Generally, thyroid replacement treatment is to be taken for life. 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.
Healthcare Professionals. Log out. Elisa shares her journey, from getting diagnosed to starting—and continuing—treatment with Synthroid, and living with hypothyroidism. Find out what Elisa does to make sure she gets her Synthroid at the pharmacy. Hear from Elisa as she talks about the importance of taking Synthroid the right way, every day. Elisa talks about how she takes an active role in her Synthroid treatment. These symptoms include:. Maintaining a consistent level of Synthroid in your body can help prevent side effects of having too much or too little of the drug in your body.
And you should try to take the drug at the same time every day. You may wonder how often certain side effects occur with this drug. In some cases, Synthroid may cause weight loss. And this may lead to weight gain. So with Synthroid treatment, your metabolism rate may be increased, and you may lose weight. In fact, Synthroid has a boxed warning advising against using the drug for weight loss. Boxed warnings alert doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.
And using doses larger than those recommended by the manufacturer may cause serious side effects. These side effects can include confusion, seizures, coma, and even death. In addition, taking Synthroid along with drugs used for weight loss may cause very serious or even life threatening side effects. However, a small study looked at how many people lost weight while taking levothyroxine the active drug in Synthroid. In some cases, Synthroid may lead to weight gain.
This is because the drug can increase your appetite, which may make you eat more food than usual. And this might make it easier for you to gain weight. Keep in mind that Synthroid is used to replace or add to your natural thyroid hormones. Hair loss is a rare side effect of Synthroid. And the hair loss typically happens during the first few months of Synthroid treatment. Usually, hair loss from Synthroid is only temporary, and it goes away even when treatment is continued.
Keep in mind that hair loss can also occur because of changes in your thyroid hormone levels. And Synthroid is used to replace or add to natural thyroid hormones in your body. If your hormone levels are either too high or too low, your hair may not grow properly. They may be able to recommend ways to help decrease this side effect. Your doctor may also order certain blood tests to check your thyroid hormone levels. Diarrhea is a possible side effect of Synthroid. Constipation, on the other hand, is unlikely to be a side effect of Synthroid.
This is because with low thyroid hormone levels caused by hypothyroidism, your digestion is slowed down.
And this may lead to constipation. They may order certain blood tests to check your thyroid hormone levels. As with most drugs, some people can have an allergic reaction after taking Synthroid. A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include:.
Call your doctor right away if you have a severe allergic reaction to Synthroid. Keep in mind that anxiety may also occur if your thyroid hormone levels are either too high or too low. And Synthroid is used to replace or add to the natural thyroid hormones in your body. So certain changes in your thyroid hormone levels may cause you to feel anxious or nervous.
However, insomnia can also occur when you have too much thyroid hormones in your body. Keep in mind that Synthroid is used to replace or add to the natural thyroid hormones in your body. They may order certain blood tests to check if your thyroid hormone levels are too high. And your doctor may also recommend ways to help you sleep better. With heart palpitations, you may feel like your heart flutters or skips a beat. Heart palpitations may also be caused by having too much thyroid hormones in your body.
And this could cause you to have heart palpitations. Your doctor will likely order blood tests to check your thyroid hormone levels. And your doctor may also be able to recommend ways to treat your heart palpitations.
Typically, your doctor will start you on a low dosage. For your dosage, your doctor will calculate the smallest dose that provides the desired effect. For example, this may be the case if you have certain heart problems. The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you.
Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs. It comes as tablets that are taken by mouth. Typical dosages of Synthroid for hypothyroidism are described below.
High dosages are greater than mcg of Synthroid daily. A typical starting dose of Synthroid for newly diagnosed hypothyroidism is 1.
This dose is taken once each day. With newly diagnosed hypothyroidism, the condition was just diagnosed within the past few months. For example, if you weigh 70 kg about pounds , your starting dosage of Synthroid would be about mcg each day. If your thyroid hormone levels are still too low, your doctor may increase your daily dosage of Synthroid by Then, after an another 4 to 6 weeks, your doctor will order blood tests again to check your thyroid hormone levels.
