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Drug facts and side effects, recalls, research, clinical trials and medical reference, from the FDA, the National Library of Medicine and this site.

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Levothyroxine Sodium

Label from Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

  • Not on the FDA shortage list
  • 16 recalls in the last 3 years

Boxed warning

WARNING: NOT FOR TREATMENT OF OBESITY OR FOR WEIGHT LOSS Thyroid hormones, including levothyroxine sodium tablets, either alone or with other therapeutic agents, should not be used for the treatment of obesity or for weight loss. In euthyroid patients, doses within the range of daily hormonal requirements are ineffective for weight reduction.

What it is used for

Hypothyroidism Levothyroxine sodium tablets are indicated in adult and pediatric patients, including neonates, as a replacement therapy in primary (thyroidal), secondary (pituitary), and tertiary (hypothalamic) congenital or acquired hypothyroidism. Pituitary Thyrotropin (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone, TSH) Suppression Levothyroxine sodium tablets are indicated in adult and pediatric patients, including neonates, as an adjunct to surgery and radioiodine therapy in the management of thyrotropin-dependent well-differentiated thyroid cancer.

How it comes

Levothyroxine sodium tablets USP are round, colored, scored and debossed with following debossing details on one side and break-line on other side. They are available as follows (Table 4) Table 4: Levothyroxine Sodium Tablet Strengths and Identifying Features Tablet Strength Tablet Color/Shape...

Recalls in the last 3 years

From the FDA drug label and openFDA records. For reference, not medical advice.

Most-reported side effects

312,581 reports to the FDA

  1. Fatigue26,586
  2. Nausea22,613
  3. Drug ineffective21,090
  4. Headache19,408
  5. Diarrhoea18,759
  6. Dyspnoea16,721
  7. Pain16,379
  8. Dizziness15,850
  9. Asthenia13,505
  10. Off label use13,490

From the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System. These are voluntary reports: they do not show that the drug caused the event, or how often it happens.

Research

58,839 articles in PubMed, most relevant first

  1. Review2020 · Frontiers in endocrinologyFree full text

    Levothyroxine for the Treatment of Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Cardiovascular Disease (opens in a new tab)

    Sue LY, Leung AM

  2. 2022 · Endocrine reviewsFree full text

    Optimal Thyroid Hormone Replacement (opens in a new tab)

    Jonklaas J

  3. Review2019 · Advances in therapyFree full text

    Hypothyroidism in Context: Where We've Been and Where We're Going (opens in a new tab)

    Chiovato L, Magri F, Carlé A

  4. Review2025 · Medicina

    Challenges in the treatment of hypothyroidism: malabsorption and pseudo-malabsorption of levothyroxine (opens in a new tab)

    Mana DL, Rizzo LFL

  5. Guideline2025 · European thyroid journalFree full text

    ETA guidelines for the use of levothyroxine sodium preparations in monotherapy to optimize the treatment of hypothyroidism (opens in a new tab)

    Centanni M, Duntas L, Feldt-Rasmussen U, et al.

  6. Trial2021 · Expert opinion on drug metabolism & toxicology

    Effect of oral semaglutide on the pharmacokinetics of thyroxine after dosing of levothyroxine and the influence of co-administered tablets on the pharmacokinetics of oral semaglutide in healthy subjects: an open-label, one-sequence crossover, single-center, multiple-dose, two-part trial (opens in a new tab)

    Hauge C, Breitschaft A, Hartoft-Nielsen ML, et al.

See all 58,839 on PubMed (opens in a new tab)

Clinical trials

757 studies on ClinicalTrials.gov

  1. Active not recruitingPhase 2 · started 2020

    Treatment of ARDS With Instilled T3 (opens in a new tab)

    University of Minnesota

  2. Status unknownstarted 2004

    The Effect of Thyroid Hormone Levels in Pregnant Women on the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of Their Children (opens in a new tab)

    Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

  3. CompletedPhase 1 · started 2016

    Dose Escalation and Expansion Study of GSK3359609 in Participants With Selected Advanced Solid Tumors (INDUCE-1) (opens in a new tab)

    GlaxoSmithKline

  4. Status unknownstarted 2022

    Prolactin Release Through Breast Stimulation in Non-lactating Women - Who Does Respond? (opens in a new tab)

    University Hospital Tuebingen

  5. CompletedPhase 3 · started 2006

    Thyroid Therapy for Mild Thyroid Deficiency in Pregnancy (opens in a new tab)

    The George Washington University Biostatistics Center

  6. Status unknownstarted 2015

    Desiccated Thyroid Extract Versus Synthetic T3/T4 Combination (ThyrolarTM) Versus L-T4 Alone in the Therapy of Primary Hypothyroidism With Special Attention to the Gene Polymorphism (opens in a new tab)

    Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

See all 757 on ClinicalTrials.gov (opens in a new tab)

Medical reference

StatPearls, for clinicians

  1. Thyroid Disease and Pregnancy (opens in a new tab)

  2. Levothyroxine (opens in a new tab)

  3. Physiology, Thyroid Hormone (opens in a new tab)

  4. Subclinical Hypothyroidism (opens in a new tab)

See all 314 StatPearls chapters (opens in a new tab)

MedlinePlus, for patients

  1. Thyroid Diseases (opens in a new tab)

    Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It makes hormones that control the way the body uses energy. These hormones affect nearly every organ in your body and control many of your...

  2. Hyperthyroidism (opens in a new tab)

    What is hyperthyroidism? Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, happens when your thyroid gland makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your...

  3. Hypothyroidism (opens in a new tab)

    What is hypothyroidism? Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, happens when your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormones to meet your body's needs. Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front...

Research, trials and reference come from the National Library of Medicine (PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, StatPearls on the NCBI Bookshelf, MedlinePlus); drug facts, side-effect reports and recalls from the FDA. For reference, not medical advice.