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levothyroxine

levothyroxine

1 7.0
A man-made hormone medicine that treats an underactive thyroid
  • noun
  • /ˌlɛvəθaɪˈrɒksin/
  • Specialized
: levotiroxina
  • After receiving a diagnosis of an underactive thyroid, she began taking levothyroxine daily.
  • absorption of levothyroxine
  • levothyroxine replacement
  • oral levothyroxine

Examples

  • Use of replacement levothyroxine leads to normalization of blood-gas abnormalities.

    Academic text (2002)
  • And then I have levothyroxine, which is for my thyroid.

  • Treatment takes 3 months to work, and by 2 years, 20% of patients need levothyroxine replacement.

    Academic text (2014)
  • For example, patients with hypothyroidism require regular doses of levothyroxine.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Another patient was diagnosed by newborn screening, received levothyroxine, and did well.

    Blog text (30)
  • The patient is being maintained on suppressive doses of levothyroxine and is currently without evidence of disease at approximately one year post-surgery.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Vitamin C can increase the absorption of levothyroxine, especially in patients with impaired LT4 absorption.

    Academic text (2016)
  • Patients with hypothyroidism often require levothyroxine to manage their hormone levels effectively.

  • To maintain proper thyroid function, many people take levothyroxine as part of their treatment plan.

Synonyms

Synthroid
vslevothyroxine
  • Specialized
4 7.1

A medicine that replaces thyroid hormone for people with low thyroid activity

is the generic synthetic T4 medicine used to treat underactive gland
thyroid hormone
vslevothyroxine
  • Specialized
3 3.4

Chemicals made in a small gland in the neck that control how the body uses energy

is one specific synthetic T4 form used to replace low natural production
thyroxine
vslevothyroxine
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A hormone from the thyroid gland that controls the body's energy use

is the manufactured T4 replacement used as a medical treatment
thyroxin
vslevothyroxine
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A hormone made by the thyroid gland that controls how fast the body uses energy

is supplied as a synthetic replacement when the gland makes too little
tetraiodothyronine
vslevothyroxine
  • Specialized
9.9

A hormone made by the thyroid that controls how fast the body uses energy

is provided synthetically as a T4 drug for underactive gland treatment
thyroprotein
vslevothyroxine
  • Specialized
9.9

A medicine made by adding iodine to protein to act like thyroid hormone

is a chemically produced T4 hormone given directly as standard medicine

Surface Forms

levothyroxine singular

Morphology

levothyroxine = thyroxine (opaque) = levo + thyroxine

The word is a technical drug name built from the stereochemical prefix 'levo-' and the technical root 'thyroxine', which is unlikely to allow a B1 learner to infer the medical meaning.

Etymology

Levothyroxine comes from two parts you can see: levo- meaning 'left' and thyroxine, the name of the thyroid hormone. A helpful way to remember it is that this medicine is the 'left' or correct form of thyroxine used to replace the thyroid hormone the body does not make.