If needed, your doctor may keep increasing your daily Synthroid dose by The typical starting dosage of Synthroid for severe, longstanding hypothyroidism is The starting dosage of Synthroid for this condition is lower than it is for newly diagnosed hypothyroidism. See the section just above for details. When treating severe, longstanding hypothyroidism, your doctor may order blood tests to check your thyroid hormone levels every 2 to 4 weeks.
If your levels are low, your doctor may increase your daily dose of Synthroid every 2 to 4 weeks by This means that if you weigh 75 kg about pounds , your dosage of Synthroid would be mcg each day. Your Synthroid dosage for TSH suppression will depend on the severity of your condition and other health conditions you may have. TSH is made when your body needs thyroid hormones. Synthroid dosing for hypothyroidism in children depends on both their body weight and their age. Typical dosages for children are described below:.
If you forget to take a dose of Synthroid, your thyroid hormone levels may decrease. And this may lead to certain side effects. They or their medical staff will be able to recommend the best time for you to take your next dose of the drug. A medication timer may be useful, too. Synthroid is meant to be used as a long-term treatment. Other drugs are available that can treat your condition. Some may be a better fit for you than others.
They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you. And doses of brand-name Synthroid may not be equivalent to doses of generic forms of levothyroxine.
This allows your doctor to check your thyroid hormone levels and determine the correct dose of medication for you. Drugs other than Synthroid may be used to either treat hypothyroidism or provide thyroid stimulating hormone TSH suppression. You may wonder if there are natural treatment options for certain thyroid problems that Synthroid is used to treat. But if you want to explore natural options, we describe below some approaches that may or may not help to improve your thyroid health:.
If you have questions about using natural treatment options for a thyroid condition, talk with your doctor. You may wonder how Synthroid compares with other medications that are prescribed for similar uses. Here we look at how Synthroid and levothyroxine are alike and different. Brand-name Synthroid contains the active drug levothyroxine.
Levothyroxine is a man-made version of the natural thyroid hormone called T4. And levothyroxine is also available as a generic drug. Even though Synthroid and levothyroxine have the same active ingredient, the drugs may not be exactly identical. And switching between the two drugs may cause a large change in your thyroid hormone levels. Because of this, your doctor may need to monitor you if you switch from one drug to the other.
But if you must switch between these versions, talk with your doctor. This allows your doctor to be sure that your thyroid hormone levels are within a normal range. Both Synthroid and levothyroxine comes as tablets that are taken by mouth. And each of these drugs should be taken once daily in the morning. Synthroid and levothyroxine both contain the active drug levothyroxine. Therefore, these medications can cause very similar side effects. The use of Synthroid and levothyroxine in treating hypothyroidism has been directly compared in a clinical study.
This study, done in , looked at people taking either Synthroid or levothyroxine. It showed that there was no significant difference in thyroid hormone levels between the two groups of people. TSH levels indicate how much your body needs thyroid hormone. A lower TSH level means that thyroid hormone is being adequately replaced with treatment.
Synthroid is a brand-name drug, while levothyroxine is available as a generic drug. Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs do. According to estimates on GoodRx. Here we look at how Synthroid and Armour Thyroid are alike and different. Armour Thyroid contains T4, but it also contains the other main thyroid hormone called T3. Synthroid should be taken in the morning on an empty stomach, about 30 minutes to 1 hour before you eat breakfast.
Synthroid and Armour Thyroid both contain medications used for thyroid conditions. Therefore, these medications can cause very similar side effects, but some different ones as well.
Below are examples of these side effects. Even small changes in your doses of these drugs may cause large changes in your hormone levels, which may result in side effects. Synthroid is approved for TSH suppression and to treat hypothyroidism. The use of levothyroxine the active drug ingredient in Synthroid and Armour Thyroid in treating hypothyroidism has been directly compared in a clinical study.
So this study might not have shown the actual difference between Armour Thyroid and Synthroid. Keep in mind that T3 and T4 are the main thyroid hormones in your body. And TSH levels indicate how much your body needs thyroid hormones. So a higher TSH level means that your body needs more thyroid hormones than it has. The study also showed that after using both drugs over a period of 16 weeks each, This may be because the people lost, on average, 4 pounds more while taking Armour Thyroid than while taking levothyroxine.
