LEVOTHYROXINE

(LEE voe thye ROX een) Brand: Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Tirosint, Unithroid

What is the most significant information I must know about levothyroxine?

• You may not be able to take this medicine if you have determined medical conditions. Speak your doctor if you have an untreated or uncontrolled adrenal gland mess, a thyroid mess called thyrotoxicosis, or if you have any last or current symptoms of a heart attack.

• Levothyroxine must not be used to treat obesity or weight problems. Dangerous side effects or death can occur from the misuse of levothyroxine, especially if you are taking any another weight-loss medications or appetite suppressants.

What is levothyroxine?

• Levothyroxine is a replacement for a hormone normally produced by your thyroid gland to regulate the body's energy and metabolism. Levothyroxine is given when the thyroid does not manufacture satis of this hormone on its own.

• Levothyroxine treats hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone). Levothyroxine is also used to treat or prevent goiter (enlarged thyroid gland), which can be caused by hormone imbalances, radiation treatment, surgery, or cancer.

• Levothyroxine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking levothyroxine?

• Since thyroid hormone occurs naturally in the body, nearly anyone can take levothyroxine. However, you may not be able to take this medicine if you have determined medical conditions.

• To create certain levothyroxine is safety for you, speak your doctor if you have:

· a thyroid mess called thyrotoxicosis;

· heart malady, coronary artery malady, or a history of blood clots;

· diabetes (insulin or oral diabetes medicine doses may need to be changed when you start taking levothyroxine);

· anemia (lack of red blood cells);

· osteoporosis, or low bone mineral density;

· problems with your pituitary gland;

· any food or drug allergies;

· an untreated or uncontrolled adrenal gland mess; or

· if you have recently had a heart onslaught, or are having any symptoms of a heart onslaught (chest pain or hard feeling, pain spreading to the jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating, common ill feeling).

• Speak your doctor if you have recently received radiation therapy with iodine (such as I-131).

• FDA pregnancy category A. Levothyroxine is not expected to harm an unborn child. If you become pregnant while taking levothyroxine, do not stop taking the medication without your doctor's advice. Having low thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy could harm both mother and child. Your doze needs may be various during pregnancy.

• Levothyroxine can pass into breast milk, but it is not expected to be deleterious to a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a child. Your doze needs may be various while you are nursing.

How must I take levothyroxine?

• Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your doze to create certain you get the excellent results. Do not take this medication in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended.

• Do not share this medicine with other person, even if they have the same symptoms you have.

• Levothyroxine works excellent if you take it on an empty stomach, within 30 minutes till breakfast. Follow your doctor's dosing instructions and try to take the medication at the same time every day.

• It is very significant to take Levoxyl with a full glass (8 ounces) of water. The Levoxyl tablet can dissolve very quickly and swell in the throat, possibly causing choking or gagging.

• While using levothyroxine, you may need frequent medical tests.

• Speak any doctor or dentist who treats you that you are using levothyroxine.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

• It may take different weeks till your body starts to respond to levothyroxine. Keep using this medication even if you feel well. You may need to use levothyroxine for the rest of your life to replace the thyroid hormone your body can't produce.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

• Overdose symptoms may include headache, leg cramps, tremors, feeling nervous or irritable, chest pain, shortness of breath, and quick or pounding heartbeats.

What must I avoid while taking levothyroxine?

• Determined medicines can create levothyroxine smaller effective if taken at the same time. If you use any of the next drugs, avoid taking them within 4 hours till or 4 hours after you take levothyroxine:

· calcium carbonate (Caltrate, Citracal, Oystercal, and others);

· ferrous sulfate iron supplement;

· sucralfate;

· sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate, Kionex, and others);

· antacids that contain aluminum or magnesium (such as Acid Gone, Aldroxicon, Alternagel, Di-Gel, Gaviscon, Gelusil, Genaton, Maalox, Maldroxal, Milk of Magnesia, Mintox, Mylagen, Mylanta, Pepcid Complete, Rolaids, Rulox); or

· cholesterol-lowering drugs cholestyramine and colestipol.

• Avoid the next food commodity, which can create your body absorb smaller levothyroxine: infant soy formula, cotton seed meal, walnuts, and high-fiber foods.

What are the possible side effects of levothyroxine?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

· quick or irregular heart rate;

· fever, hot flashes, sweating;

· sleep problems (insomnia);

· changes in your menstrual periods; or

· vomiting, diarrhea, appetite changes, weight changes.

• General side effects may include mild hair loss.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect levothyroxine?

• Much another medicines can be affected by your thyroid hormone levels. Another medication may also magnify or decrease the effects of levothyroxine.

• Much drugs can interact with levothyroxine and not all possible interactions are listed in this medicine manual.

• Tell your doctor about all medications you use, start using, or stop using during your treatment with levothyroxine. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Give a list of all your medicines to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about levothyroxine.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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