I. Synthroid Fact File

Synthroid was manufactured by Abbott Laboratories.

Abbott Laboratories was Founded in 1888 is a research-based health care company that discovers, develops, manufactures and markets products that span the continuum of care - from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and cure.

Abbott was founded more than 100 years ago by Chicago physician Dr. Wallace C. Abbott has emerged as one of the world's top health care companies. Today, Abbott discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets products and services that span the continuum of care - from prevention and diagnosis, to treatment and cure. Abbott casts a keen focus on areas with the greatest unmet medical need, such as oncology, infectious diseases, diabetes, obesity, immunology and cardiovascular disease.

II. Synthroid Medication

Synthroid medication is used to treat your hypothyroidism - a condition where your body's thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone.

Hypothyrodism: Information

Atrophied Thyroid

Diagram 1: Hypothyroidism (Hypothyroidism is a decreased activity of the thyroid gland which may affect all body functions. The rate of metabolism slows causing mental and physical sluggishness. The most severe form of hypothyroidism is myxedema, which is a medical emergency.

Diagram 2: Primary & Secondary hypothyroidism [Hypothyroidism can be caused by a problem with the thyroid itself (primary), or by the malfunction of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus (secondary).]

Thyroxine is a body chemical (hormone) made by the thyroid gland in the neck. Thyroxine is carried round the body in the bloodstream. Thyroxine helps to keep the body's functions (the metabolism) working at the correct pace. Many cells and tissues in the body need thyroxine to keep them going correctly.

Hypothyroidism means a reduced level of thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism is also known as an under active thyroid. It occurs when the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroxine. This causes many of the body's functions to slow down. (In contrast, if you have hyperthyroidism, you make too much thyroxine. This causes many of the body's functions to speed up.)

Alternative Names of Hypothyroidism: Myxedema; Adult hypothyroidism

There are many symptoms of hypothyroidism, and some may not be as obvious as others. The best way to know for sure is to ask your doctor for a simple blood test to verify your thyroid gland's condition. This blood test measures the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your system and is often called a TSH test. It is recommended that all adults have their TSH measured beginning at 35 years of age and every 5 years thereafter.

Common Signs and Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

• Fatigue
• Unexplained weight gain
• Dry skin, hair and nails
• Difficulty concentrating and learning
• Forgetfulness
• Increased cholesterol
• Depression
• Cold intolerance
• Constipation
• Vague aches and pains
• Irregular or heavy menstrual flow
• Hoarse Voice

Conditions Which May contribute To Your Risk For Hypothyroid Disease

• Previous thyroid dysfunction
• Goiter
• Surgery or radiotherapy affecting the thyroid gland
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Pernicious anemia
• Use of medications such as lithium carbonate or iodine-containing compounds
• Family history of thyroid disease
• History of head or neck irradiations

Possible complications of hypothyroidism

If you have untreated hypothyroidism:

• You have an increased risk of developing heart disease. This is because a low thyroid level causes the blood lipids (cholesterol etc) to rise.
• If you are pregnant, you have an increased risk of developing some pregnancy complications. For example: pre-eclampsia, anaemia, premature labour, low birth weight, stillbirth, and serious bleeding after the birth.
• Hypothyroid coma (myxoedema coma) is a very rare complication.

Causes of Hypothyroidism

• The common cause - autoimmune thyroiditis

The most regular cause is due to an 'autoimmune disease' called autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's disease). The immune system normally makes antibodies to attack bacteria, viruses, and other 'germs'. If you have an autoimmune disease, the immune system makes antibodies against certain tissues of your body. With autoimmune thyroiditis, you make antibodies, which attack your own thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is then not able to make enough thyroxine, and hypothyroidism gradually develops.

People with autoimmune thyroiditis have a minute increased risk of developing other autoimmune conditions including: pernicious anaemia, type 1 diabetes, or Addison's disease. Autoimmune thyroiditis also tends to run in some families. If you have this condition, tell your children, particularly daughters, to look out for the symptoms in their adult lives. Not all your children will develop the hypothyroidism, but the risk is higher than average. It is thought that something triggers the immune system to make antibodies against the thyroid. The 'trigger' is not known.

Other causes: Other causes are uncommon and include:

• Surgery or radioactive treatment to the thyroid gland for other conditions.
• A side-effect to some medicines. (For example, amiodarone and lithium.)
• Other types of 'thyroiditis' (thyroid inflammation) caused by infection or other rare conditions.
• A pituitary gland problem is a rare cause. (The pituitary gland in the brain makes a hormone called thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). This stimulates the thyroid gland to make thyroxine. If the pituitary does not make TSH, then the thyroid cannot make enough thyroxine.)
• Some children are born with an underactive thyroid gland (congenital hypothyroidism).
• Radiotherapy to the neck region for other conditions.

The treatment of hypothyroidism is to take thyroxine tablets each day. This replaces the thyroxine, which your thyroid gland is not making. Most people feel much better quite quickly after starting treatment. Ideally, take the tablet on an empty stomach (before breakfast). This is because some foods rich in calcium or iron may interfere with the absorption of thyroxine from the gut. (For the same reason, don't take thyroxine tablets at the same time of day as calcium or iron tablets.)

Thyroid Gland: Information

The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland. It lies across the base of the neck, in front of your windpipe.

Your thyroid gland makes several hormones, which are collectively called thyroid hormones. These hormones are carried by the bloodstream to all the tissues in your body, and play an important role in cells, tissues and organs in the human body.

If your thyroid is not functioning properly, it can produce too much thyroid hormone, which causes the body's systems to speed up. This is called "hyperthyroidism". Or, a malfunctioning thyroid gland can create too little thyroid hormone, which causes the body's systems to slow down, which is called "hypothyroidism".

When untreated hypothyroidism can give you symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, depression, or cold intolerance in addition to elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease and infertility.

Brain & Thyroid

Diagram 4: Although the thyroid gland releases the hormones, which govern growth and metabolism, the brain (the pituitary and the hypothalamus) manages the release and the balance of the amount of hormones circulated.

Side effects of (Synthroid) Thyroxine

Usually there are no side effects of synthroid . Thyroxine tablets replace the body's natural hormone, so side-effects are uncommon. However, if you have angina, you may find that your angina pains become worse when you first start thyroxine. Tell a doctor if this happens.

If you take too much (Synthroid) thyroxine it can lead to symptoms of an over-active thyroid, such as palpitations, diarrhea, irritability, or flushing. This is why the initial treatment dose is small and gradually built up, and why you need blood tests to check that you are taking the correct dose of thyroxine.

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III. Useful links

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.fda.gov/

http://www.fda.gov/cder/ogd/

http://www.nih.gov/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/

National Library of Medicine

World Health Organization

http://www.mayoclinic.com/index.cfm

MedicineNet.com

Drugdigest.org

Healthsquare.com

harmacy sites

http://www.pg.com

http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1509 ,

http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1516

http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1504,

http://www.people.vcu.edu/~urdesai/atc.htm#Process%20of%20clotting

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