Eltroxin Tablets

What’s the dose?

• The usual staring dose for adults is 50 to 100 micrograms daily. This may be adjusted after a few weeks depending on the response to your treatment which will be monitored by blood tests.
• For patients over 50 years the starting dose will not usually exceed 50 micrograms.
• For infants and children the starting dose will not usually exceed 25 micrograms.
• In the event of stopping treatment, Eltroxin tablets should be withdrawn gradually under the supervision of your doctor.

Could it interact with other tablets?

Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription. The effects of these medicines may change, especially if you are taking:

• medicines called cardiac glycosides (e.g. digoxin) used to treat heart conditions such as heart failure
• insulin and other treatments for diabetes
• colestyramine, which reducee the level of cholesterol (fat) in the blood
• calcium salts (used to treat low levels of calcium in your blood)
• rifampicin, used to treat infections
• iron preparations
• cimetidine, used to treat excess acid in the stomach
• beat-blockers (e.g. propranolol) used to treat high blood pressure
• anticonvulsants (e.g. phenytoin, carbamazepine) used to prevent fits
• anticoagulants (e.g. warfarin) used to thin the blood and treat blood clots
• tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. amitriptyline) used to treat depression
• oral contraceptives (“the pill”)

Herbal supplements should be used with caution and only after informing your doctor first.

What are the possible risks or side-effects?

Like all medicines, Eltroxin tablets can sometimes cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

The following effects can occur if your initial dose of the medicine is to high:

• diarrhoea
• Tremor (shaking), restlessness, excitability
• Difficulty sleeping
• Rapid heart beat or angina (pain in the chest on exercise)

You should consult your doctor if any of the above effects occur. The effects usually go away when the dose has been changed.

Other side effects you could experience are:

• Irregular heart beats, palpitations (thumping heart beats)
• Muscle cramps or weakness
• Vomiting
• Headaches, flushing, sweating
• Loss of weight

If any of the side effects become serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.

Can I drink alcohol while taking it?

• There are no known interactions between alcohol and Levothyroxine sodium.
• Always ask your doctor/pharmacist however as this may depend on what other tablets you are taking.

What if I’m pregnant/breastfeeding?

If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant or are breast-feeding discuss your medication with your doctor. The decision on whether it is best to take Eltroxin tablets during pregnancy or breast feeding will be made by your doctor. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicines.

If you have any more questions please ask your Pharmacist.

Remember to keep all medicines out of reach of children
Please Note: We have made every effort to ensure that the content of this information sheet is correct at time of publish, but remember that information about drugs may change. This sheet does not list all the uses and side-effects associated with this drug. For full details please see the drug information leaflet which comes with your medicine. Your doctor will assess your medical circumstances and draw your attention to any information or side-effects which may be relevant in your particular case.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levothyroxine

http://www.hpra.ie/img/uploaded/swedocuments/~db5_Ob4607574e1e648c485e74972fa41e90f-2141875-13012014104451-635252066936303750.pdf

http://www.medbroadcast.com/drug/getdrug/Eltroxin

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/eltroxin-side-effects.html

https://www.medicines.org.uk/EMC/medicine/22561/SPC/Eltroxin+100mcg+tablets/