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Synthroid


Blueanj

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Blueanj Newbie

What's the deal with Synthroid? I'm on .025 mg and have just read it may contain gluten? Does it contain dairy? I don't tolerate dairy or gluten and am concerned. Are any thyroid meds gluten and dairy free?


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cahill Collaborator

What's the deal with Synthroid? I'm on .025 mg and have just read it may contain gluten? Does it contain dairy? I don't tolerate dairy or gluten and am concerned. Are any thyroid meds gluten and dairy free?

Synthroid Description

Synthroid (levothyroxine sodium tablets, USP) contain synthetic crystalline L-3,3',5,5'-tetraiodothyronine sodium salt [levothyroxine (T4) sodium]. Synthetic T4 is identical to that produced in the human thyroid gland. Levothyroxine (T4) sodium has an empirical formula of C15H10I4N NaO4• H2O, molecular weight of 798.86 g/mol (anhydrous), and structural formula as shown:

Inactive Ingredients

Acacia, confectioner's sugar (contains corn starch), lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, povidone, and talc. The following are the color additives by tablet strength:

Strength (mcg) Color additive(s)

25 FD&C Yellow No. 6 Aluminum Lake*

50 None

75 FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Blue No. 2 Aluminum Lake

88 FD&C Blue No. 1 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Yellow No. 6 Aluminum Lake*, D&C Yellow No. 10 Aluminum Lake

100 D&C Yellow No. 10 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Yellow No. 6 Aluminum Lake*

112 D&C Red No. 27 & 30 Aluminum Lake

125 FD&C Yellow No. 6 Aluminum Lake*, FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Blue No. 1 Aluminum Lake

137 FD&C Blue No. 1 Aluminum Lake

150 FD&C Blue No. 2 Aluminum Lake

175 FD&C Blue No. 1 Aluminum Lake, D&C Red No. 27 & 30 Aluminum Lake

200 FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake

300 D&C Yellow No. 10 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Yellow No. 6 Aluminum Lake*, FD&C Blue No. 1 Aluminum Lake

*Note – FD&C Yellow No. 6 is orange in color.

My pharmacists will not state my synthroid is gluten free because of possible cross contamination issues.

I use name brand synthroid with no problems ,I can not use the generic alternative

, but I am not super sensitive to gluten. I am how ever super, SUPER sensitive to soy ( but that is another topic)

Another thing to consider are you having issues with corn??

Blueanj Newbie

Synthroid Description

Synthroid (levothyroxine sodium tablets, USP) contain synthetic crystalline L-3,3',5,5'-tetraiodothyronine sodium salt [levothyroxine (T4) sodium]. Synthetic T4 is identical to that produced in the human thyroid gland. Levothyroxine (T4) sodium has an empirical formula of C15H10I4N NaO4

cahill Collaborator
Can hashimoto's resolve if these intolerances are removed?
ravenwoodglass Mentor

. I am also going to eliminate coffee, as I read it has a similar structure in protein to gluten.

Coffee will not gluten you. If you are newly diagnosed it may be too much for your stomach but that is not a gluten issue. Coffee is safe.

Skylark Collaborator

I know synthroid has corn...do any of them not have corn, gluten or dairy?

Tirosint

Open Original Shared Link

  • 2 weeks later...
Blueanj Newbie

Update on rash/synthroid:

I took out coffee, and most of the gas/bloating disappeared, but it reappeared heavily when I had Claritin D. Today, the rash on the back of my legs flared for the third time, with no suspicious foods/allergy meds present. I also got the same rash on my wrists, forearm and upper thighs in addition to the back of my knees. It burned so badly, I called the endocrinologist to see if it was a reaction to synthroid apart from gluten issues.

He said, "Oh, you're on synthroid? That has gluten in it. We always do Tirosint for our gluten patients." Abbott told me they don't test for gluten, but the people who make the ingredients say no gluten ingredients are used, but they can't say it's gluten-free.Anyway, back to the endo. You'd think they would have thought of this before. Anyway, they will give me Tirosint starting Weds. morning, so one more day of synthroid. But I'm heading to the dermatologist Weds. a.m. to have a biopsy done of the rash to see if I have a true celiac issue- DH.

I'm hoping this new med resolves the indigestion. I'm tired of it and working so hard to be gluten-free 100%!!!

Thanks to all who helped with this.


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MaryJones2 Enthusiast

Synthorid is gluten free. You should consider it a myth that any thyroid medication contains gluten until proven otherwise. About 80% of my endo's patients are celiac or gluten sensitive and he's never once mentioned that Synthorid contains gluten and has prescribed it to me when Armour isn't available.

Many pharmacutial companies will not guarantee a medication is gluten free but Synthroid does not contain ANY gluten ingredients. There are many, many people on this board taking Synthoid and generic equivilents without issues. Many medications have additives (like blueanj mentioned here) and I am sensitive to dyes - that could be your issue or it could be the corn starch as you said.

If you continue to have issues you can try a natural version like Armour or have it made for you at a compounding pharmacy (I've used this one in the past when there was an Armour shortage - Open Original Shared Link)

BTW - This site is invaluable when researching drugs. Bookmark it because it's hard to find: Open Original Shared Link You can find the prescribing sheets and active and inactive ingredients for the name brand and generic equivilent (even by manufacturer) - click on theraputic equivilent on the page for the name brand to see a list of all of the manufacturers who make generics.

Good luck! Things will get better for you. It's always difficult in the beginning to figure out exactly what is causing things and as you heal things will bother you less. :)

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