Levothyroxine tabs 150mcg #100

Levothyroxine pills instruction for use

You can buy Levothyroxine on this page

Composition

The active ingredient is included in one tablet: levothyroxine sodium - 25-150 mc.
Additional ingredients: corn starch, gelatin, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, lactose monohydrate.

Form of issue

Levothyroxine is produced in tablets with different contents of the active substance. Tablets are packaged in blisters of 25 pieces, 2 and 4 blisters in a pack.

pharmachologic effect

The drug has an action that can compensate for the deficiency of thyroid hormones.

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics

Levothyroxine is a drug based on the synthetic levorotatory isomer of thyroxine. Its application has an impact on the growth and development of tissues, metabolic processes.
Small dosages are capable of showing an anabolic effect on fat and protein metabolism. Average doses cause stimulation of growth and development, metabolic processes, normalizes the need for oxygen in tissues, as well as the work of the heart, vessels and nervous system. The development of the therapeutic effect manifests itself after 7-12 days, maintaining stability during this time and after the withdrawal of treatment.
Absorption of levothyroxine sodium occurs in the small intestine, directly in its upper part. The consumption of food has an effect on the absorption of the active substance, significantly reducing it. The maximum concentration of the component is reached after 5-6 hours from the moment of application.
The bulk of the drug binds to whey proteins. Then thyroid hormones are metabolized, mainly in the kidneys, liver, brain and muscle tissues. Excretion of metabolites occurs with the help of kidneys and intestines.

Indications for use

Levothyroxine is prescribed for:
    hypothyroidism;
    euthyroid goiter;
    substitution treatment and prevention of goitre recurrence after thyroid surgery;
    thyroid cancer;
    diffuse toxic goiter;
    Diagnosis for testing thyroid suppression.

Contraindications for use

Contraindicated taking the drug when:
    high sensitivity to its constituents;
    untreated thyrotoxicosis, pituitary and adrenal insufficiency;
    pregnancy in combination with antithyroid drugs.
It is not recommended to use Levothyroxine for the treatment of patients with acute forms of myocardial infarction, myocarditis and pancarditis. The content of lactose in the preparation makes it forbidden to admit patients with the presence of rare hereditary diseases associated with intolerance to galactose, a deficiency of lactase or a syndrome of glucose-galactose malabsorption.
Precautions in use require such diseases as: coronary heart disease, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, arrhythmia.

Levothyroxine during pregnancy and lactation

If the drug was prescribed for the treatment of hypothyroidism, then during pregnancy and breastfeeding it should be continued. Moreover, pregnancy may require an increase in dosage due to an increase in thyroxine-binding globulin. It is important to strictly follow the recommended dosage. It is established that the use of high doses can adversely affect the development of the fetus.

Side effects of Levothyroxine

With proper administration of this drug, side effects practically do not arise. However, such side effects as various forms of allergic reactions should not be ruled out.

Instruction for Levothyroxine (Method and Dosage)

As the instruction on the use of Levothyroxine indicates, this medication is taken orally. In this case, the daily dose is set individually, taking into account the indications and characteristics of the patient.
Take daily dosage is recommended in the morning, on an empty stomach. The tablet should be swallowed whole, washed down with liquid. When hypothyroidism is administered, the dose is determined according to the weight of the patients. When treating children under 3 years of age, the medication is given before the first feeding, for half an hour. The tablet must be dissolved in water to form a fine suspension.
A severe and prolonged form of hypothyroidism suggests the beginning of treatment with caution and in small dosages. Then the dose is gradually increased, to 25 mcg or more. In such cases, the drug is usually taken continuously, but strictly according to the doctor's prescription.

Overdose

In the case of an overdose of Levothyroxine, a significant increase in the rate of metabolic processes is possible. This leads to the development of hyperthyroidism, and especially when the individual threshold of tolerability of levothyroxine sodium is exceeded, and the therapeutic dose is too rapidly increased.
At the same time, such overdose symptoms develop as: arrhythmia, tachycardia, heartbeat, angina, muscle and headaches, tremors, hyperemia, fever, vomiting, benign intracranial hypertension, anxiety, insomnia, hyperhidrosis, weight loss and so on.
The treatment depends on the symptoms. It is possible that the doctor will reduce the daily dose or recommend a break, appoint beta-blockers. As a result of taking excessively high doses, plasmapheresis is prescribed. When symptoms of overdose are eliminated, resumption of treatment is carried out with caution, with the use of small doses.

