Synthroid

Why should Synthroid not be prescribed?

You should not be treated with Synthroid if you are hypersensitive to thyroid hormone; your thyroid gland is making too much thyroid hormone; you have had a recent heart attack; or your adrenal glands are not making enough corticosteroid hormone. If you are sensitive to dyes, you can take the Synthroid 50-microgram tablet, which is made without color additives.

Although Synthroid will speed up your metabolism, it is not effective as a weight-loss drug and should not be used as such. An overdose may cause life-threatening side effects, especially if you take Synthroid with an appetite-suppressant medication.

Special warnings about Synthroid

Synthroid has profound effects on the body. Make sure your doctor is aware of all your medical problems, especially heart disease, clotting disorders, diabetes, and disorders of the adrenal or pituitary glands. The doctor will also need to know about any allergies you may have to food or medicine, and will ask for the names of any medications you take, whether prescription or over-the-counter.

You should receive low doses of Synthroid, under very close supervision, if you are an older person, or if you suffer from high blood pressure, angina (chest pain caused by a heart condition), or other types of heart disease. If you develop chest pain or additional circulatory problems, your dosage may have to be reduced.

If you have diabetes, or if your body makes insufficient adrenal corticosteroid hormone, Synthroid will tend to make your symptoms worse. If you take medication for any of these disorders, the dosage will probably have to be adjusted once you begin taking Synthroid. If diabetes is the problem, you should immediately report to your doctor any change in your glucose readings.

Postmenopausal women on long-term Synthroid therapy may suffer a loss of bone density, increasing the danger of osteoporosis (brittle bones). To minimize the loss, the doctor will prescribe the lowest dosage needed to control symptoms of thyroid deficiency.