LoginTertroxin
Generic Name: liothyronine sodium
Product Name: Tertroxin
Indication: What Tertroxin is used for
Tertroxin is used for treating:
- Disorders of thyroid deficiency or low thyroid levels in the body;
- Coma or unconsciousness caused by severely low thyroid levels in the body;
- An overactive thyroid gland which occurs in thyrotoxicosis or Grave’s Disease, together with other medicines;
- A low thyroid level after treatment of thyrotoxicosis.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Tertroxin has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed Tertroxin for another reason.
This medicine is only available with a doctor’s prescription.
There is no evidence that Tertroxin is addictive.
Action: How Tertroxin works
Tertroxin contains liothyronine, which is a naturally occurring thyroid hormone.
The principal pharmacological effect of exogenous thyroid hormones is to increase the metabolic rate of body tissues. The biological action of liothyronine sodium is qualitatively similar to that of thyroxine but the effect develops in a few hours and disappears within 24-48 hours of stopping treatment.
Tertroxin contains 20 micrograms of liothyronine sodium as the active ingredient.
The other ingredients in Tertroxin are lactose, maize starch, acacia, sodium chloride, magnesium stearate.
Tertroxin does not contain gluten, sucrose, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
Dose advice: How to use Tertroxin
Before you use it
When you must not take it
Do not take Tertroxin if:
- You have an allergy to Tertroxin or any of the ingredients listed here;
- You have angina;
- You have any other heart condition;
- You have an untreated adrenal gland condition.
Do not take Tertroxin if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. Do not take Tertroxin if the expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack has passed. If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking Tertroxin, contact your doctor.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other foods, medicines, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if:
- You are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.
- If there is a need to consider Tertroxin during your pregnancy, your doctor will discuss with you the benefits and risks of using it;
- You are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.
- Tertroxin passes into breast milk and therefore there is a possibility that the breastfed baby may be affected. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of taking Tertroxin when breastfeeding;
- You have or have had any medical conditions, especially the following:
- Diabetes;
- Adrenal gland problems.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you start taking Tertroxin.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and Tertroxin may interfere with each other. These include:
- Medicines used to treat blood clots;
- Phenytoin and carbamazepine, medicines used to treat fitting or epilepsy;
- Digoxin, a medicine used for certain heart conditions;
- Cholestyramine, a medicine used to reduce cholesterol levels;
- Tricyclic antidepressants;
- Oral contraceptives or the pill;
- Ketamine, an anaesthetic;
- Insulin or tablets used to treat diabetes.
These medicines may be affected by Tertroxin or may affect how well it works. You may need to take different amounts of your medicine, or you may need to take different medicines. Your doctor will advise you.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking Tertroxin.
How to take Tertroxin
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist carefully. These directions may differ from the information contained here.
If you do not understand the instructions on the bottle, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
How much to take
In adults, the usual dose for low thyroid levels is one tablet taken two or three times a day.
In children, the usual dose is half a tablet taken once to three times daily.
In both adults and children, the dose will depend on the condition being treated and the level of thyroid hormone in the body.
How to take it
Swallow Tertroxin with a glass of water.
When to take it
Take Tertroxin at about the same time each day. Taking your tablets at the same time each day will have the best effect. It will also help you remember when to take the tablets.
It does not matter if you take Tertroxin before or after food.
How long to take it
Tertroxin helps to control your thyroid problem. Therefore, your medicine must be taken every day. Continue taking Tertroxin for as long as your doctor prescribes it. In some conditions, you will take this medicine for the rest of your life.
If you forget to take it
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to. Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember and then go back to taking your tablets as you would normally.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you take too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) or go to casualty at your nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Tertroxin. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
If you take too much Tertroxin you may feel:
- Irritable;
- Nervous;
- Have a headache;
- An abnormal heartbeat;
- Muscle cramps;
- Flushing or skin redness;
- Diarrhoea;
- Heart conditions may become worse.
While you are using Tertroxin
Things you must do
If you are about to be started on any new medicine tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking Tertroxin.
Tell all of the doctors, dentists, and pharmacists that are treating you that you are taking Tertroxin.
Be sure to keep all of your doctor’s and blood test appointments so that your progress can be checked.
If you are being treated for diabetes, make sure you check your blood sugar level regularly and report any problems to your doctor. Tertroxin may change how well your diabetes is controlled. Your doses of diabetic medicines, including insulin, may need to change.
If you are taking an anticoagulant (eg. warfarin), make sure you have your blood tested regularly and report any problems to your doctor. Tertroxin may change how well anticoagulants work. Your dose of the anticoagulant may need to change.
Things you must not do
Do not give Tertroxin to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Do not use Tertroxin to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
After using Tertroxin
Storage
Keep your tablets in the bottle until it is time to take them. If you take the tablets out of the bottle they will not keep well.
Keep the tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25oC. Do not store Tertroxin or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it in the car or on window sills. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep it where children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking Tertroxin or the tablets have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any that are left over.
Schedule of Tertroxin
Tertroxin is an S4 (prescription only) medicine.
Side effects of Tertroxin
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you have any problems while taking Tertroxin, even if you do not think the problems are connected with the medicine or are not listed here.
Like other medicines, Tertroxin can cause some side effects. If they occur, most are likely to be minor and temporary. However, some may be serious and need medical attention.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
- Headache;
- Muscle cramps;
- Diarrhoea;
- Restlessness;
- Excitability;
- Flushing or redness of skin;
- Sweating;
- Muscle weakness.
These side effects are usually mild.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
- Palpitations;
- Heart pain;
- Changes in heartbeat;
- Excessive loss of weight.
These are serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention. Serious side effects are rare.
Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell. Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
For further information talk to your doctor.
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