The thyroid gland in the process of fulfilling its functions produces various biologically active trace elements of organic origin, which are formed in certain cells of the endocrine glands that enter the bloodstream. Thyroxine is one of the most important thyroid hormones that affects all human vital systems. The substance is involved in the regulation of the metabolism of trace elements and affects the development and growth of the body.
Thyroxine is a hormone that has an effect on blood pressure, increasing it. The mental state of a person, energy also depend on its content in the body. Thyroxine in most cases affects metabolic processes and quick thinking. It also has an effect on heart rate.
With a normal concentration of thyroxine in plasma, a person is not threatened with obesity if he does not have diseases that contribute to weight gain. This happens due to the fact that the hormone affects the metabolic rate in the body. When a person with a normal thyroxine content in the body eats more than normal, biologically active substances of an organic nature are produced in an accelerated manner, thereby accelerating metabolism and burning fat faster.
What threatens a lack of hormone?
Thyroxine deficiency immediately has a detrimental effect on human health. When the thyroid gland creates a small amount of the necessary hormone, a person develops hypothyroidism (a disease that is caused by a decrease in endocrine gland function and insufficient hormone production). The severe degree of this disease is called myxedema (a disease caused by insufficient provision of organs and tissues with thyroid hormones). Among its main features, you can pay attention to the following:
- the human skin is peeling, scales appear;
- patients become drowsy, they are often depressed;
- they have brittle hair, a soft nail plate;
- in such patients, as a rule, low blood pressure;
- Edema appears on the face, cheeks acquire a rosy hue;
- problems with conception may appear;
- overweight occurs.
Thyroxine deficiency is common, especially in women of retirement age. It is simple to eliminate hypothyroidism - patients are recommended to take drugs that have substitutes for this hormone in their composition, while the person resumes his previous life activity. Such people are also prescribed drugs with a maximum concentration of iodine.
There is an unconditional form of this ailment. In this case, the patient needs to take medications all his life to adjust the amount of thyroxine in the body. It is very important to detect the presence of a congenital syndrome in time, which develops with a low concentration of thyroid hormones, so the analysis for this disease is taken in infants five days after birth. "L-thyroxine" is a thyroid hormone preparation. What is the dosage of thyroxine? We will talk about this below.
Structure
The drug is produced in the form of tablets of ten pieces in contour cells, two, three, four, five, six, eight, ten blisters in a package. Twenty or fifty pieces in polymer containers. Fifty pieces in blisters, just one blister per pack. One capsule of the drug "L-thyroxine" contains the active substance - sodium levothyroxine.
The medicine is manufactured by the Berlin-Chemie firm with different concentrations of the active trace element in dosages of fifty, seventy-five, one hundred, one hundred twenty-five, one hundred and fifty micrograms. Since it is necessary to start the course with fifty micrograms per day, dividing this dosage of thyroxine (according to the instructions) into two doses, then for convenient use it is better to purchase a medicine with a concentration of the main trace element - fifty micrograms. This tablet is easier to divide into two parts.
Pharmacological properties
The main substance of L-Thyroxine is sodium levothyroxine - the chemical enantiomer of thyroxine, which in the liver is transformed in a small amount into triiodothyronine, then passes into the cells of the body and affects metabolism, as well as tissue growth.
In small doses, the drug is capable of exerting an anabolic effect on fat and protein metabolism. At medium dosages, it increases the oxygen demand of tissues, increases the functional activity of the nervous system, as well as the heart and blood vessels, activates growth and development, by improving the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. In high doses, the active substance inhibits the production of the thyroid stimulating hormone of the pituitary gland.
The pharmacological effect is manifested within seven to twelve days after taking the medication. The same amount of time after its termination, the effect persists.
With hypothyroidism, the therapeutic effect occurs after three to five days. The growth of tissue throughout the endocrine organ is reduced or completely disappears after six months.
After entering the body, the main trace element is absorbed almost completely in the upper part of the small intestine. The absorption of the drug is approximately eighty percent of the dosage taken. With the joint use of food, the absorption of the substance decreases. The maximum plasma content is reached approximately five to six hours after the use of L-thyroxine.
