Levoxyl^® is a man-made form of the hormone made by a healthy thyroid gland. The generic name for Levoxyl^® is levothyroxine sodium.

Your doctor may prescribe Levoxyl^® for the following reasons:

• a thyroid hormone replacement treatment if:

  • You do not have a thyroid
  • You have an underactive thyroid
• To treat or prevent types of goiters and thyroid nodules
• To manage certain types of thyroid cancer, along with surgery or radioactive iodine

Levoxyl^® should be taken in the morning on an empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before eating. It is important to take Levoxyl^® with a full glass of water. Take Levoxyl^® exactly as prescribed, so your doctor can tell how well Levoxyl^® is working.

Certain drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements may affect the way Levoxyl^® works. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over the counter drugs you are taking.

These drugs are known to get in the way of Levoxyl^® absorbing into your system:

• Antacids:  Including but not limited to Milk of Magnesia, Amphojel, Maalox, Mylanta^®, Gaviscon^®, Rolaids^®, Tums^®, Titralac™, Surpass^®
• Bile Acid Sequestrants:  Prevalite^®, Questran^®, Locholest^®, cholestyramine, WelChol™, Colestid^®, colestipol
• Calcium Carbonate:  Including but not limited to Os-Cal^®, Caltrate^®, Tums^®, Titralac™, Rolaids^®, Surpass^®, Maalox^® Quick Dissolve
• Ferrous Sulfate:  Including but not limited to Feosol^®, Feratab^®, Slow FE, certain multivitamins
• Sucralfate:  Carafate^®

Take these drugs at least 4 hours apart from Levoxyl^®.

If you miss a dose of Levoxyl^®, take it as soon as possible. Follow the instructions under question 3. If it is close to your next dose, do NOT take the missed tablet. Just take your next dose at your regular time. Do NOT double your dose. If you miss 2 or more doses in a row, check with your doctor.

Levoxyl^® tablets may swell, break apart quickly, and cause choking, gagging, tablet sticking in throat, or problems swallowing. Most of these problems go away when you take Levoxyl^® with a full glass of water. If you have a problem swallowing tablets, or for infants and children, crush the tablets and add to 1 to 2 teaspoons of water. Take right away. Do not store dissolved tablets.

Eating certain foods, such as soybean flour (infant formula), cottonseed meal, walnuts, and dietary fiber, may affect how Levoxyl^® is absorbed into your body. Tell your doctor if you eat these types of foods.

It may take a few weeks before you see an improvement in your symptoms.  Your doctor will repeat blood tests over time to check how Levoxyl^® is working for you.

No, weight gain is not a side effect associated with Levoxyl^® therapy. Weight gain or trouble in losing weight is a common symptom of an underactive thyroid.  Thyroid hormones tend to affect weight and how easy or hard it is to lose weight.

Levoxyl^® should not be used for weight loss. A warning against using Levoxyl^® for weight loss is stated in the full prescribing information.

Hair loss and changes in hair texture and patterns can occur with thyroid problems.  Overactive thyroid may cause hair to become fine and silky textured.  Underactive thyroid may cause hair to be coarse, dry, and brittle.  Hair loss may occur with both conditions. It’s hard to tell if hair loss is a result of the thyroid treatment or the thyroid problem.  Some hair loss may occur during the first few months of thyroid treatment, but it is usually for a limited time.

If you take too much medicine, you may have symptoms of an overactive thyroid.  If you do not take enough medicine, you may have symptoms of underactive thyroid.

Common symptoms and signs of overactive thyroid: feelings of irregular or forced beating of the heart, sensitive to heat, nervousness, trouble sleeping, breathlessness, increased bowel movements, vomiting, stomach cramps, light or absent menstrual periods, fatigue, headache, chest pain, irritability, fast heart rate, increased blood pressure, trembling hands, weight loss, muscle weakness, warm moist skin, hair loss, staring gaze, increased eating.

Common symptoms and signs of underactive thyroid: fatigue, weakness, weight gain, trouble losing weight, sensitivity to cold, muscle aching and cramps, constipation, depression, memory loss, odd menstrual periods.

Seizures, though rare, have occurred when starting therapy.

Some patients treated with thyroid hormone products have had allergic reactions.  These include hives, itching, skin rash, redness of the face and neck, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and increased bowel movements, fever, joint pain, wheezing or swelling of the face, eyes, lips or tongue, or trouble breathing.

Choking, gagging, tablet sticking in throat, or problems swallowing were reported when Levoxyl^® was not taken with a full glass of water.

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients.  Call your healthcare provider if you have any of these symptoms or other bad effects.

It is okay to take Levoxyl^® while pregnant.  Talk with your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Fertility problems may be due to thyroid problems.  Do not use levothyroxine sodium to treat male or female fertility problems unless it is due to an underactive thyroid.

TSH is the name of a simple blood test used to check thyroid activity. TSH stands for thyroid-stimulating hormone. It is a natural hormone that tells the thyroid gland to make levothyroxine. If you have an underactive thyroid, your TSH will be high because your thyroid gland needs help making levothyroxine. If you have an overactive thyroid, your TSH will be low because your thyroid gland makes too much levothyroxine.

The normal range for TSH is 0.5 mU/L to 6.0 mU/L, but it can vary. Your healthcare provider may change your dose of Levoxyl^® until your TSH level is within the normal range. It is common for TSH levels to vary within the normal range.

The FDA has not approved the use of Levoxyl^® with liothyronine sodium.  Talk to your doctor to learn more about this typeof therapy.

Levothyroxine sodium products have the same active part, but the inactive part may be different.  Changing levothyroxine products, even at the same dose, may cause your body to absorb and use the medicine in a different way.  The American Thyroid Association (ATA), The Endocrine Society (TES), and The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) advise repeat TSH testing for patients who switch products.  This allows healthcare professionals to make sure the treatment is effective.

Some levothyroxine sodium products are FDA approved to be switched with Levoxyl^®.  Talk to your pharmacist to learn more.

The ATA, TES, and AACE advise healthcare providers to:

• Let patients know that their levothyroxine product may be switched at the pharmacy
• Have patients ask to stay on the same levothyroxine product
• Make sure patients know that if they get a different levothyroxine product they will need to be have a TSH test to check the correct dose

Levothyroxine sodium products have the same active part but the inactive part may be different.  Changing levothyroxine products, even at the same dose, may cause your body to absorb and use the medicine in a different way.  The ATA, TES, and AACE advise repeat TSH testing for patients who switch products.  This allows doctors to make sure the treatment is effective.

There are 11 color-coded strengths of Levoxyl^®, so you can get the dose you need. The dosage strengths available are 25, 50, 75, 88, 100, 112, 125, 137, 150, 175, and 200 micrograms (mcg).

Yes. Levoxyl^® was FDA approved on May 25, 2001.

Levoxyl^® is manufactured by King Pharmaceuticals,^® Inc.