Patient/caregiver was educated on contraindications for using Levothyroxine as follows:
- Levothyroxine is mainly metabolized in the liver and kidney. If liver or kidney function is deficient, metabolism of Levothyroxine could be slowed down. Slowing down of the drug metabolism can result in increased risk for side-effects and toxicity with the medication. Also, Levothyroxine is significantly eliminated in urine, by the kidneys. Individuals with renal disease and diminished renal function cannot eliminate Levothyroxine from their body normally, which allows the medication to be in the blood stream longer, thus increasing the risk for side-effects and toxicity with the medication. So, Levothyroxine is carefully administered in individuals with compromised liver and renal function.
- Levothyroxine is contraindicated or administered with caution in individuals with history of arrhythmias, heart failure, and myocardial infarction. Individuals with Levothyroxine intake can present with palpitations, very rapid heart rate with increased contraction of heart, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, and hypertrophy of cardiac muscle, eventually compromising the cardiac function and pumping of blood to all the vital organs of the body, thus complicating history of any underlying cardiac conditions.
- Prolonged Levothyroxine use can result in increased rate of overall metabolism and consequently, contribute to rapid bone turn over, leading to bone demineralization, loss of bone density, thus increasing the risk for osteoporosis and pathological fractures of skeleton. Levothyroxine is used cautiously with periodical evaluation of the response in individuals with either history or risk for development of osteoporosis.
- Administration of Levothyroxine can precipitate acute adrenal crisis in individuals with poor adrenal function and low steroid hormone levels, if Levothyroxine were administered without correcting for the low steroid hormone. Levothyroxine is used very cautiously in such individuals.
- Do not use this medication if you have history of allergy or serious side-effects to Levothyroxine or any products containing iodine.