The active substance is characterized by a very high bond with albumin, thyroxin-binding prealbumin, as well as thyroxin-binding globulin. The exchange of thyroid hormones occurs mainly in the kidneys, liver and brain. A small amount of the main trace element undergoes the process of the removal of carbon dioxide from organic acids or amino acids and the removal of amino groups from the molecule.
In addition, there is an addition to sulfuric and glucuronic acids, mainly in the liver. The method of excretion of metabolites is through the intestines and kidneys with urine. The half-life varies from six to seven days, in people with thyrotoxicosis this process takes three to four days, in patients with hypothyroidism - from nine to ten days.
Indications
L-thyroxine tablets are recommended for use in the presence of the following ailments and diseases:
- Euthyroid goiter (compensatory enlargement of the thyroid gland with a lack of iodine in the body).
- Hypothyroidism (a disease caused by a decrease in thyroid function and inadequate production of hormones by it).
- The period after surgery on the thyroid gland.
- Malignant formation in the organs of the endocrine system.
- Disease of the thyroid gland, accompanied by its enlargement and increased production of thyroid hormones.
- Conducting a thyroid inhibition test.
Contraindications
"L-thyroxine" is not recommended for use in the presence of the following conditions and diseases:
- Acute myocardial infarction (a source of cardiac muscle necrosis, which is formed as a result of acute circulatory disorders).
- Acute myocarditis (a disease in which focal or diffuse inflammation of the heart muscle is observed).
- Lactase deficiency.
- Impaired absorption of glucose and galactose.
- Hypersensitivity to levothyroxine.
- Arterial hypertension (persistent increase in blood pressure above normal).
- Arrhythmia (pathological condition, rhythm disturbance and heart contraction).
- Cardiac ischemia (myocardial insufficiency).
- Atherosclerosis (a chronic disease of arteries that occurs due to impaired lipid metabolism and is accompanied by the deposition of cholesterol in the inner lining of blood vessels).
- Angina pectoris (a clinical syndrome characterized by sensation or discomfort behind the sternum).
- Diabetes mellitus (endocrine disease due to a lack of the hormone insulin in the body or its low biological activity).
- Malabsorption syndrome (a condition in which there is a violation of absorption in the small intestine).
Method of admission
"L-thyroxine" is taken orally in the morning on an empty stomach, at least an hour or two hours before breakfast, without chewing and drinking with water. What are the dosages of L-thyroxine?
To implement a hormone replacement program to prevent hypothyroidism in people under fifty-five years old in the absence of heart and vascular diseases, the necessary daily dosage of the drug is 1.6-1.8 micrograms per kilogram of weight.
The daily dosage of L-thyroxine tablets is determined by the attending doctor purely individually and depends on the destination.
For persons over fifty-five years of age or in the presence of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, dosing is prescribed at the rate of 0.9 micrograms per kilogram of weight.
Patients with severe obesity are calculated on a "healthy weight". In the first stage of treatment for hypothyroidism, the dosage of thyroxine is as follows:
- For people without cardiovascular disease under the age of fifty-five years is: for men from one hundred to one hundred and fifty micrograms per day, for women from seventy-five to one hundred micrograms per day.
- Patients over fifty-five years of age or patients with cardiovascular disease, regardless of gender, need to take thyroxine in a dosage of 25 micrograms per day with a gradual increase in dosage (twenty-five micrograms with an interval of sixty months), until the rate of thyroid-stimulating hormone in the plasma is brought back to normal. .
If negative signs from the side of the heart and blood vessels occur or worsen, it is necessary to adjust the therapy of cardiovascular diseases. The recommended daily dosage of L-thyroxine tablets to eliminate hypothyroidism, depending on the age of the child, is as follows:
- From birth to six months - from ten to fifty micrograms.
- From six months of the year, the daily dose is from fifty to seventy-five micrograms.
- From one year to five years, seventy-five to one hundred micrograms are prescribed per day.
- From six to twelve years, the dosage varies from one hundred to one hundred and fifty micrograms per day.
