Description
Synthroid
For 15 years, Synthroid remains the gold standard for hormone replacement therapy for hypothyroidism –decreased function of the thyroid gland. Due to the high safety profile and the predictability of the therapeutic effect, Synthroid is the most commonly prescribed drug for the treatment of hypothyroidism.
Prescribing Information
Synthroid is an analogue of thyroxine, which is the main hormone of the thyroid gland. The main task of hypothyroidism replacement therapy with Synthroid is the stable maintenance of the thyroid hormones level in the body, which satisfies the patient’s physiological needs.
Replacement therapy for hypothyroidism with Synthroid prevents all possible adverse effects of the thyroid hormone deficiency (bone development impairment, infertility, etc.) and allows leading a lifestyle that is practically the same as usual.
The positive effects of Synthroid use, in addition to the reduction of the thyroid glandsize, are:
- elimination of metabolic disorders
- improvement of memory and mental state
- increase in systolic and diastolic heart function
Synthroid tablets that are used in hormone therapy for hypothyroidismcan contain 0.075 mg, 0.088mg, 0.05mg, 0.15mg, 0.1mg, 0.112mg, 0.125mg, 0.137mg, 0.175mg, 0.2 mgor 0.3 mg of the active ingredient Levothyroxine. Thus, the use of Synthroid in clinical practice yielded a wide range of effective doses for the treatment of hypothyroidism in patients of different age groups.
Dosage
The daily dose of Synthroid is selected individually, depending on the patient’sage:
- for the newborns, the initial dose of Synthroid is 25 mcg per day. The tablet is dissolved in water until a suspension is formed and is introduced at once 30 minutes before feeding.
- for adults, the daily dose of Synthroid may amount to 100-125 mcg.
- for the elderly over 50, the initial dose of the drug should not exceed 12.5-25 mcg per day.
The daily dose of Synthroid can be gradually increased by 12.5-25 mcg at intervals of 4-6 weeks, provided the drug is well tolerated.
Interactions
After the intake of medicines that contain iron sulfate, Cholestyramine, or antacid preparations that contain Aluminum hydroxide – a violation of Synthroid absorption in the gastrointestinal tracttakes place.
When Synthroid interacts with barbiturates, Rifampicin, Phenytoin, or Carbamazepine, the metabolism of thyroxine in the liver is accelerated. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the dose of the drug for hormone replacement therapy.
Side effects
If you follow all the recommendations and take Synthroid under the supervision of your doctor, you will avoid serious side effects. If you take too low or too high doses of Synthroid, unwanted reactions from the gastrointestinal tract may follow.
Overdose with Synthroid can cause such side effects, as fatigue sweating, muscle weakness or increased heart rate. All side effects are temporary and disappear with prolonged hormonal therapy with Synthroid.
Tips
To improve the effectiveness of the hormone therapy for hypothyroidism with Synthroid, the patient should follow several recommendations:
- since one of the inactive components of Synthroid is lactose, the drug should be taken with caution in patients with diabetes mellitus;
- during the hormonal therapy,patients need to change their daily diet – to increase the volume of protein foods, the amount of vitamins and minerals;
- patients with hypothyroidism with concomitant cardiovascular complications should regularly monitor the level of thyroid hormones.