20 rules for taking Synthroid effectively and safely

Today I want to remind everyone once again how to take Synthroid properly. These simple recommendations will guarantee you the maximum effectiveness and safety. These 20 rules for taking Synthroid suit both those who use it as replacement thyroid hormone therapy and athletes.

The most important of the 20 rules for taking Synthroid

• Always take the drug 20-30 minutes before meals with water.
• After taking the medicine in the morning, do not drink milk and coffee, and limit the consumption of meat and soy products.
• If you forgot to take your pills before meals, you can do this 3-4 hours after.
• When you need to take a high dose of the drug, and your body does not tolerate it well enough, you can divide the dose in 2 to 3 equal parts. In this case, take Synthroid 3-4 hours after eating and 30 minutes before the next meal.
• Sometimes, a patient can skip taking the medicine 1-2 days a week, but not in a row. As a rule, doctors recommend this scheme to elderly or patients with arrhythmia.
• Do not crush or chew tablets.

Basic rules for choosing and adjusting a dosage of Synthroid

• If a doctor has prescribed you this medicine, do not change the dosage yourself, even if the treatment is poorly tolerated. First, consult a specialist. Your physician will prescribe you a blood test, and then adjust the dose.

• Most often, a patient needs hormone control once a year. If you need to adjust the dose, you can take tests every two months.
• In some treatment regimens, doctors recommend changing the dosage seasonally. As a rule, in autumn and winter it gets higher, while in spring and summer gets lower.
• During pregnancy, doctors usually prescribe the entire dose of the drug immediately. In other conditions, you can adjust it gradually, every 1-5 weeks, regularly monitoring yout thyroid hormone levels.
• If you need to pause taking Synthroid due to surgery or another reason, the break should not exceed one week.
• In case of stopping therapy, doctors recommend cancelling the medication at once, without a gradual decrease.

Some other important of the 20 rules for taking Synthroid

• The most common side effects of the drug include palpitations, sweating and irritability. If the condition does not improve or worsens within 10 days of treatment, consult your doctor. You may need to adjust the dose.
• Patients rarely have high sensitivity to the medication. Anyway, those who do not tolerate it well should stick to the minimum dose.
• Do not take Synthroid along with with iron and calcium preparations, as well as antacids. If you need to take these substances, wait at least 4 hours.
• The simultaneous use of Synthroid and some other drugs (you can find a full list in the instructions for use) can change certain indicators in blood tests. In addition, the medicine can slow down the metabolism of other medicines.
• When using the drug in women during menopause, doctors recommend taking calcium preparations. Do not forget about a 4-hour pause between the substances.
• This medicine is officially approved during pregnancy and lactation.
• The need for thyroid hormone in children and in adults differs. Due to growth processes and increased metabolism, children need more of it.
• Doctors prescribe Synthroid to treat not only hypothyroidism, but also for nodular goiter, diffuse enlargement of the thyroid gland, after thyroid surgery, and so on.