The thyroid is a small gland at the base of your neck that produces hormones to regulate your body's energy use. Hypothyroidism is the condition of your thyroid gland underproducing thyroid hormones. It is treatable in most people with thyroid hormone replacement medication and lifestyle modifications.
Read on to learn more about Levoxyl, how it works, and how to get a Levoxyl prescription online.
What is Levoxyl?
The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the body's energy and metabolism: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Levoxyl is a brand-name of levothyroxine, a thyroid hormone replacement medication that replaces the T4 hormone typically produced by your thyroid gland. Other brand-names of levothyroxine include Tirosint, Levoxyl, Unithroid, and Euthyrox.
This medication may be prescribed to treat hypothyroidism when your thyroid does not produce enough thyroxine (T4) on its own. Levoxyl may also be for patients who need surgery and radioiodine therapy to manage a type of thyroid cancer.
Levoxyl is gluten-free and lactose-free but contains dyes. Some patients find this medication more comfortable to take because of a gentler rate of absorption.
How does Levoxyl work?
When your thyroid hormone production drops with hypothyroidism, it affects virtually every system in your body. Levoxyl helps restore adequate thyroid levels by replacing the amount of thyroxine that your body is missing. Levoxyl's active ingredient is levothyroxine sodium, a human-made hormone that works in the same way as thyroxine.
Levoxyl dosage and treatment
Dosing Levoxyl for hypothyroidism relies on several factors including, but not limited to: your age, body weight, cardiovascular health, and other health conditions or medications. Your doctor will prescribe a dose individualized to account for these factors and make adjustments based on a regular evaluation of your symptoms and lab results. It may take up to 4-6 weeks to experience the full therapeutic effect of Levoxyl.
Levoxyl should be taken daily on an empty stomach with a full glass of water, 30-60 minutes before eating breakfast. It's best to take Levoxyl at least four hours before or after other medications that may affect the absorption of this thyroid medication.
Medications that may interact with Levoxyl:
- Calcium carbonate - often used as a dietary supplement or antiacid
- Ferrous sulfate - often used to treat iron deficiency anemia
- Orlistat, used for weight loss
- Bile acid sequestrants - used to help lower LDL cholesterol
- Proton pump inhibitors - used to reduce the amount of stomach acid
- Sucralfate - used to treat and prevent ulcers in the intestines
- Antiacids - used to neutralize the acid in the stomach
Foods that may interact with Levoxyl:
- Soybean flour (infant formula), cottonseed meal, walnuts, and dietary fiber may decrease Levoxyl's absorption.
- Grapefruit juice may reduce the extent and rate at which the levothyroxine enters circulation in your blood.
Side effects of Levoxyl
Levoxyl's most common side effects are similar to hyperthyroidism symptoms, or an overactive thyroid, due to therapeutic overdose.
After giving your body 4-6 weeks to adjust to the medication, check with your health care professional if these side effects of Levoxyl continue or are bothersome:
- Abdominal or stomach cramps
- Change in appetite
- Crying
- Diarrhea
- Fear or nervousness
- Feeling of discomfort
- Feeling of warmth
- Feeling things are not real
- Feelings of suspicion and distrust
- Hair loss
- Headache
- Increased appetite
- Mood swings or depression
- Muscle weakness
- Redness of the face, neck, arms, and occasionally, upper chest
- Restlessness
- Trouble getting pregnant
- Trouble sitting still
- Unusual tiredness or weakness
- Vomiting
- Weight gain or loss
Check with your doctor immediately if any of these side effects occur while taking Levoxyl:
- Blurred or double vision, or eye pain
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Decreased urine output
- Difficult, labored, or irregular breathing
- Difficulty with swallowing
- Dilated neck veins
- Dizziness or fainting
- Extreme fatigue
- Irregular heartbeat or pulse
- Fever
- Heat intolerance
- Hives or welts, skin itching, rash, or redness
- Irritability
- Menstrual changes
- Nausea
- Pain or discomfort in the arms, jaw, back, or neck
- Severe headache
- Seizures
- Sweating
- Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, throat, or tongue
- Tightness in the chest
- Tremors
Get emergency help if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur while taking Levoxyl:
- Change in consciousness
- Cold, clammy skin
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Fast or weak pulse
- Lightheadedness
- Loss of consciousness
- Sudden headache
- Sudden loss of coordination
- Sudden slurring of speech
Can you buy Levoxyl online?
To legally get a prescription for medication, you first need to consult with a doctor. Then, your doctor can send the prescription to a pharmacy to fill. Be wary of websites that offer to sell medication without a prescription and don't address the U.S.
Paloma Health offers virtual consultations with thyroid doctors. You meet with a doctor from your computer or smartphone to get a comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and prescription for medications like Levoxyl.
