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Liothyronine Sodium

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Description | Uses & Side Effects | Warnings

There is currently no information to display in this section. RateADrug provides information about drugs and supplements though a wiki format provided by researchers, health care providers and others. We encourage you to add to this description by clicking on the button below.

Common Uses:

Liothyronine sodium (Cytomel) is a prescription medication that is a manufactured version of liothyronine, a thyroid hormone. It is approved to:

Treat an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
Treat various types of goiters, including thyroid nodules
Aid in the diagnosis of certain thyroid problems.

Liothyronine is used to treat underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). It replaces a hormone that is normally produced by the thyroid gland. Low thyroid levels can occur naturally or when the thyroid gland is injured by radiation/medications or removed by surgery. It is important to have adequate levels of thyroid hormone in your bloodstream to maintain normal mental and physical activity.

Liothyronine Sodium is also used to lower thyroid function in certain diseases such as enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It is also used to test thyroid activity. Liothyronine is a man-made hormone that replaces the body's natural thyroid hormone (T3).

Off Label Uses:

Liothyronine may also be used to treat thyroid cancer. It has also been used to boost the effect of antidepressant medications in patients whose thyroid levels are normal.The drug is used in an off-label fashion in conjunction with antidepressants to treat depression (particularly depression that has been resistant to other treatments).

Side Effects:
Side Effects for liothyronine include general conditions like fatigue, increased appetite, weight loss, heat intolerance, fever, and excessive sweating.

Central nervous system: headache, hyperactivity, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, emotional lability, and insomnia.

Musculoskeletal: tremors and muscle weakness.

Cardiovascular: palpitations, tachycardia, arrhythmias, increased pulse and blood pressure, heart failure, angina, myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrest.

Respiratory: Difficulty breathing or dyspnea.

Gastrointestinal: Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and elevations in liver function tests.

Dermatologic: Hair loss and flushing.

Endocrine: Decreased bone mineral density.

Reproductive: menstrual irregularities, impaired fertility.

Pseudotumor cerebri and slipped capital femoral epiphysis have been reported in children receiving levothyroxine therapy. Overtreatment may result in craniosynostosis in infants and premature closure of the epiphyses in children with resultant compromised adult height.

Seizures have been reported rarely with the institution of levothyroxine therapy.

Inadequate levothyroxine dosage will produce or fail to ameliorate the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Hypersensitivity reactions to inactive ingredients have occurred in patients treated with thyroid hormone products. These include urticaria, pruritus, skin rash, flushing, angioedema, various GI symptoms (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea), fever, arthralgia, serum sickness and wheezing. Hypersensitivity to levothyroxine itself is not known to occur.

Cautions / Warnings:

Before taking liothyronine, it is important to inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies.

This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: decreased adrenal gland function, kidney disease (e.g., nephrosis), low pituitary hormone (e.g., hypopituitarism), low testosterone (e.g., hypogonadism), overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: heart disease (e.g., angina, high blood pressure, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack), sugar diabetes (diabetes mellitus), water diabetes (diabetes insipidus), long-term severe underactive thyroid (e.g., myxedema).

Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist that you are using this medication.

If you have diabetes, this drug may make it harder to control your blood sugar levels. Check your blood sugar regularly as directed by your doctor. Tell your doctor immediately if you have symptoms such as increased thirst/urination, shakiness, unusual sweating, or hunger. Your anti-diabetic medication or diet may need to be adjusted.

Kidney function declines as you grow older. This medication is removed by the kidneys. Therefore, elderly people may be at a greater risk for heart problems while using this drug.

Children may be more sensitive to the effects of thyroid hormones.

Current information shows that this drug may be used during pregnancy. Consult your doctor before becoming pregnant.

Liothyronine passes into breast milk. While there have been no reports of harm to nursing infants, consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Drug Interactions:
Liothyronine sodium (Cytomel) can potentially interact with several other medications. Some of the medicines that may lead to drug interactions with liothyronine include:

Bile acid sequestrants, such as:

Cholestyramine (Prevalite®, Questran®, Questran® Light)
Colesevelam (WelChol®)
Colestipol (Colestid®)

Calcium
Certain seizure medications, such as:

Carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®)
Phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®)

Diabetes medications
Digoxin (Digitek®, Lanoxin®)
Estrogens, such as birth control pills, patches, rings, or hormone replacement therapy
Theophylline (Uniphyl®, Theocron®, TheoCap®, Theo-24®, Elixophyllin®)
Tricyclic antidepressants
Warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®).

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About Liothyronine Sodium

Liothyronine sodium is the generic name and it is also available under brand names Cytomel and Triostat. The active ingredient is the generic form which is liothyronine sodium and the inactive ingredients of available branded medications like Cytomel include acacia, confectioner's sugar (contains corn starch), lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, povidone, and talc. Liothyronine sodium is the L-isomer of triiodothyronine (T3), a form of thyroid hormone used to treat hypothyroidism and myxedema coma. It is marketed under the brand name Cytomel. Liothyronine is the most potent form of thyroid hormone. As such, it acts on the body to increase the basal metabolic rate, affect protein synthesis and increase the body's sensitivity to catecholamines (such as adrenaline) by permissiveness. The thyroid hormones are essential to proper development and differentiation of all cells of the human body. These hormones also regulate protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism, affecting how human cells use energetic compounds.

Source: Wikipedia

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