Levothyroxine Sodium (Generic Synthroid) - Product information and Uses

Levothyroxine Sodium , also L-thyroxine, synthetic T4, or 3,5,3',5'-tetraiodo-L-thyronine, is a synthetic form of thyroxine (thyroid hormone), used as a hormone replacement for patients with thyroid problems.The natural hormone is chemically in the chiral L-form, as is the pharmaceutical agent.
Levothyroxine is typically used to treat hypothyroidism. It may also be used to treat goiter via its ability to lower thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), a hormone that is considered goiter-inducing.

Levothyroxine Sodium (Generic Synthroid) - Availability And Packaging

Levothyroxine Sodium is available as Generic Synthroid Tablets which is packaged in 50mcg and 100mcg. Generic Synthroid is available under the brand names Thyrax, Euthyrox, Levaxin, L-thyroxine, Eltroxin, Thyrax, Duotab, Thyrox, Eutirox, Tirosint and Levoxyl.

Side Effects of Levothyroxine Sodium (Generic Synthroid)

Dosing must be carefully controlled to achieve TSH levels within the normal reference range. Long term suppression of TSH values below normal values will frequently cause cardiac side effects and contribute to decreases in bone mineral density .
Patients prescribed too high of a dose of levothyroxine may experience effects which mimic hyperthyroidism. Overdose can result in heart palpitations, abdominal pain, nausea, anxiousness, confusion, agitation, insomnia, weight loss, and increased appetite.
Allergic reactions to the drug are characterized by symptoms such as difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, or swelling of the face and tongue. Acute overdose may cause fever, hypoglycemia, heart failure, coma and unrecognized adrenal insufficiency.
Acute massive overdose may be life-threatening; treatment should be symptomatic and supportive. Massive overdose may require beta-blockers for increased sympathomimetic activity. The effects of overdosing appear 6 hours to 11 days after ingestion.

Levothyroxine Sodium (Generic Synthroid) - Dosage

Dosages vary according to the age groups and the individual condition of the patient, body weight and compliance to the medication and diet. The average full replacement dose of levothyroxine sodium is approximately 1.7 mcg/kg/day (e.g., 100-125 mcg/day for a 70 kg adult).
Monitoring of the patient's condition and adjustment of the dosage is periodical and necessary. Levothyroxine is taken on an empty stomach approximately half an hour to an hour before meals.

Additional Information

Additional Info: Prescribing Information

Considerable portions of the text here is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levothyroxine and is reproduced here under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License