How to use T4 LEVOThyroxine
What is levothyroxine?
Levothyroxine is a replacement for a hormone normally produced by your thyroid gland to regulate the body’s energy and metabolism. Levothyroxine is given when the thyroid does not produce enough of this hormone on its own.
Levothyroxine treats hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone). It is also used to treat or prevent goiter (enlarged thyroid gland), which can be caused by hormone imbalances, radiation treatment, surgery, or cancer.
Action
Thyroid hormone controls the rate of metabolism. When the thyroid is under active, all body processes slow down and symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue, and decreased body temperature are experienced. Through supplementation of thyroid hormones, basal metabolic rate will be increased.
Thyroid hormones are essential to proper development of all cells in body. These hormones allow for the body to become more sensitive to all other hormones, in turn making them more effective. Thyroid hormones also regulate macronutrient (protein, fat and carbohydrate) metabolism, therefore increasing protein synthesis and ultimately energy. This allows for the body to burn more calories and use them more sufficiently. For this reason, thyroid hormones are commonly used as fat-loss drugs.
This medicine does not typically cause side effects as long as proper dosages are administered. However some drawbacks of Thyroid drug use are cardiac stress and possible loss of lean body mass. Negative feedback in the thyroid can decrease natural production of thyroid hormone, causing short term decrease of metabolic rate after use is discontinued.
T4 – Synthroid TabletsTechnical Data
Many studies have proven that while calories and carbohydrates are restricted, levels of diodinase, the enzyme that activates thyroid hormone production, decreased. The conversion of T4 into T3, the active form of thyroid hormone, was became hindered (1). Users discovered T3 to be a better choice over T4 when using Thyroid drugs during Cyclic Ketogenic Diets.
T4 must be used in much higher doses to be as effective as T3. Subjects found they needed to use a dosage of 300 mcg/day to achieve the same results as 25-100 mcg/day of T3 (Cytomel).
User Notes
Thyroid medication is frequently used by bodybuilders who are getting ready for a contest, and really, I can’t remember seeing a bodybuilder dieting for any major show in the last decade who hasn’t told me that they use Thyroid medication. Most of the time, T4 is only used when T3 can not be found.
Recently though, due mostly to an article written by myself and Dr.James Daemon, T4 has been experiencing a bit of a renaissance. This is due to it being a bit more muscle sparing, and synergy with growth hormone. Most bodybuilders use use GH for precontest dieting, and T4 has found a bit of a niche for those using GH and dieting. At this point, whether on a diet or not, T4 has become a much sought after drug for use with cutting cycles which include Growth hormone. I have even received a phone call from doctors and Hormone Replacement Clinics, who wanted more practical information on the use of GH + T4.
So, at this point, I think that most of the people in the bodybuilding world who are using T4 are using it along with their Growth Hormone for the most part.
Anecdotally, many bodybuilders feel that T4 is less harsh on muscle tissue and they’re able to maintain more muscle when dieting down by using T4, than compared with when they’ve used T3.
How does levothyroxine work?
Levothyroxine is the same as the natural hormone thyroxine, normally produced by the thyroid gland.
The thyroid gland normally produces and releases two thyroid hormones: thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3). T3 is the more active thyroid hormone, and thyroxine is converted into T3 in various parts of the body. These hormones are responsible for maintaining a normal rate of metabolism in the body.
When the thyroid gland is unable to produce normal amounts of thyroxine, the level of both thyroid hormones in the blood decreases. This is known as hypothyroidism. It results in a reduced rate of metabolism, leading to symptoms such as weight gain, intolerance to cold and tiredness.
Levothyroxine tablets are given to replace the thyroxine that would normally be produced naturally by the thyroid gland. This returns levels of T3 and T4 to normal.
You will need to have regular blood tests to monitor your thyroid hormone levels while taking levothyroxine; this helps your doctor to prescribe the correct dose to get your thyroid hormones into the normal range.
Once the thyroid gland becomes unable to produce thyroxine, it will generally not return to normal function. This means that once thyroxine replacement is started, it usually needs to be taken for the rest of a person’s life.
Important information
You may not be able to take levothyroxine if you have certain medical conditions. Tell your doctor if you have an untreated or uncontrolled adrenal gland disorder, a thyroid disorder called thyrotoxicosis, or if you have any recent or current symptoms of a heart attack.
Levothyroxine should not be used to treat obesity or weight problems. Dangerous side effects or death can occur from the misuse of levothyroxine, especially if you are taking any other weight-loss medications or appetite suppressants.
Before taking this medicine
Levothyroxine should not be used to treat obesity or weight problems. Dangerous side effects or death can occur from the misuse of levothyroxine, especially if you are taking any other weight-loss medications or appetite suppressants.
Since thyroid hormone occurs naturally in the body, almost anyone can take levothyroxine. However, you may not be able to take this medication if you have certain medical conditions.
To make sure levothyroxine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
a thyroid disorder called thyrotoxicosis;
heart disease, coronary artery disease, or a history of blood clots;
diabetes (insulin or oral diabetes medication doses may need to be changed when you start taking levothyroxine);
anemia (lack of red blood cells);
osteoporosis, or low bone mineral density;
problems with your pituitary gland;
any food or drug allergies;
an untreated or uncontrolled adrenal gland disorder; or
if you have recently had a heart attack, or are having any symptoms of a heart attack (chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling).
Tell your doctor if you have recently received radiation therapy with iodine (such as I-131).
Levothyroxine is not expected to harm an unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, do not stop taking the medicine without your doctor’s advice. Having low thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy could harm both mother and baby. Your dose needs may be different during pregnancy.
Levothyroxine can pass into breast milk, but it is not expected to be harmful to a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Your dose needs may be different while you are nursing.
