Levothyroxine is the most commonly prescribed medication for hypothyroidism, replacing the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) that the body lacks. It is available as a generic drug and under brand names such as Synthroid, Levoxyl, Unithroid, and Euthyrox. Most patients begin to feel better within days to weeks of starting treatment.
Other medications used include:
Liothyronine (Cytomel): A synthetic form of triiodothyronine (T3), the active thyroid hormone. It may be used in combination with levothyroxine for patients who do not feel well on levothyroxine alone.
Desiccated thyroid extracts (e.g., Armour Thyroid, Nature-Throid, NP Thyroid): Derived from animal thyroid glands, these contain both T4 and T3 in a natural ratio but are less standardized and may not be recommended for patients with heart conditions or during pregnancy.
Liotrix: A combination of T4 and T3, used less frequently due to dosing complexity.
Treatment is typically lifelong for permanent causes like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or thyroidectomy. Dose adjustments are based on regular blood tests measuring TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) levels. Always take medication on an empty stomach, at least 30–60 minutes before eating, and avoid certain drugs and supplements (like calcium, iron, proton pump inhibitors, and cholestyramine) that can interfere with absorption.
Mayo Clinic
mayoclinic.org › diseases-conditions › hypothyroidism › diagnosis-treatment › drc-20350289
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic
December 10, 2022 - Understand what happens when your thyroid is underactive and learn about treatment for this condition.
NHS
nhs.uk › medicines › levothyroxine
Levothyroxine: a medicine for an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) - NHS
Levothyroxine is a medicine used to treat an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
Is anyone on medication with a “normal” tsh (2.5) but symptomatic?
I have a TSH now of 2.4, from around a 4.6. I'm on 25 mg of levothyroxine, and its doing absolutely nothing for me. Ive never heard that taking medication at your/our levels is negligent, especially since normal us subjective (and TSH normality begins at 1). Everyone is different More on reddit.com
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January 29, 2020Feeling worse on medication
Tell your doctor. Maybe Levothyroxine isn't right for you, it certainly wasn't for me.
More on reddit.com 15
3
June 4, 2017Serious weight gain since STARTING medication
I know this reddit is from 7 years ago, but i am going thru exact same thing now and wondering if you ever manage to lose weight! I am super depressed by all the weight gain now and really can use your help with this synthroid craze!
More on reddit.com 17
5
September 6, 2012First day taking combination medication, Novothyral. Upshot: pulse increases 10%, from 60 bpm to 66.
That's an interesting experiment, keep us updated how it goes
More on reddit.com 28
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July 24, 2015Videos
16:08
Hypothyroidism treatment medications ~pharmacology~ - YouTube
07:02
LEVOTHYROXINE [Synthroid, Euthyrox] for HYPOTHYROIDISM | Uses, ...
06:41
Thyroid Medications: What You Need to Know About Treating Thyroid ...
Hypothyroidism | Clinical Medicine - YouTube
04:26
Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid): Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment ...
Johns Hopkins Lupus Center
hopkinslupus.org › home › lupus treatment › common medications for other conditions in people with lupus › thyroid medications
Thyroid Medications : Johns Hopkins Lupus Center
March 27, 2019 - Thyroid replacement is used to treat people with underactive thyroid, whether it is caused by autoimmune disease, radioactive iodine treatment, or surgical removal. The main medication used to treat hypothyroidism is levothyroxine sodium (Synthroid, Levoxyl, and Levothroid), a synthetic version ...
American Association of Clinical Endocrinology
aace.com › patient-journey › thyroid › planning-and-treatment › hypothyroid-treatment
Patient Journey Thyroid - Planning and Treatment - Hypothyroid | American Association of Clinical Endocrinology
After you receive a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, your health care professional prescribes a single daily dose of levothyroxine. This medication, which typically comes in tablet or capsule form, replaces the thyroid hormone that your body doesn't ...
NYU Langone Health
nyulangone.org › conditions › hypothyroidism › treatments › medication-for-hypothyroidism
Medication for Hypothyroidism | NYU Langone Health
By taking levothyroxine, people who have hypothyroidism can restore their thyroid hormone levels to a normal range, thereby alleviating the symptoms associated with the condition. Triiodothyronine, or T3, is the active form of thyroid hormone. Very small amounts are produced by the thyroid gland, but most T3 is produced through conversion of thyroxine into triiodothyronine in the body’s tissues. Sometimes, doctors prescribe the medicine liothyronine, which is a form of T3, to supplement low levels of triiodothyronine.
Synthroid
synthroid.com
Synthroid Official Website
America’s #1 prescribed branded hypothyroidism medication*
GoodRx
goodrx.com › goodrx health › conditions › hypothyroidism › hypothyroidism medications - prices for brand and generic hypothyroidism drugs
Hypothyroidism Medications - Prices for Brand and Generic Hypothyroidism Drugs - GoodRx
Euthyrox is covered by a majority of Medicare and Insurance plans but some pharmacy coupons or cash prices may be lower. ... Levothyroxine (Euthyrox, Synthroid, Levo-T, Unithroid, Levoxyl) is an inexpensive drug used to treat hypothyroidism.
