Is Your Thyroid Medication Levothyroxine Gluten-Free, Dye-Free, and Lactose-Free?

If this condition is treated, a lower levothyroxine sodium dose (e.g., 1 mcg/kg/day) than that used for full replacement may be adequate to normalize the serum TSH level. Patients who are not treated should be monitored yearly for changes in clinical status and thyroid laboratory parameters. Circulating thyroid hormones are greater than 99% bound to plasma proteins, including thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), thyroxine-binding prealbumin (TBPA), and albumin (TBA), whose capacities and affinities vary for each hormone. The higher affinity of both TBG and TBPA for T4 partially explains the higher serum levels, slower metabolic clearance, and longer half-life of T4 compared to T3. Protein-bound thyroid hormones exist in reverse equilibrium with small amounts of free hormone. Many drugs and physiologic conditions affect the binding of thyroid hormones to serum proteins (see PRECAUTIONS – Drug Interactions and Drug-Laboratory Test Interactions).

Many drugs affect thyroid hormone pharmacokinetics and metabolism (e.g., absorption, synthesis, secretion, catabolism, protein binding, and target tissue response) and may alter the therapeutic response to SYNTHROID. In addition, thyroid hormones and thyroid status have varied effects on the pharmacokinetics and actions of other drugs. Concurrent use of sympathomimetics and SYNTHROID may increase the effects of sympathomimetics or thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormones may increase the risk of coronary insufficiency when sympathomimetic agents are administered to patients with coronary artery disease.

Absorption

Levothyroxine is by no means thecleanest thyroid medication on the market but it’s clear that the 50mcg tablet is the cleanest of all other doses because it doesn’t contain any extra dyes. I’m not suggesting that these other medications aren’t effective but we have to accept reality and that reality is many thyroid patients will struggle to convince their doctor to change to these lesser-known thyroid medications. For this reason, it’s actually very important for fabricante synthroid thyroid patients to pay attention to small details including the inactive binders and fillers in their medications. Rapid restoration of normal serum T4 concentrations is essential for preventing the adverse effects of congenital hypothyroidism on intellectual development as well as on overall physical growth and maturation. Therefore, SYNTHROID therapy should be initiated immediately upon diagnosis and is generally continued for life. Consumption of certain foods may affect SYNTHROID absorption thereby necessitating adjustments in dosing see Dosage and Administration (2.1).

Fillers are supplementary, non-medicinal ingredients that do not affect the medicinal properties of the active ingredient. These inactive ingredients help ensure that a drug is consistent and reproducible. In general, levothyroxine therapy should be instituted at full replacement doses as soon as possible.

In this setting, the clinician should have a high index of suspicion of relapse. If the results of the levothyroxine withdrawal test are inconclusive, careful follow-up and subsequent testing will be necessary. The recommended starting daily dosage of SYNTHROID in pediatric patients with primary, secondary, or tertiary hypothyroidism is based on body weight and changes with age as described in Table 2. Titrate the dosage (every 2 weeks) as needed based on serum TSH or free-T4 until the patient is euthyroid see Dosage and Administration (2.2).

DRUG INTERACTIONS WITH SYNTHROID

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• Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
• TIROSINT is also not for use in people with temporary hypothyroidism caused by thyroiditis, or inflammation of the thyroid gland.
• The majority of the SYNTHROID dose is absorbed from the jejunum and upper ileum.
• Consumption of certain foods may affect SYNTHROID absorption thereby necessitating adjustments in dosing see Dosage and Administration (2.1).

The entire purpose of this article is to show you that making small changes to your thyroid medication can have a big impact on your thyroid symptoms. As a patient, you would also likely notice if your regular dose of levothyroxine was always purple and then suddenly you received an orange tablet in its place. These different strengths were created to more easily provide thyroid patients with different ways to get to the necessary dose for their body.

TIROSINT is also not for use in people with temporary hypothyroidism caused by thyroiditis, or inflammation of the thyroid gland. In the treatment of benign nodules and nontoxic multinodular goiter, TSH is generally suppressed to a higher target (e.g., 0.1 to either 0.5 or 1.0 mU/L) than that used for the treatment of thyroid cancer. Levothyroxine sodium is contraindicated if the serum TSH is already suppressed due to the risk of precipitating overt thyrotoxicosis (see CONTRAINDICATIONS, WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS). Caution should be exercised when administering SYNTHROID to patients with underlying cardiovascular disease, to the elderly, and to those with concomitant adrenal insufficiency (see PRECAUTIONS). Levothyroxine sodium should be reduced in dose or temporarily discontinued if signs or symptoms of overdosage occur.

It is estimated that up to 65% of people in the United States have problems breaking down lactose. If you are lactose intolerant, and you take Synthroid, then you may be reacting to the lactose found in this medication. Lactose monohydrate (6) is a fairly obvious one and is found in every formulation of Synthroid currently available (this includes all of the various dosages). From this list, you can see a number of ingredients that are known as excipients. The standard concentration to consider food gluten-free is anything less than 20 parts per million, so by food standards, you can safely consider Synthroid to be gluten-free.

• Having said that, it’s likely not worth using Synthroid in certain situations such as those with Hashimoto’s because there are cleaner options available and because dairy products may make thyroid function worse (8).
• For individuals with certain conditions, gluten can irritate the digestive tract, leading to inflammation and exacerbating symptoms of leaky gut.
• Larger doses may produce serious or even life-threatening manifestations of toxicity, particularly when given in association with sympathomimetic amines such as those used for their anorectic effects.
• Because of the increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease among the elderly, levothyroxine therapy should not be initiated at the full replacement dose (see WARNINGS, PRECAUTIONS, and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION).
• The physiological actions of thyroid hormones are produced predominantly by T3, the majority of which (approximately 80%) is derived from T4 by deiodination in peripheral tissues.

1 Drugs Known to Affect Thyroid Hormone Pharmacokinetics

Mary Shomon does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned. Reliance on any information provided by Mary Shomon is solely at your own risk. Concurrent use of ketamine and SYNTHROID may produce marked hypertension and tachycardia. If cardiac symptoms develop or worsen, reduce the SYNTHROID dose or withhold for one week and restart at a lower dose.

Drug-Laboratory Test Interactions

The metabolic actions of thyroid hormones include augmentation of cellular respiration and thermogenesis, as well as metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. The protein anabolic effects of thyroid hormones are essential to normal growth and development. Rapid restoration of normal serum T4 concentrations is essential for preventing the adverse effects of congenital hypothyroidism on cognitive development as well as on overall physical growth and maturation. Levothyroxine is generally continued for life in these patients see Warnings and Precautions (5.1).