Your hormones affect all your body systems, including your gut. This should normalize out as your thyroid levels stabilize, but if you find yourself too nauseous to take your pill or are suffering from chronic diarrhea call your doctor right away, she says.
Hormones and headaches go together like PMS and chocolate, sadly. So anytime you mess with your hormone levels you have the potential for a real headache. That said, many women find their chronic headaches improve once the Synthroid kicks in. If you find your headaches worsening, give your doc a call.
Anxiety is a fact of modern life for many women, but if you find yourself feeling seriously amped up and worried a lot, it could be a sign of an overactive thyroid and may indicate your Synthroid dosage is too high, Goldfarb says. Don't suffer in silence; if you're feeling unusually anxious, manic, or depressed after a few weeks on the meds, talk to your doctor.
Clumps of hair falling out, thin eyebrows, and problems with body hair are all signs of low thyroid function. They can also be a side effect of Synthroid, particularly if your dose is too low.
Many women find these symptoms resolve as the medicine kicks in, but if your hair continues to fall out, let your doctor know you need a med check, she says.
Not all generic forms of Synthroid are created equal, which can create additional side effects, Goldfarb says. While most women tolerate the different generics just fine, some may have a reaction to the other ingredients used in the pills.
If you've got a rash, fever, exhaustion, or hives, call your doctor immediately, she says. They can switch you to a different type of generic or tell the pharmacy you need to be on the brand name. Weight Loss. United States. Type keyword s to search.
Here we look at how Synthroid and Armour Thyroid are alike and different. Armour Thyroid contains T4, but it also contains the other main thyroid hormone called T3. Synthroid should be taken in the morning on an empty stomach, about 30 minutes to 1 hour before you eat breakfast.
Synthroid and Armour Thyroid both contain medications used for thyroid conditions. Therefore, these medications can cause very similar side effects, but some different ones as well. Below are examples of these side effects.
Even small changes in your doses of these drugs may cause large changes in your hormone levels, which may result in side effects. Synthroid is approved for TSH suppression and to treat hypothyroidism. The use of levothyroxine the active drug ingredient in Synthroid and Armour Thyroid in treating hypothyroidism has been directly compared in a clinical study. So this study might not have shown the actual difference between Armour Thyroid and Synthroid. Keep in mind that T3 and T4 are the main thyroid hormones in your body.
And TSH levels indicate how much your body needs thyroid hormones. So a higher TSH level means that your body needs more thyroid hormones than it has. The study also showed that after using both drugs over a period of 16 weeks each, This may be because the people lost, on average, 4 pounds more while taking Armour Thyroid than while taking levothyroxine.
In addition, the people reported having fewer thyroid symptoms when taking Armour Thyroid than when taking levothyroxine. There is also an ongoing clinical trial comparing Armour Thyroid with levothyroxine. So this study might not show the difference between Armour Thyroid and Synthroid. Synthroid and Armour Thyroid are both brand-name drugs. There are currently no generic forms of either drug.
Brand-name medications usually cost more than generics. You can view cost estimates for these medications on GoodRx. Synthroid can interact with several other medications. It can also interact with certain supplements as well as certain foods. Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase side effects or make them more severe.
Below are lists of medications that can interact with Synthroid. Before taking Synthroid, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take.
Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. This is because if taken with Synthroid, your diabetes drugs may not work as well as usual to manage your blood sugar level.
In some cases, your doctor may increase the dosage of your diabetes drugs. Or they may recommend that you take additional diabetes medications. But never change the dose of your diabetes medications on your own. Taking certain heartburn medications with Synthroid may affect how well Synthroid works. For instance, some heartburn drugs can decrease the level of Synthroid in your body. This is because the heartburn medications change the amount of acid you have in your stomach.
And Synthroid needs a certain amount of acid in your stomach in order for it to be properly absorbed. If your Synthroid level is decreased, the drug may not work as well as usual.
Other medications used to treat heartburn, such as calcium carbonate Tums , may also interact with Synthroid. But Tums actually binds to Synthroid in your stomach, which stops your body from absorbing Synthroid as well as usual. To help avoid this interaction, you should take Tums at least 4 hours before or 4 hours after your Synthroid dose.
If you are taking any heartburn medications, talk with your doctor about whether the medications are safe to use with Synthroid. If you do take heartburn drugs with Synthroid, your doctor may order blood tests more often than usual to monitor your thyroid health. In addition to the heartburn medications discussed above, other medications used for digestive issues may also interact with Synthroid.