MedlinePlus
medlineplus.gov › home › health topics
Hypothyroidism | Hashimoto's Disease | MedlinePlus
The treatment for hypothyroidism is medicine to replace the hormone that your own thyroid can no longer make. About 6 to 8 weeks after you start taking the medicine, you will get a blood test to check your thyroid hormone level. Your health care provider will adjust your dose if needed.
PubMed Central
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC2784889
DRUGS THAT SUPPRESS TSH OR CAUSE CENTRAL HYPOTHYROIDISM - PMC
A small subset of medications including glucocorticoids, dopamine agonists, somatostatin analogs and rexinoids affect thyroid function through suppression of TSH in the thyrotrope or hypothalamus. Fortunately, most of these medications do not cause clinically evident central hypothyroidism.
MedlinePlus
medlineplus.gov › home › drugs, herbs and supplements
Levothyroxine: MedlinePlus Drug Information
Levothyroxine is used to treat hypothyroidism (condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone). It is also used with surgery and radioactive iodine therapy to treat thyroid cancer.
American Thyroid Association
thyroid.org › home › thyroid hormone treatment
Thyroid Hormone Treatment | American Thyroid Association
December 20, 2021 - When thyroid hormone is used to treat hypothyroidism, the goal of treatment is to keep thyroid function within the same range as a person without thyroid problems. This is done by keeping the TSH level in the normal range.
Medscape
emedicine.medscape.com › tools & reference › endocrinology
Hypothyroidism Medication: Thyroid Products
Melville NA. New ATA guidelines stick with levothyroxine for hypothyroidism. Medscape Medical News from WebMD. October 02, 2014. Available athttps://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/832682.
Medscape Reference
reference.medscape.com › tools & reference
Synthroid, Levoxyl (levothyroxine) dosing, indications, interactions, adverse effects, and more
Medscape - Hypothyroidism-specific dosing for Synthroid, Levoxyl (levothyroxine), frequency-based adverse effects, comprehensive interactions, contraindications, pregnancy & lactation schedules, and cost information.
Mayo Clinic
mayoclinic.org › drugs-supplements › levothyroxine-oral-route › description › drg-20072133
Levothyroxine (oral route) - Side effects & dosage - Mayo Clinic
October 1, 2025 - Levothyroxine is used to treat hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. This medicine is also used to help decrease the size of enlarged thyroid glands (also called a goiter).
GoodRx
goodrx.com › goodrx health › drugs › levothyroxine › 10 things you need to know before taking levothyroxine
10 Things You Need to Know Before Taking Levothyroxine - GoodRx
May 29, 2025 - Levothyroxine (Synthroid) is a treatment for low thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism). It’s a synthetic form of the T4 hormone that helps keep thyroid hormone levels within the desired range.
Drugs.com
drugs.com › home › treatments › thyroid disease › underactive thyroid
List of 25 Underactive Thyroid (Hypothyroidism) Medications Compared
Hypothyroidism is treated by replacing the missing thyroid hormones with oral synthetic thyroid hormones, such as levothyroxine, liothyronine, or liotrix. Regular blood tests are needed to make sure that you are taking the right dose for your ...
FDA
fda.gov › drugs › enforcement-activities-fda › fdas-actions-address-unapproved-thyroid-medications
FDA’s Actions to Address Unapproved Thyroid Medications | FDA
Professional medical society guidelines recommend synthetic levothyroxine as the preferred treatment for hypothyroidism, with the goal of normalizing thyroid hormone levels.
PubMed Central
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC4267409
Guidelines for the Treatment of Hypothyroidism: Prepared by the American Thyroid Association Task Force on Thyroid Hormone Replacement - PMC
Background: A number of recent advances in our understanding of thyroid physiology may shed light on why some patients feel unwell while taking levothyroxine monotherapy. The purpose of this task force was to review the goals of levothyroxine ...
American Thyroid Association
thyroid.org › home › patients portal › clinical thyroidology for the public › march 2021 › vol 14 issue 3 p.3-4
Hypothyroidism may not require thyroid hormone therapy
April 6, 2021 - BACKGROUND Hypothyroidism is very ... on routine lab tests. When including mild hypothyroidism, up to 25% of selected patient groups may meet this diagnosis. Indeed, thyroid hormone is one of the most commonly prescribed medications....
American Academy of Family Physicians
aafp.org › pubs › afp › issues › 2021 › 0515 › p605.html
Hypothyroidism: Diagnosis and Treatment | AAFP
May 15, 2021 - The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concludes that there is insufficient evidence to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for thyroid dysfunction in nonpregnant, asymptomatic adults.13 Consider targeted screening at initial diagnosis or medication initiation in patients with Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, subtotal thyroidectomy, type 1 diabetes, autoimmune adrenal insufficiency (Addison disease), radioiodine treatment, radiation therapy of the neck, and use of medications such as amiodarone, lithium, interferons, and rifampin.2,3 Other medications that may prompt screening include tyrosine kinase inhibitors, phenobarbital, interleukin-2, and immune checkpoint inhibitors.3,14 · TSH elevation indicates hypothyroidism.