Medical Editor: John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP
What Is Levoxyl?
Levoxyl (levothyroxine sodium) Tablets is a replacement for a hormone that is normally produced by your thyroid gland used to treat hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone). Levoxyl is also used to treat or prevent goiter (enlarged thyroid gland), which can be caused by hormone imbalances, radiation treatment, surgery, or cancer. Levoxyl is available in generic form.
What Are Side Effects of Levoxyl?
Common side effects of Levoxyl include hair loss during the first few months of treatment. This effect is usually temporary as your body adjusts to Levoxyl. Contact your doctor if you have serious side effects of Levoxyl including:
- headache,
- sleep problems (insomnia),
- nervousness,
- irritability,
- fever,
- hot flashes,
- sweating,
- pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest,
- changes in your menstrual periods, or
- appetite or weight changes.
Dosage for Levoxyl
Dosage of Levoxyl is individualized. Levoxyl may interact with lithium, amiodarone, antidepressants, or radiation therapy with iodine.
What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Levoxyl?
Many other drugs can interact with Levoxyl. Tell your doctor all prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. There are other drugs that can be taken while taking Levoxyl, but they must be taken 4 hours before, or 4 hours after taking Levoxyl. Consult your doctor.
Levoxyl During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Current information shows Levoxyl may be used during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant because your dose may need to be adjusted. This medication passes into breast milk but is unlikely to harm a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.
Additional Information
Our Levoxyl (levothyroxine sodium) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
QUESTION
Where is the thyroid gland located? See Answer3 pharmacies near 20135 have coupons for levoxyl (Brand Names:Levoxyl for 137MCG)
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- fast or irregular heartbeats;
- chest pain, pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder;
- shortness of breath;
- fever, hot flashes, sweating;
- tremors, or if you feel unusually cold;
- weakness, tiredness, sleep problems (insomnia);
- memory problems, feeling depressed or irritable;
- headache, leg cramps, muscle aches;
- feeling nervous or irritable;
- dryness of your skin or hair, hair loss;
- irregular menstrual periods; or
- vomiting, diarrhea, appetite changes, weight changes.
Certain side effects may be more likely in older adults.
Common side effects may include:
- chest pain, irregular heartbeats;
- shortness of breath;
- headache, leg cramps, muscle pain or weakness;
- tremors, feeling nervous or irritable, trouble sleeping;
- increased appetite;
- feeling hot;
- weight loss;
- changes in your menstrual periods;
- diarrhea; or
- skin rash, partial hair loss.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
SLIDESHOW
Hyperthyroidism Symptoms and Treatment See SlideshowSIDE EFFECTS
Adverse reactions associated with levothyroxine therapy are primarily those of hyperthyroidism due to therapeutic overdosage. They include the following:
General: fatigue, increased appetite, weight loss, heat intolerance, fever, excessive sweating;
Central nervous system: headache, hyperactivity, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, emotional lability, insomnia;
Musculoskeletal: tremors, muscle weakness;
Cardiac: palpitations, tachycardia, arrhythmias, increased pulse and blood pressure, heart failure, angina, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest;
Pulmonary: dyspnea;
GI: diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps;
Dermatologic: hair loss, flushing;
Reproductive: menstrual irregularities, impaired fertility.
Pseudotumor cerebri and slipped capital femoral epiphysis have been reported in children receiving levothyroxine therapy. Overtreatment may result in craniosynostosis in infants and premature closure of the epiphyses in children with resultant compromised adult height.
Seizures have been reported rarely with the institution of levothyroxine therapy.
Inadequate levothyroxine dosage will produce or fail to ameliorate the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Hypersensitivity reactions to inactive ingredients have occurred in patients treated with thyroid hormone products. These include urticaria, pruritus, skin rash, flushing, angioedema, various GI symptoms (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea), fever, arthralgia, serum sickness and wheezing. Hypersensitivity to levothyroxine itself is not known to occur.
In addition to the above events, the following have been reported, predominately when Levoxyl tablets were not taken with water: choking, gagging, tablet stuck in throat and dysphagia (see PATIENT INFORMATION).
Read the entire FDA prescribing information for Levoxyl (Levothyroxine Sodium)
© Levoxyl Patient Information is supplied by Cerner Multum, Inc. and Levoxyl Consumer information is supplied by First Databank, Inc., used under license and subject to their respective copyrights.
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