This includes the medications:. These medications may decrease the amount of Synthroid in your body. And this interaction could make Synthroid less effective for you. If you do take simethicone or sucralfate with Synthroid, your doctor may order blood tests more often than usual to monitor your thyroid health. Some drugs used to treat depression may interact with Synthroid. Certain antidepressants can lower the level of Synthroid in your body, while other antidepressants can raise the level.
In some cases, your doctor may recommend that you switch to a different antidepressant. Synthroid and certain antidepressants that increase levels of Synthroid.
Tricyclic antidepressants TCAs and tetracyclic antidepressants may interact with Synthroid. If you take these drugs with Synthroid, the levels of both Synthroid and the antidepressant may be increased in your body. This means you may have an increased risk of side effects from both medications.
And keep in mind that side effects of Synthroid can include serious conditions, such as irregular heartbeat. The antidepressant sertraline Zoloft may also interact with Synthroid. However, this drug may decrease the level of Synthroid in your body.
This can make Synthroid less effective for you. Certain medications used to treat high cholesterol may interact with Synthroid. In fact, certain cholesterol medications called bile acid sequestrants can decrease the level of Synthroid in your body. These cholesterol drugs may do this by lowering the amount of Synthroid that your body absorbs.
If you take a bile acid sequestrant, your doctor may recommend that you take Synthroid at least 4 hours before you take the bile acid sequestrant. Doing this helps to lower your risk of this drug interaction.
And your doctor may also order blood tests more often than usual to monitor your thyroid health. Certain medications that affect your electrolyte levels may interact with Synthroid. Examples of these medications include:. These medications may decrease the amount of Synthroid that your body absorbs.
This can lower the level of Synthroid in your body, making the drug less effective for you. And your doctor may adjust your dosage of Synthroid needed. Phenobarbital, a drug used to treat seizures , may decrease the level of Synthroid in your body. This could make Synthroid less effective for you. An antibiotic called rifampin Rimactane may decrease the level of Synthroid in your body.
If you take Synthroid with rifampin, your doctor may order blood tests more often than usual to monitor your thyroid health. If taken with certain anticoagulants that affect your vitamin K level, Synthroid may increase the effect of the anticoagulant drug in your body. Anticoagulants are blood thinners. This means that Synthroid may make certain anticoagulants, such as warfarin Coumadin , work better than they usually do. And this may cause your blood to become too thin, which can lead to serious side effects, such as internal bleeding.
Synthroid may decrease the level of digoxin Lanoxin in your body. Digoxin is used to treat certain heart conditions. With this interaction, digoxin may not work as well as usual. In some cases, your doctor may increase your dosage of digoxin. Taking certain birth control drugs that contain estrogen may decrease the level of certain hormones in your body.
This interaction can affect your level of both Synthroid and the birth control medication. In some cases, your doctor may adjust your dosage of Synthroid. Or they may recommend that you use a different birth control option. Certain mineral supplements may interact with Synthroid. Certain mineral supplements interact with Synthroid by binding to Synthroid inside your stomach. Doing so will help make sure your dose of Synthroid is absorbed like usual. If you have any questions about taking Synthroid with mineral supplements, talk with your doctor.
These foods may interact with the drug and change the level of Synthroid in your body. Coffee may decrease the amount of Synthroid that your body absorbs. This means that if you drink coffee with your dose of Synthroid, you may not be getting the full amount of Synthroid in your dose.
In this case, Synthroid may not work as well as usual for you. Your doctor may recommend that you take your doses of Synthroid at different times than when you drink coffee. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may both interact with Synthroid, decreasing the level of Synthroid in your body.
If your Synthroid level is decreased, the drug may not work as well as usual for you. Your doctor may recommend that you take your doses of Synthroid at different times than when you consume grapefruit. Or they may recommend that you avoid the fruit altogether. Soybeans and soybean flour may bind to Synthroid inside your stomach and stop your body from absorbing the drug properly. If you eat soybeans or soybean flour, your doctor may increase your dosage of Synthroid. Doing this will help to make sure that you have enough of the medication in your system.
Your doctor may also order certain blood tests more often than usual to monitor your thyroid. Synthroid may be affected by cottonseed meal. This product may bind to Synthroid inside your stomach and lower the amount of Synthroid your body absorbs. In this case, you may not have enough Synthroid in your body to treat your condition. If you eat cottonseed meal, your doctor may increase your dosage of Synthroid. Or they may recommend that you decrease the amount of cottonseed meal in your diet.
Your doctor may also check certain blood tests more often than usual to monitor your thyroid. Walnuts can bind to Synthroid inside your stomach and lower the amount of Synthroid that your body absorbs. Or they may recommend that you eat other nuts instead. If you do eat walnuts, your doctor may order certain blood tests more often than usual to monitor your thyroid.
