What is Levothyroxine?
Levothyroxine is a synthetic variation of the naturally occurring thyroid hormone thyroxine. It works as a hormone replacement for patients whose bodies’ do not produce enough of thyroxine necessary for regular thyroid function (which in turn is necessary for healthy mental and physical function). It is sold under a number of brand names in the United States, including Synthroid, Levoxyl, Tirosint, Levothroid, Unithroid and Eutirox. These brands may differ in the amount of Levothyroxine they contain and the rate at which they distributed and absorped into the body.
Levothyroxine is used to treat hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid function). A person can be born with hypothyroidism, or the disorder can arise later in life, usually as a result of thyroid cancer. Levothyroxine is administered to replace the thyroid hormone lost as a result of the radiation, medication, or removal of the thyroid during cancer treatment. The drug is also used to treat goiters (swelling of the thyroid).
