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What is the most important information I should know about thyroid?
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Take thyroid every day as directed, even if you feel well. |
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Do not stop taking thyroid without first talking to your
doctor. You may need to take this medication for the rest of your life
to replace the thyroid hormone that is not being produced by the body. |
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Thyroid hormones are produced naturally in the body by the
thyroid gland. They are important for maintaining normal energy and
metabolism. |
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For a variety of reasons, the body may not produce enough
thyroid hormone on its own. In these cases, medication is taken to
replace the body's natural thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones are also
used to prevent and treat goiter (growth or enlargement of the thyroid
gland) and along with surgery and radiation therapy in the treatment of
certain thyroid cancers. |
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Thyroid may also be used for purposes other than those listed
in this medication guide. |
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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking
thyroid?
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Before taking thyroid, tell your doctor if you have |
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heart disease such as coronary artery disease, high blood
pressure, or angina; or |
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You may require special monitoring during treatment with thyroid if
you have any of the conditions listed above. |
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Thyroid is in the FDA pregnancy category A. This means that thyroid
is safe for use during pregnancy. |
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Thyroid is safe to take if you are breast-feeding a baby. The drug
does pass into breast milk, but it has not been shown to be harmful to a
nursing infant. |
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How should I take thyroid?
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Take this medication exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do
not understand these directions, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist
to explain them to you. |
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Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water. |
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It is best to take thyroid on an empty stomach, one-half hour to one
hour before a meal. |
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Take this medication at the same time each day whenever possible. |
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Take thyroid every day as directed, even if you feel well. |
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It is important to take thyroid regularly to get the most benefit. |
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Do not stop taking thyroid without first talking to your doctor. You
may need to take this medication for the rest of your life to replace
insufficient amounts of thyroid produced by the body. |
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Your doctor may want you to have blood tests or other medical
evaluations during treatment with thyroid to monitor progress and side
effects. |
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Store thyroid at room temperature away from moisture and heat. |
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What happens if I miss a dose?
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Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is
almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the
next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this
medication. |
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What happens if I overdose?
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Seek emergency medical treatment if an overdose is suspected. |
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Symptoms of an overdose of thyroid include chest pain, nervousness,
trouble sleeping, tremor, rapid heartbeat, nausea, headache, fever,
sweating, shortness of breath, heat intolerance, irregular menses,
increased appetite, decreased weight, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. |
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What should I avoid while taking thyroid?
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There are no restrictions on foods, beverages, or activities during
treatment with a thyroid unless otherwise directed by your doctor. |
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What are the possible side effects of thyroid?
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If you experience any of the following uncommon but serious side
effects, stop taking thyroid and seek emergency medical attention or
contact your doctor immediately: |
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an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat;
swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); |
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chest pain, irregular heartbeat, or shortness of breath. |
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Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur.
Continue to take thyroid and talk to your doctor if you experience |
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tremor, nervousness, or irritability; |
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diarrhea, changes in appetite, or weight loss; |
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menstrual irregularities; or |
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fever, sweating, or heat sensitivity. |
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Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to
your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is
especially bothersome. |
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What other drugs will affect thyroid?
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Before taking a thyroid, tell your doctor if you are taking any
other medicines, especially any of the following: |
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an antacid that contains aluminum or calcium or sucralfate (Carafate)
(these medications should be taken at least 4 hours apart from thyroid
hormones); |
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cholestyramine (Questran) or colestipol (Colestid) (these
medications should be taken at least 4 hours apart from thyroid hormones); |
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an iron supplement and vitamins with iron (these should be taken at
least 4 hours apart from thyroid hormones); |
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insulin or an oral diabetes medication such as acarbose (Precose),
glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Micronase, Diabeta, Glynase),
metformin (Glucophage), and others; |
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an estrogen replacement product such as Premarin, Estrace, Estratab,
Ogen, Climara, Fempatch, and others; |
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birth control pills; or |
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a tricyclic antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil),
imipramine (Tofranil), doxepin (Sinequan), nortriptyline (Pamelor,
Aventyl), and others. |
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You may require a dosage adjustment, special dosing instructions
such as not taking certain medicines at the same time as thyroid
hormones, or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any
of the medicines listed above. |
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Many drugs can interact with thyroid or can be affected by your
condition. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any other
prescription or over-the-counter medicines including vitamins, minerals,
and herbal products. |
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Where can I get more information?
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Your pharmacist has additional information about thyroid written for
health professionals that you may read. |
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Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of
children, never share your medicines with others, and use this
medication only for the indication prescribed. |
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Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided
by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete,
but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained
herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for
use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and
therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States
are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug
information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend
therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed
to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients
and/ or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and
not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of
healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or
drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug
or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given
patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of
healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The
information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses,
directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions,
or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking,
check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. |
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 1.01. Revision date: 12/
13/ 04. |