In addition, the people reported having fewer thyroid symptoms when taking Armour Thyroid than when taking levothyroxine. There is also an ongoing clinical trial comparing Armour Thyroid with levothyroxine. So this study might not show the difference between Armour Thyroid and Synthroid. Synthroid and Armour Thyroid are both brand-name drugs. There are currently no generic forms of either drug. Brand-name medications usually cost more than generics.
You can view cost estimates for these medications on GoodRx. Synthroid can interact with several other medications. It can also interact with certain supplements as well as certain foods. Different interactions can cause different effects.
For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase side effects or make them more severe. Below are lists of medications that can interact with Synthroid. Before taking Synthroid, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use.
Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. This is because if taken with Synthroid, your diabetes drugs may not work as well as usual to manage your blood sugar level.
In some cases, your doctor may increase the dosage of your diabetes drugs. Or they may recommend that you take additional diabetes medications. But never change the dose of your diabetes medications on your own.
Taking certain heartburn medications with Synthroid may affect how well Synthroid works. For instance, some heartburn drugs can decrease the level of Synthroid in your body. This is because the heartburn medications change the amount of acid you have in your stomach.
And Synthroid needs a certain amount of acid in your stomach in order for it to be properly absorbed. If your Synthroid level is decreased, the drug may not work as well as usual. Other medications used to treat heartburn, such as calcium carbonate Tums , may also interact with Synthroid.
But Tums actually binds to Synthroid in your stomach, which stops your body from absorbing Synthroid as well as usual. To help avoid this interaction, you should take Tums at least 4 hours before or 4 hours after your Synthroid dose. If you are taking any heartburn medications, talk with your doctor about whether the medications are safe to use with Synthroid. If you do take heartburn drugs with Synthroid, your doctor may order blood tests more often than usual to monitor your thyroid health.
In addition to the heartburn medications discussed above, other medications used for digestive issues may also interact with Synthroid. This includes the medications:.
These medications may decrease the amount of Synthroid in your body. And this interaction could make Synthroid less effective for you. If you do take simethicone or sucralfate with Synthroid, your doctor may order blood tests more often than usual to monitor your thyroid health.
Some drugs used to treat depression may interact with Synthroid. Certain antidepressants can lower the level of Synthroid in your body, while other antidepressants can raise the level. In some cases, your doctor may recommend that you switch to a different antidepressant. Synthroid and certain antidepressants that increase levels of Synthroid. Tricyclic antidepressants TCAs and tetracyclic antidepressants may interact with Synthroid. If you take these drugs with Synthroid, the levels of both Synthroid and the antidepressant may be increased in your body.
This means you may have an increased risk of side effects from both medications. And keep in mind that side effects of Synthroid can include serious conditions, such as irregular heartbeat.
The antidepressant sertraline Zoloft may also interact with Synthroid. However, this drug may decrease the level of Synthroid in your body. This can make Synthroid less effective for you. Certain medications used to treat high cholesterol may interact with Synthroid. In fact, certain cholesterol medications called bile acid sequestrants can decrease the level of Synthroid in your body.
These cholesterol drugs may do this by lowering the amount of Synthroid that your body absorbs. If one experiences these symptoms, it may be best to switch to another thyroid medication. Here are some other side effects caused by Synthroid:. More severe side effects include irregular heartbeat, heart palpitations, abnormal heart rate, heart failure, high blood pressure, chest pain, tremors, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, leg cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, changes in menstrual periods, hives, skin rash, or an allergic reaction.
If you experience one or more of these symptoms, seek medical advice right away. The list above is not a complete list of side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider about other possible side effects, drug interactions, and related drug information. Long-term, Synthroid should normalize your thyroid hormone levels and regulate your metabolism. According to thyroid specialist Dr. Henderson, there are multiple thyroid formulations. NDT is pig thyroid in pill form and includes both T4 and T3.
Additionally, patients can get T4 and T3 medicines through a compounding pharmacy in different strengths and formulations. Skip to main content Search for a topic or drug. What is Synthroid and what is it used for? By SingleCare Team May. Top Reads in Drug Info. Can you mix Trintellix and alcohol?
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