special instructions

Before starting thyroid hormone replacement therapy and performing a thyroid suppression test, one should exclude or treat such diseases or abnormalities as acute coronary insufficiency, angina pectoris, atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, pituitary insufficiency or adrenal insufficiency. This also applies to the functional autonomy of the thyroid gland.
It is recommended to exclude the development of hyperthyroidism on the background of treatment in patients suffering from coronary and heart failure, tachyarrhythmias. For this reason, it is necessary to regularly monitor the concentration of thyroid hormones.
If there are suspicions of the emergence of functional autonomy of the thyroid gland, then before treatment it is necessary to perform reactions to the administration of thyroidiborin, known as the TGG test, and also to suppressive scintigraphy.
Women during postmenopause with diagnosed hypothyroidism and an increased risk of osteoporosis, high physiological concentrations of the active ingredient in the serum are not permissible. At the same time, it is necessary to regularly monitor the work of the thyroid gland.
Contraindicated use of levothyroxine sodium in metabolic disorders, accompanied by hyperthyroidism. Exceptions include concomitant use in the treatment of hyperthyroidism by antithyroid agents. In case of switching to treatment with another drug, a dose adjustment is required taking into account the therapeutic effect and laboratory data.

Interaction

Simultaneous reception of this drug with tricyclic antidepressants can enhance their effect.
Levotiroksin sodium reduces the effectiveness of cardiac glycosides.
The combination with colestyramine, colestipol, aluminum hydroxide reduces the concentration of active substance in the plasma due to inhibited absorption in the digestive tract. Therefore, between the reception of these drugs should be able to withstand an interval of 4-5 hours.
The simultaneous use of Levothyroxine and anabolic steroids, asparaginase, tamoxifen may lead to pharmacokinetic interaction at the level of communication with plasma proteins. It was also found that protease inhibitors, namely ritonavir, lopinavir and indinavir, are able to influence the efficacy of this drug. It is necessary to control the concentration of thyroid hormones and to make timely adjustments of dosing.
Combination therapy with phenytoin often increases the concentration of levothyroxine sodium, speeding up its metabolism. This drug may reduce the effectiveness of hypoglycemic agents and enhance the effect of anticoagulants.
Application with sevelamer reduces the absorption of the active substance, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, aluminum-containing, iron-containing preparations and calcium carbonate reduce its effectiveness. At the use of products with the content of soybean, a decrease in the absorption of the active component in the digestive tract was noted.

Storage conditions

To store the medicine requires a cool, dark place, inaccessible to children.
Shelf life - 3 years.

Alcohol

As you know, this drug is a natural hormone of the thyroid gland. For this reason, drinking alcohol with Levothyroxine is not recommended.

Levothyroxine and weight

Many women with thyroid disorders are concerned about whether weight can be increased with Levothyroxine. But the reviews show that the use of hormonal drugs affects the weight of patients and their general condition in different ways. Therefore, in some women it rises, while in others it decreases.
For this reason, some believe that Levothyroxine can be used for weight loss, especially since once a number of hormonal drugs have actually been used to adjust body weight, for example, in athletes. However, experts argue that Levothyroxine for weight loss, not having certain evidence for this, should not be accepted. Sometimes reviews for losing weight report successful cases, but usually this method of eliminating excess weight leads to serious deviations in the body.

Reviews of Levothyroxine

As the reviews on Levothyroxine show, this drug is often used in clinical practice, since thyroid disorders affect many patients.
In general, reviews on Levothyroxine 50 μg report that this particular dosage is used in the treatment of most diseases. However, it is important to start therapy with small doses, for example, 12.5 mcg, then increasing to 25 mcg and so on. The main thing is to do it gradually.
A large number of questions arise in patients to whom the drug was recently prescribed. Therefore, they are interested in how to take pills and Levothyroxine - a hormonal drug or not? Also, women are worried about whether various side effects develop during treatment and can it be used to lose weight?
Often, patients who take this medication report good tolerability and minimal development of side effects. Of course, the important conditions are: strict adherence to dosage, timely delivery of tests and lifestyle changes.
Unfortunately, there are reports in which patients report that they continue to experience severe pain, drowsiness, depression. It is also noted that some people lose or increase their weight. In any case, all issues need to be discussed with the attending physician, which will replace the treatment or adjust the dosage.