyroidism. Still, you should keep some considerations in mind to ensure your medication is working as well as possible. Consistently taking your medication is important. The guidelines depend on what kind you're taking. Natural T3 Drugs.
If you're on a natural T3 medication, such as Armour or Nature Thyroid, and forget your medication , don't take your dose late or double up. Taking more than a single dose can cause overdose symptoms. They include:. It's important that you find ways to remember each dosage. You may want to set alarms on your phone or find an app to send you reminders. It's a good idea to carry your medication with you so you can take it on the go.
If you take thyroid replacement hormones levothyroxine after surgery or radioactive iodine, you can take two pills at the same time if you forget one. While this is safe, it's better if you remember to take it every day. Many drugs that can interact with hyperthyroid medications. Always talk to your healthcare provider before you take anything new. Common interactions include drugs such as:. Be cautious with over-the-counter cold medications or any drugs with a stimulant effect.
It's always a good idea to check in with your provider or pharmacist. When the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroxine called hypothyroidism , many of the body's functions slow down. Some of the most common symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland are:. Levothyroxine is a synthetic version of thyroxine. You take levothyroxine tablets to replace the thyroxine that your thyroid gland cannot produce and prevent the symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Levothyroxine starts working straight away, but it may be several weeks before your symptoms start to improve and you feel any different. Treatment with levothyroxine is usually lifelong. If you stop taking levothyroxine your symptoms are likely to come back. Yes, it's safe to take levothyroxine for a long time, even many years.
High doses of levothyroxine over a long time can sometimes cause weakening of the bones osteoporosis. This should not happen if you are on the right dose. It's important to have regular blood tests to make sure your dose is not too high. There's no clear evidence to suggest that taking levothyroxine will reduce fertility in either men or women. However, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant. They may want to review your treatment.
Yes, you can drink alcohol while taking levothyroxine. Alcohol does not affect how this medicine works. One of the symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland is weight gain. So, once you start taking levothyroxine, you may lose weight as your body's hormones rebalance.
Losing weight can also be a sign that your dose of levothyroxine is too high. Once your thyroid hormone levels have returned to normal, your tendency to gain or lose weight is the same as for people who do not have thyroid problems. If you have an underactive thyroid, you're entitled to free prescriptions for all of your medicines not just your levothyroxine. To claim your free prescriptions you'll need to have a medical exemption certificate.
The application form for the medical exemption certificate is called FP92A. You can get this from your doctor's surgery. You will need to fill in the form, then your doctor will sign it and send it off. Contraceptive pills that contain oestrogen combined contraceptive pills can reduce the amount of levothyroxine in your body.
Speak to your doctor if you start or stop taking the Pill — your dose of levothyroxine may need to change. It's having an underactive thyroid that causes hair loss — not treatment with levothyroxine. Because the natural hair growth cycle takes several months, hair loss related to thyroid disease might only be seen months after the illness has begun. If treatment with levothyroxine has already started, it may seem like the medicine — rather than the underlying illness — is causing the hair loss.
Page last reviewed: 23 October Next review due: 23 October Levothyroxine - Brand name: Eltroxin On this page About levothyroxine Key facts Who can and cannot take levothyroxine How and when to take levothyroxine Side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions about levothyroxine.
About levothyroxine Levothyroxine is a medicine used to treat an underactive thyroid gland hypothyroidism. Levothyroxine starts working straight away, but it may be several weeks before your symptoms start to improve. The most common side effects of levothyroxine are caused by taking a bigger dose than you need.
Your doctor can lower your dose to help reduce any side effects. Before you start taking levothyroxine, your doctor will do a blood test to see what dose you need. Once you start taking the medicine you'll have regular blood tests to see how well it's working.
Levothyroxine doses need to be carefully monitored during pregnancy. If you're planning to become pregnant or think you may be pregnant while taking levothyroxine, it's important to visit your doctor to make sure you get the correct care for you and your baby. Do not take levothyroxine and go back to your doctor to discuss your treatment if you have : had an allergic reaction to levothyroxine or any other medicines in the past an overactive thyroid hyperthyroidism a health problem that affects your adrenal glands your doctor will be able to tell you if you're not sure Check with your doctor before taking levothyroxine if you have : a heart problem including angina , heart disease or heart failure high blood pressure had a heart attack diabetes — the dose of your diabetes medicine may need to change because levothyroxine can raise blood sugar levels.
Dosage You may need to take several different tablets to make up your dose. Your doctor will tell you how many tablets to take each day. The dose of levothyroxine varies from person to person.
How to take it Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water. What if I forget to take it? What if I take too much? Taking an extra dose of levothyroxine by accident is unlikely to harm you.
Speak to your doctor if: you accidentally take more than 1 extra dose you get side effects such as a racing heart beat or chest pain — these may not happen straight away, it can be several days before they come on Blood tests Your doctor will do regular blood tests to check the levels of thyroid hormones in your body before and after starting levothyroxine.
These will allow your doctor to adjust the dose to suit you. You may need blood tests more often if you: are pregnant start or stop a medicine that can interfere with levothyroxine have any symptoms that could mean your dose is not quite right.
Common side effects and self-help advice The common side effects of levothyroxine usually happen because the dose you're taking is more than you need. Feeling sick Stick to simple meals and do not eat rich or spicy food. Being sick vomiting or diarrhoea Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. Headaches Make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids.
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