Dietary fiber may bind to Synthroid inside your stomach, which can lower the amount of Synthroid your body absorbs. Dietary fiber is fiber that you consume from eating certain foods. Your doctor may also recommend that you decrease your fiber intake. And they may order certain blood tests more often than usual to monitor your thyroid. Synthroid may affect certain blood tests, such as those used to check your thyroid hormone levels. In addition, a supplement called biotin may interact with labs that are used to check thyroid hormone levels.
Both of these interactions are described below. Biotin supplements may affect the blood tests used to check thyroid hormone levels. In fact, biotin may cause certain blood tests to show a high level of thyroid hormone in your body. But this interaction is just between the blood test and the biotin supplement. If you take biotin, your doctor may have you take less of the supplement for a few days before you have labs to check your thyroid.
Or your doctor may recommend that you stop taking the biotin supplement before your labs. This is done to be sure that your levels are within a normal range. But keep in mind that Synthroid is a man-made form of the natural thyroid hormone called T4. This means that if you take the drug before having blood work, your T4 level may be falsely elevated.
Before having blood tests to check your thyroid, ask your doctor if you should take your Synthroid doses as usual. Your doctor will recommend when you should take your Synthroid dose in relation to when your labs will be done.
Synthroid comes as tablets that are taken by mouth. Synthroid should be taken once daily on an empty stomach. In some cases, your doctor may discuss with you how to take Synthroid at night. You should take Synthroid on an empty stomach without food. If you do eat something, and you forget to take Synthroid, call your doctor or pharmacist. This length of time may depend on the type of food you ate and whether you took any other medications.
You may need to wait 4 hours to take your Synthroid after eating. If you have questions about when to take Synthroid around meals, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Yes, you can crush, split, or chew Synthroid tablets. For example, to give the drug to children or infants, Synthroid tablets can be crushed and dissolved in 1 to 2 teaspoons 5 to 10 mL of water. This is because Synthroid should be taken on an empty stomach. Synthroid may also be used off-label for other conditions. Synthroid is approved to treat hypothyroidism. With this condition, you can have symptoms such as tiredness and weight gain.
You may also have muscle weakness and constipation. Thyroid hormones are very important to your health because they regulate your metabolism all of the chemical reactions in your body. The two main thyroid hormones in your body are called T3 and T4. Synthroid is a man-made form of T4, and it works by replacing T4 in your body. Your body then uses T4 to make T3. These different types of hypothyroidism have different causes.
However, Synthroid works the same way no matter the cause of the condition. Despite this lack of clinical trials, levothyroxine the active drug in Synthroid is recommended as the primary treatment for hypothyroidism.
In , the American Thyroid Association released guidelines showing the best treatments for hypothyroidism. These guidelines state that products that contain levothyroxine should be used as the standard treatment for hypothyroidism.
The years of use have shown that levothyroxine reduces symptoms of hypothyroidism in most people. In addition, levothyroxine treatment has been shown to be safe and without many serious side effects. T4 was first recognized in the human body in , and a man-made form of it called levothyroxine was first made in In , new laws were created by the FDA. Synthroid is approved to suppress decrease levels of thyroid stimulating hormone TSH. TSH stimulates your thyroid to make thyroid hormones.
The two main thyroid hormones in your body are T3 and T4. In addition, TSH is responsible for growth of cells in your thyroid gland, including growth of cancerous cells. By decreasing your TSH level, Synthroid can help decrease the growth of certain types of thyroid cancer. Normally, when your thyroid hormone levels are low, your body makes TSH. This signals your thyroid to make more thyroid hormones.
With a lower TSH level, growth of cancer in your thyroid may decrease. When Synthroid is used for TSH suppression, the drug is meant to be used along with surgery and radioactive iodine treatment. According to the American Thyroid Association , TSH suppression is recommended in some people with high-risk forms of thyroid cancer. Levothyroxine is the recommended drug to use alongside surgery and radioactive iodine treatment. However, levothyroxine is considered the recommended drug for this use.
In addition to the uses listed above, Synthroid may be used off-label for other purposes. Elisa shares her journey, from getting diagnosed to starting—and continuing—treatment with Synthroid, and living with hypothyroidism. Find out what Elisa does to make sure she gets her Synthroid at the pharmacy.
Hear from Elisa as she talks about the importance of taking Synthroid the right way, every day. Elisa talks about how she takes an active role in her Synthroid treatment.
Learn more about hypothyroidism, its causes, and risk factors from Dr. Elliot Levy. View Transcript. About Synthroid dosing Synthroid comes in 12 dosing options to help your doctor find the dose that's right for you.
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