Your daily caloric intake can quickly skyrocket unless you log everything you eat and drink, Dr. Corsino says. Exercise is an important complement to a healthy diet in order to help burn calories, Corsino says. But consider the individual case, Austin says. Thyroid hormone should be taken on an empty stomach first thing in the morning with plenty of water, Corsino says. If your thyroid level still isn't where it should be when you take your medication properly , it could be affecting your ability to lose weight.
Talk with your doctor about treatment adjustments that might be right for you. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Health Topics. Health Tools. Used for over a century, this type of thyroid medication can cause….
Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Managing Your Weight with Hypothyroidism. Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M. Share on Pinterest. Stop weight gain. Adopt a new diet. Get moving. Read this next. How to Use Zumba for Weight Loss. Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. Recognizing the Symptoms of Myxedema. Medically reviewed by Marina Basina, M. Medically reviewed by Kelly Wood, MD.
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Medically reviewed by Lindsay Slowiczek, PharmD. Once your thyroid hormone levels have returned to normal, your tendency to gain or lose weight is the same as for people who do not have thyroid problems. If you have an underactive thyroid, you're entitled to free prescriptions for all of your medicines not just your levothyroxine. To claim your free prescriptions you'll need to have a medical exemption certificate. The application form for the medical exemption certificate is called FP92A.
You can get this from your doctor's surgery. You will need to fill in the form, then your doctor will sign it and send it off. Contraceptive pills that contain oestrogen combined contraceptive pills can reduce the amount of levothyroxine in your body.
Speak to your doctor if you start or stop taking the Pill — your dose of levothyroxine may need to change. It's having an underactive thyroid that causes hair loss — not treatment with levothyroxine. Because the natural hair growth cycle takes several months, hair loss related to thyroid disease might only be seen months after the illness has begun.
If treatment with levothyroxine has already started, it may seem like the medicine — rather than the underlying illness — is causing the hair loss. Page last reviewed: 23 October Next review due: 23 October Levothyroxine - Brand name: Eltroxin On this page About levothyroxine Key facts Who can and cannot take levothyroxine How and when to take levothyroxine Side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions about levothyroxine.
About levothyroxine Levothyroxine is a medicine used to treat an underactive thyroid gland hypothyroidism. Levothyroxine starts working straight away, but it may be several weeks before your symptoms start to improve.
The most common side effects of levothyroxine are caused by taking a bigger dose than you need. Your doctor can lower your dose to help reduce any side effects. Before you start taking levothyroxine, your doctor will do a blood test to see what dose you need. Once you start taking the medicine you'll have regular blood tests to see how well it's working. Levothyroxine doses need to be carefully monitored during pregnancy.
If you're planning to become pregnant or think you may be pregnant while taking levothyroxine, it's important to visit your doctor to make sure you get the correct care for you and your baby. Do not take levothyroxine and go back to your doctor to discuss your treatment if you have : had an allergic reaction to levothyroxine or any other medicines in the past an overactive thyroid hyperthyroidism a health problem that affects your adrenal glands your doctor will be able to tell you if you're not sure Check with your doctor before taking levothyroxine if you have : a heart problem including angina , heart disease or heart failure high blood pressure had a heart attack diabetes — the dose of your diabetes medicine may need to change because levothyroxine can raise blood sugar levels.
Dosage You may need to take several different tablets to make up your dose. Your doctor will tell you how many tablets to take each day. The dose of levothyroxine varies from person to person. How to take it Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water. What if I forget to take it? What if I take too much?
Taking an extra dose of levothyroxine by accident is unlikely to harm you. Speak to your doctor if: you accidentally take more than 1 extra dose you get side effects such as a racing heart beat or chest pain — these may not happen straight away, it can be several days before they come on Blood tests Your doctor will do regular blood tests to check the levels of thyroid hormones in your body before and after starting levothyroxine. These will allow your doctor to adjust the dose to suit you.
You may need blood tests more often if you: are pregnant start or stop a medicine that can interfere with levothyroxine have any symptoms that could mean your dose is not quite right. Common side effects and self-help advice The common side effects of levothyroxine usually happen because the dose you're taking is more than you need. Feeling sick Stick to simple meals and do not eat rich or spicy food.
Being sick vomiting or diarrhoea Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. Headaches Make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Feeling restless or excitable, or problems sleeping These symptoms should improve as your body gets used to levothyroxine. Flushing or sweating Try cutting down on coffee, tea and alcohol.
Muscle cramps If you get unusual muscle ache, which is not from exercise or hard work, talk to your doctor. Shaking, usually of the hands Talk to your doctor as you may need to have your dose reduced. Serious side effects It happens rarely, but some people may have serious side effects when taking levothyroxine. Call a doctor straight away if you get: chest pain fast or irregular heartbeats, or palpitations Serious allergic reaction In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to levothyroxine.
Information: You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme. Visit Yellow Card for further information. Levothyroxine and pregnancy Levothyroxine is usually safe to take in pregnancy. Levothyroxine and breastfeeding It's usually safe to breastfeed while you're on levothyroxine. Non-urgent advice: Tell your doctor if you're:. They include: medicines for fits or seizures — such as carbamazepine and phenytoin rifampicin amiodarone oestrogens — such as in combined contraceptive pills or hormone replacement therapy HRT Levothyroxine can change how other medicines work, so their doses may need to be altered.
These medicines include: medicines for diabetes — either insulin or tablets the blood thinning medicine, warfarin Some medicines should not be taken at the same time of day as levothyroxine as they can reduce the amount of levothyroxine your body takes in, including: antacids calcium salts iron salts orlistat, a medicine used for weight loss sucralfate, a medicine used to treat stomach ulcers some cholesterol-lowering medicines such as colestyramine, colestipol or colesevelem Read the information leaflet supplied with these medicines or speak to your pharmacist for advice on how much time to leave between taking these medicines and taking levothyroxine.
Mixing levothyroxine with herbal remedies and supplements There's very little information about taking herbal remedies and supplements with levothyroxine.
Important: Medicine safety Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. How does levothyroxine work? Some of the most common symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland are: tiredness feeling cold difficulty concentrating weight gain feeling depressed Levothyroxine is a synthetic version of thyroxine. How long does levothyroxine take to work? How long will I take levothyroxine for?
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