Consumer Medicine Information
ELTROXIN™
Thyroxine tablets 50µg, 100µg
What is in this leaflet
Please read this leaflet carefully before you start taking ELTROXIN tablets.
This leaflet answers some common questions about ELTROXIN tablets. It does not contain all of the available information.
It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the expected benefits of you taking ELTROXIN against the risks this medicine could have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine. You may need to read it again.
What ELTROXIN is used for
ELTROXIN contains the active ingredient thyroxine.
ELTROXIN is used to treat hypothyroidism, a disease in which the thyroid gland is underactive and does not produce enough thyroxine, a hormone, which is important for controlling your metabolism. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include tiredness, muscle weakness, cramps, feeling the cold, a slow heart rate, dry and flaky skin, hair loss, a deep husky voice and weight gain.
ELTROXIN is also used to treat children born with hypothyroidism (congenital), those who develop hypothyroidism in the first year of life (neonatal) and children who have hypothyroidism as part of juvenile myxoedema, a condition in which the amount of thyroxine produced by the body is low.
Your doctor may have prescribed ELTROXIN for another purpose.
ELTROXIN belongs to a small group of medicines called thyroid hormones, which work by replacing the body's low levels of thyroxine.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why ELTROXIN has been prescribed for you.
ELTROXIN is available only with a doctor's prescription.
Before you take ELTROXIN
When you must not take it
Do not take ELTROXIN if:
- You have had an allergic reaction before to any of the ingredients in ELTROXIN listed at the end of this leaflet.
- The packaging is torn or shows signs of interference, or the tablets look damaged or discoloured.
- The expiry date on the packaging has passed. If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well. If the pharmacist has repacked the medicine for you, there may not be an expiry date on the pack.
- You have thyrotoxicosis, a disease in which the thyroid gland is overactive and produces too much thyroxine.
Before you start taking ELTROXIN
Tell your doctor if:
- You are allergic to any of the ingredients in ELTROXIN listed at the end of this leaflet.
- You are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
- ELTROXIN is not thought to be harmful to an unborn baby when taken by a pregnant woman. However, thyroxine levels need to be watched carefully during pregnancy because too much or too little thyroxine in the mother's bloodstream could affect the well-being of an unborn baby.
- You are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed.
- Although the active ingredient in ELTROXIN, thyroxine, passes into breast milk, it is not likely to have a harmful effect on a baby. However, it might interfere with the results of tests to detect congenital hypothyroidism in the baby. You should not breastfeed unless your doctor says you can.
- You have any other health problems, especially:
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Underactive adrenal glands
- You are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, please do so before taking ELTROXIN.
Taking other medicines
Some medicines may affect the way others work.
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including the oral contraceptive pill or medicines you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
If you are taking any of the following types of medicines, please let your doctor know before taking ELTROXIN:
- Drugs to thin your blood
- Drugs for epilepsy
- Drugs for mental depression
- Cholestyramine (Questran™), a drug used to lower blood cholesterol levels
- Digoxin (Lanoxin™), or drugs known as cardiac glycosides
- Drugs to relieve asthma attacks
- Drugs used for weight reduction.
- Oral contraceptive pill
Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to tell you more about what to do when taking ELTROXIN with other medicines.
Taking ELTROXIN
How much to take
Take ELTROXIN exactly as your doctor has prescribed.
Your doctor will tell you how many ELTROXIN tablets to take each day.
Your doctor will calculate the dose based on your weight.
Never take more tablets than your doctor has prescribed.
Your doctor may vary your dose depending on how you respond to ELTROXIN.
In adults, the usual dose is 50µg to 100µg daily, increased every 3 to 4 weeks as needed. The maximum dose is 200µg daily.
The dose for adults is reduced in children according to their weight and age. Elderly people usually need a smaller dose because they are more sensitive to the effects of thyroxine.
Many people need treatment with ELTROXIN long term.
Your doctor will do regular blood tests to make sure ELTROXIN is working for you.