- Adolescents from twelve years old must take from one hundred to two hundred micrograms per day.
In addition, there are also recommended daily dosages of L-thyroxine tablets depending on the disease, for example:
- When eliminating euthyroid goiter, it is necessary to take from seventy-five to two hundred micrograms per day.
- For preventive purposes, relapses after surgical intervention with euthyroid goiter take from seventy-five to two hundred micrograms.
- As part of a comprehensive treatment for thyrotoxicosis, fifty to one hundred micrograms are used.
- For malignant and benign neoplasms in the thyroid gland, from one hundred fifty to three hundred micrograms are used.
- When conducting a thyroid inhibition test a month before the procedure, seventy-five micrograms are prescribed, fourteen days before the test, a dosage of two hundred micrograms is recommended.
- For small patients from birth to three years, daily dosing of levothyroxine is given an hour and a half before feeding. As a rule, before use, the L-thyroxine tablet should be dissolved in a liquid until a fine suspension is formed.
- With hypothyroidism, the drug is used throughout life. To eliminate thyrotoxicosis, the drug is used in combination therapy with antithyroid medications after reaching the euthyroid phase. The duration of treatment with the main trace element in various diseases is determined by the attending doctor.
The use of "L-thyroxine" in bodybuilding
Endocrine hormones are of great interest in bodybuilding. The thyroid gland is one of the most important in the human body. The overall health of a person depends on proper functioning, since it produces the hormones triiodothyronine and thyroxine, which directly affect metabolism.
In most cases, athletes who follow a diet and often play sports, fat deposits go away quite slowly. The reason for this is the weak work of the endocrine system.
Currently, there are no drugs containing triiodothyronine in Russia. And L-thyroxine is widely distributed in the Russian Federation, as it is prescribed by doctors to patients who suffer from hypothyroidism to restore hormonal balance.
The drug has low activity, but together with special strains it turns into a biologically active form of thyroid hormones of the thyroid gland. The hormone is often used by athletes in preparation for competitions. In most cases, its use can lead to serious negative results that are associated with improper use, sometimes even thoughtless. This is due to the fact that novice bodybuilders who are in search of magic drugs use L-thyroxine, after which it comes to replacement treatment throughout life. Therefore, the frivolous use of the medication leads to very negative consequences.
How to take "L-thyroxine" in bodybuilding?
To use "L-thyroxine" you need to "slide" in the same way as triiodothyronine. The difference is only in the concentration of the adopted trace element: from twenty-five to one hundred micrograms of triiodothyronine - this is from one hundred to three hundred micrograms of thyroxine. Despite this, you should not consume more than two hundred micrograms of thyroxine. How to correctly calculate the dosage of thyroxine?
Reception scheme:
- The first day is twenty-five micrograms.
- The second day is fifty micrograms.
- The third day is seventy-five micrograms.
- The fourth day is one hundred micrograms.
- The fifth day is one hundred twenty-five micrograms.
- The sixth day is one hundred and fifty micrograms.
You can not refuse to use the medication without adhering to a certain method - canceling the course of therapy is the same, but in the reverse order.
Differences between the hormones "Thyroxine" and "Triiodothyronine"
Thyroxine itself is not active, but together with selenium it can turn into a rather powerful triiodothyronine. In this regard, the hormone is sometimes compared with a steroid. Some medical experts believe that triiodothyronine preparations are better than those containing thyroxine, but this is not so.
The first thing you need to pay attention to is that triiodothyronine is capable of provoking serious hormonal disruptions, which can adversely affect the thyroid gland.
With an increase in the level of thyroid hormones, the endocrine gland is able to lose its functions for a long time. Therefore, the use of thyroid biologically active substances of an organic nature requires a gradual increase in dose.
In addition, the dosage should correspond to the physical performance of the athlete. Excessive excess of the hormone leads to thyrotoxicosis, which is associated with negative consequences.
Secondly, the hormone thyroxine is much easier to get. Today "L-thyroxine" is dispensed in pharmacies without a prescription, although this cannot be done by law. Triiodothyronine cannot be purchased at pharmacies at all, although more recently it could be bought under the name "Triacan".
