

The TSH decreased by 5 mU/l in 3♷% of patients. There was a decrease of 0♱7 mU/l (P-value 0.01) in the TSH concentration for those patients on statins. For these four study drugs, there was a clinically significant increase of over 5 mU/l in serum TSH, in 7♵%, 4♴%, 5♶% and 4♳% patients, respectively. Iron, calcium, proton pump inhibitors and oestrogen all increased serum TSH concentration: an increase of 0♲2 mU/l (P < 0.001), 0♲7 mU/l (P < 0♰01), 0♱2 mU/l (P < 0♰1), and 0♰8 mU/l (P < 0♰07), respectively. Overall, 10 999 patients (mean age 58 years, 82% female) being treated with thyroxine were included in the study.Ĭhanges in TSH following initiation of study drug. Individuals acted as their own controls pre- and postinitiation of study drug. The study population was Tayside residents prescribed levothyroxine on at least three occasions, within a six-month period, prior to the start of a study drug. They may refer you to a specialist for treatment and monitoring during your pregnancy.The aim of this study was to determine the extent of drug interactions affecting levothyroxine, using study drugs often co-administered to patients on long-term levothyroxine therapy.Ī retrospective population analysis linking biochemistry and prescription data between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2012 was used. Tell a GP if you're pregnant or trying to become pregnant and you have hypothyroidism. It's important for the health of you and your baby that an underactive thyroid is treated properly before you become pregnant. However, this type of treatment may sometimes be recommended in cases where a person has a history of thyroid cancer and there's a significant risk of it reoccurring. In most cases, suppressing thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) using high-dose thyroid replacement therapy should be avoided because it carries a risk of causing adverse side effects, such as atrial fibrillation (an irregular and abnormally fast heart rate), strokes, osteoporosis and fracture. In the UK, combination therapy – using levothyroxine and triiodothyronine (T3) together – is not routinely used because there's insufficient evidence to show it's better than using levothyroxine alone (monotherapy). You should also let them know if your symptoms get worse or do not improve. Tell the doctor if you develop new symptoms while taking levothyroxine. This can cause problems including sweating, chest pain, headaches, diarrhoea and being sick. Side effects usually only occur if you're taking too much levothyroxine.

Levothyroxine does not usually have any side effects, because the tablets simply replace a missing hormone. This means you do not have to pay for your prescriptions. See getting help with prescription costs for more information on this. If you're prescribed levothyroxine because you have an underactive thyroid, you're entitled to a medical exemption certificate. If you do not remember until later than this, skip the dose and take the next dose at the usual time, unless advised otherwise by a doctor.Īn underactive thyroid is a lifelong condition, so you'll usually need to take levothyroxine for the rest of your life. If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember, if this is within a few hours of your usual time. The effectiveness of the tablets can be altered by other medicines, supplements or foods, so they should be swallowed with water on an empty stomach, and you should avoid eating for 30 minutes afterwards. If you're prescribed levothyroxine, you should take it at the same time every day. It's usually recommended that you take your tablet (or tablets) in the morning, although some people prefer to take them at night. In these cases, the GP will usually monitor your hormone levels every few months and prescribe levothyroxine if you develop symptoms. If blood tests suggest you may have an underactive thyroid, but you do not have any symptoms or they're very mild, you may not need any treatment. Once you're taking the correct dose, you'll usually have a blood test once a year to monitor your hormone levels. You may start on a low dose of levothyroxine, which may be increased gradually, depending on how your body responds. Some people start to feel better soon after beginning treatment, while others do not notice an improvement in their symptoms for several months. This can take a little while to get right. You'll initially have regular blood tests until the correct dose of levothyroxine is reached. Levothyroxine replaces the thyroxine hormone, which your thyroid does not make enough of. An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is usually treated by taking daily hormone replacement tablets called levothyroxine.