How to take it
Swallow tablets whole with a glass of water. Tablets should be taken on an empty stomach, preferably at least 30 minutes before breakfast.
If you forget to take it
Do not take an extra dose. Wait until the next dose and take your normal dose then.
Do not try to make up for the dose that you missed by taking more than one dose at a time.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
In case of an overdose
Immediately telephone your doctor or the National Poisons Information Centre [Ph 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766] for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else has taken too much ELTROXIN. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
Keep phone numbers for these places handy.
An overdose of ELTROXIN can cause agitation, confusion, irritability, hyperactivity, sweating, headaches, fever, widened pupils, fits, palpitations and diarrhoea.
If you are not sure what to do, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
While you are taking ELTROXIN
Things you must do
Tell all doctors and pharmacists involved in your health care that you are taking ELTROXIN.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant or are breastfeeding while taking ELTROXIN.
Tell your doctor if, for any reason, you have not taken ELTROXIN exactly as prescribed. Otherwise, your doctor may think it is not working for you and change your ELTROXIN dose unnecessarily.
Tell your doctor if you feel that ELTROXIN is not helping your condition.
Things you must not do
Do not stop taking ELTROXIN or change the dose without first checking with your doctor, or your symptoms could return.
Do not let yourself run out of medicine over the weekend or on holidays.
Do not give ELTROXIN to anyone else even if they have the same condition as you.
Do not take any other medicines whether they require a prescription or not without first asking your doctor or a pharmacist.
Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how your ELTROXIN dose is affecting you.
Side-Effects
All medicines can have unwanted side effects. Sometimes they may be serious, but often they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have. Be sure that your doctor or pharmacist knows as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking ELTROXIN.
If you think you are having an allergic (hypersensitivity) reaction to ELTROXIN, TELL YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.
Symptoms include:
- Severe skin rash, itching or hives.
- Swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat.
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing.
- Fever.
- Low blood pressure (feeling faint or dizzy).
However, these symptoms do not necessarily mean that you are allergic to ELTROXIN.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following:
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Palpitations (irregular heartbeat)
- Chest pain
- Sweating/flushing
- Weight loss
- Muscle weakness/cramps, tremors
- Rapid breathing
- Fever
- Headache
- Inability to sleep
- Feeling restless/excited
The above side effects are rare with ELTROXIN and usually mean that your daily ELTROXIN dose is too high.
Your doctor may recommend that you change your dose of ELTROXIN if you experience any of these side effects.
Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell, even if it is not on this list.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you do not understand anything on this list.
After taking ELTROXIN
Storage
Keep your tablets in the bottle until it is time to take them.
If you take the tablets out of the bottle they may not keep well.
Keep ELTROXIN in a cool dry place away from light where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Do not store ELTROXIN or any other medicine in a bathroom or near a sink.
Do not leave it in a car or on a window sill.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines. Keep ELTROXIN where young 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 ELTROXIN, or the medicine has passed its expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any tablets that are left.
Product description
What ELTROXIN looks like
- ELTROXIN 50µg tablets are white to off-white, round, biconvex tablets, imprinted with GS 11E on one face and 50 on the other.
- ELTROXIN 100µg tablets are white to off-white, round, biconvex tablets, imprinted with GS 21C on one face and 100 on the other.
Ingredients
50µg tablets
Thyroxine, Microcrystalline cellulose, Pregelatinised maize starch, Talc,
Colloidal anhydrous silica and Magnesium stearate.
100µg tablets
Thyroxine, Microcrystalline cellulose, Pregelatinised maize starch, Talc,
Colloidal anhydrous silica and Magnesium stearate.
Further information
Your doctor is the best person to give you advice on the treatment of your illness. You may also be able to find general information about hypothyroidism and its treatment from other sources, for example, books in public libraries and on the Internet.
Manufacturer
ELTROXIN is supplied by:
Pharmacy Retailing (NZ) Limited
Trading as Healthcare Logistics
58 Richard Pearse Drive
Airport Oaks
Auckland
New Zealand
Date of revision: June 2009