In addition, the prices of these drugs vary widely. This means that L-thyroxine is a more affordable medication than Triacana.
And the most interesting thing is that, according to athletes, the hormone is not stained with negative color. If you refuse to use it, the loss of mass is almost imperceptible.
The use of the drug for weight loss
Use "L-thyroxine" is necessary two hours after eating or sixty minutes before eating. This is due to the fact that the products reduce the bioavailability of the drug "L-thyroxine". According to the instructions for use for weight loss, the regimen is as follows:
1. The total duration of the course varies from four to seven weeks. It is not necessary to abruptly abolish therapy; the dosage should be reduced gradually to a small amount.
2. You need to start using the drug with fifty micrograms. This dosage should be divided into two doses of twenty-five micrograms in the morning and evening hours until six in the evening. To avoid a possible malfunction of the heart in the morning, you need to take twenty-five micrograms of metoprolol. An additional use of another twenty-five micrograms of metoprolol is necessary if, when measuring a pulse at rest in the evening, it is more than seventy beats per minute.
3. The dosage of thyroxine for weight loss is important to bring up to three hundred micrograms per day. , . - . , . , , .
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Side effects
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Other negative consequences can occur only with drug poisoning.
Overdose
When drug intoxication occurs, symptoms appear that are characteristic of thyrotoxicosis, for example:
- sweating
- pain in the heart;
- impaired heart rate;
- rapid pulse;
- trembling limbs;
- diarrhea;
- sleep loss
- anxiety;
- weight loss.
Depending on the symptoms of poisoning, the doctor may advise you to reduce the daily dosage of L-thyroxine. After the condition returns to normal, the use of medication should be started with extreme caution with a minimum dosage.
Features
If hypothyroidism occurs, which is caused by damage to the pituitary gland, it is important to conduct a study and determine if there is still an insufficiency of the adrenal cortex.
If the result is positive, treatment with glucocorticosteroids should be started before using thyroid hormones to eliminate hypothyroidism in order to avoid the appearance of acute adrenal insufficiency.
Sometimes it is necessary to control the content of tropic biologically active substances in the plasma, an increase in this indicator indicates a lack of dosage. the main trace element does not affect the attention and speed of psychomotor reactions, which are important for driving.
Pregnancy and lactation
Treatment of hypothyroidism during an “interesting position” and breastfeeding should be continued. During pregnancy, the level of thyroxin-binding globulin increases, so it is necessary to increase the dosage of "L-Thyroxine" in hypothyroidism.
Nevertheless, nursing mothers need to undergo therapy under the supervision of a doctor, strictly adhering to his prescriptions. According to the instructions for use, "L-Thyroxine" can be used in pediatrics in accordance with the dosage regimen.
The concentration of thyroid hormone, which is excreted in breast milk (even when used in high doses of thyroxine during pregnancy), is low, so it is not able to provoke any disturbances in the baby.
Opinions
Reviews about "L-Thyroxine" in most cases are only positive. Patients confirm that the medicine normalizes the balance of hormones of the endocrine system, and this has a beneficial effect on overall well-being.
Negative responses contain complaints about the occurrence of side effects. "L-Thyroxine" is intended to eliminate endocrinological diseases, its steroid effect is often used to eliminate excess weight. People claim that the drug helps to adjust body weight, especially if supplemented with its adherence to diet.
Doctors in the reviews emphasize that sodium levothyroxine can be taken only with reduced thyroid function. Overweight, as a rule, is one of the symptoms of impaired functioning of this organ, so a decrease in body fat can be considered a kind of side effect of the medicine.
To use "El-Thyroxine" in dosages increased for weight loss is strictly prohibited, as this is fraught with the appearance of various health problems. In this regard, the medication should be prescribed only by the doctor after establishing a diagnosis.
The cost of "L-Thyroxine" depending on the dosage can be:
- fifty tablets of fifty micrograms - from eighty rubles;
- fifty tablets of one hundred micrograms - from one hundred rubles;
- one hundred tablets of one hundred micrograms - from one hundred and twenty rubles.