Source: Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (GB) Revision Year: 2019 Publisher: Morningside Healthcare Limited, Unit C, Harcourt Way, Leicester, LE19 1WP, United Kingdom
Liothyronine is indicated in adults and children for the treatment of coma of myxoedema, the management of severe chronic thyroid deficiency and hypothyroid states occurring in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis.
Liothyronine sodium can be used also as an adjunct to carbimazole to prevent sub-clinical hypothyroidism developing during carbimazole treatment of thyrotoxicosis.
Liothyronine sodium may be preferred for treating severe and acute hypothyroid states because of its rapid and more potent effect, but thyroxine sodium is normally the drug of choice for routine replacement therapy.
Starting dose of 10 or 20 micrograms every 8 hours, increasing after one week, if necessary, to the usual recommended daily dose of 60 micrograms in two or three divided doses.
Myxoedema Coma: 60 micrograms given by stomach tube, then 20 micrograms every 8 hours. It is more usual to start treatment with intravenous liothyronine.
Adjunct to carbimazole treatment of thyrotoxicosis: 20 micrograms every 8 hours.
Paediatric population: Children below 12 years:
A dose of 5 micrograms daily.
Adolescents: 12 – 17 years: Initially 10-20 micrograms daily; increased to 60 micrograms daily in 2-3 divided doses.
A dose of 5 micrograms daily.
For oral use only.
Patients who have difficulty in swallowing a whole tablet, such as the elderly and young children, a whole tablet may be crushed and allowed to dissolve, with swirling, in a minimum 20 ml of water for 5 minutes. The entire volume of liquid should be consumed to ensure ingestion of the full dose.
Solubility of liothyronine in water enables this as a method of administration.
If patient is seen within a few hours of overdosage: gastric lavage or emesis.
There may be exaggeration of the side effects as well as agitation, confusion, irritability, hyperactivity, headache, sweating, mydriasis, tachycardia, arrhythmias, tachypnoea, pyrexia, increased bowel movements and convulsions.
Treatment is symptomatic. Tachycardia in adults may be controlled with 40mg propranolol every 6 hours.
18 months.
Do not store above 25°C. Store in the original package to protect from light.
Aluminium foil (ALU/ALU) blisters containing 7, 10, 14, 20, 28, 30, 56, 60, 84, 90 and 112 tablets.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Any unused medicinal product or waste material should be disposed of in accordance with local requirements.
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