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Took Heavy Dosage Of Eltroxin. Started Getting Headache. What Are The Complication?
Question: Hi
Yesterday one of my friends took a very heavy dosage of eltroxin. What are its implications? He has not shown any extreme symptoms except some slight headache yesterday after taking the dosage. The dosage was around 5000 micro grams (50 tablets of 100 micrograms each). Some one told him that would help him in weight loss. He has been taking 1 tablet of 100 microgram every day since the last one year as he is having hypothyroid.
We visited a local doctor and he has taken a blood sample which we will come to know in a couple of days. But as he has not shown any extreme symptoms the doctor told us not to worry. We are very curious and worried about this.
Need your expert advice
Yesterday one of my friends took a very heavy dosage of eltroxin. What are its implications? He has not shown any extreme symptoms except some slight headache yesterday after taking the dosage. The dosage was around 5000 micro grams (50 tablets of 100 micrograms each). Some one told him that would help him in weight loss. He has been taking 1 tablet of 100 microgram every day since the last one year as he is having hypothyroid.
We visited a local doctor and he has taken a blood sample which we will come to know in a couple of days. But as he has not shown any extreme symptoms the doctor told us not to worry. We are very curious and worried about this.
Need your expert advice
Dear XXXXXXX
Its very unfortunate to hear the story. most patients remain asymptomatic following thyroxine overdose. symptoms may occur if >10mg thyroxine is ingested. if symptoms do develop they usually do not arise until after 48 hours post-ingestion(although thyroxine is rapidly absorbed, it requires peripheral conversion into its more active form (T3 or tri-iodothyronine) and its clinical symptoms (when present) may last up to 3 weeks.clinical manifestations of thyroxine overdose can include:agitation, sweating, tachycardia, hypertension, headache, diarrhoea and vomiting. Sometimes there can be arrythmias, seizures or coma may result. Patient requires close monitoring for initial few days if not more preferably in a hospital setup. Treatment would largely depend on the sort of complications one develops. So we need to watch for complications & monitor his pulse rate, cardiac status and BP. An experienced physician or an endocrinologist care is required.
Hope for a speedy recovery.
Shivaprasad
Its very unfortunate to hear the story. most patients remain asymptomatic following thyroxine overdose. symptoms may occur if >10mg thyroxine is ingested. if symptoms do develop they usually do not arise until after 48 hours post-ingestion(although thyroxine is rapidly absorbed, it requires peripheral conversion into its more active form (T3 or tri-iodothyronine) and its clinical symptoms (when present) may last up to 3 weeks.clinical manifestations of thyroxine overdose can include:agitation, sweating, tachycardia, hypertension, headache, diarrhoea and vomiting. Sometimes there can be arrythmias, seizures or coma may result. Patient requires close monitoring for initial few days if not more preferably in a hospital setup. Treatment would largely depend on the sort of complications one develops. So we need to watch for complications & monitor his pulse rate, cardiac status and BP. An experienced physician or an endocrinologist care is required.
Hope for a speedy recovery.
Shivaprasad
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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