If you get severe diarrhoea or vomiting from a stomach bug or illness, tell your doctor. Make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink too much alcohol. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller.
Headaches should usually go away after the first week of taking levothyroxine. Talk to your doctor if they last longer than a week or are severe. These symptoms should improve as your body gets used to levothyroxine.
If it does not go away, or if it's causing you problems, contact your doctor. Try cutting down on coffee, tea and alcohol. It might help to keep the room cool and use a fan. You could also spray your face with cool water or sip cold or iced drinks. The flushing should go away after a few days.
If you get unusual muscle ache, which is not from exercise or hard work, talk to your doctor. You may need a blood test to find the cause. In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to levothyroxine.
These are not all the side effects of levothyroxine. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet. It's important to carry on taking levothyroxine throughout your pregnancy. Having too low or too high levels of thyroid hormone in pregnancy can cause problems for you and your baby. You'll need to have regular blood tests during pregnancy to make sure you're on the right dose of levothyroxine for you and your baby.
Most women need to take a higher dose of levothyroxine than usual while they're pregnant. It's usually safe to breastfeed while you're on levothyroxine. Thyroid hormones pass into breast milk in very low levels that are too small to affect the baby. If you're breastfeeding, it's important that you continue to take levothyroxine.
Your body needs good levels of thyroid hormones to make enough breast milk to feed your baby. Some medicines can interfere with thyroid hormones, so the dose of levothyroxine may need to be changed. They include:. Levothyroxine can change how other medicines work, so their doses may need to be altered. These medicines include:. Some medicines should not be taken at the same time of day as levothyroxine as they can reduce the amount of levothyroxine your body takes in, including:. Read the information leaflet supplied with these medicines or speak to your pharmacist for advice on how much time to leave between taking these medicines and taking levothyroxine.
There's very little information about taking herbal remedies and supplements with levothyroxine. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. The thyroid gland in your neck makes a hormone called thyroxine.
Thyroxine controls how much energy your body uses the metabolic rate. It's also involved in digestion, how your heart and muscles work, brain development and bone health. 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? Continue to take levothyroxine even if you feel well. Do not stop taking levothyroxine without talking to your doctor. This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Some foods and beverages, particularly those that contain soybeans, walnuts, and dietary fiber, may affect how levothyroxine works for you. Talk to your doctor before eating or drinking these foods. Talk to your doctor about eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medication.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom.
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them.
However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory.
Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to levothyroxine. Learn the brand name and generic name of your medication. Do not switch brands without talking to your doctor or pharmacist, as each brand of levothyroxine contains a slightly different amount of medication. Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription over-the-counter medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements.
You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies. Generic alternatives may be available. Levothyroxine pronounced as lee voe thye rox' een.
Why is this medication prescribed? How should this medicine be used? Other uses for this medicine What special precautions should I follow? What special dietary instructions should I follow? What should I do if I forget a dose?
What side effects can this medication cause? What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication? Brand names. Talk to your doctor about the potential risks associated with this medication.
0コメント