What is the chemical composition of the pharmaceutical drug synthroid used to treat hypothyrodism?

Question

Is it basically the same as iodine? I've heard that rubbing iodine into the skin will have the same effect as the drug. Is that true? Has anyone actually done this with good results?

Answer 1

Synthroid Ingredients and Composition

Levothyroxine sodium tablets and injections contain synthetic crystalline tetraiodothyronine sodium salt [levothyroxine (T4) sodium]. Synthetic T4 is identical to that produced in the human thyroid gland.

Inactive ingredients (fillers) in Synthroid tablets are:

    * acacia

    * confectioner's sugar (contains cornstarch)

    * lactose

    * magnesium stearate

    * povidone

    * talc

Inactive ingredients in Synthroid injections are:

    * 10 mg mannitol

    * USP

    * sodium hydroxide

    * 0.7 mg tribasic sodium phosphate

    * anhydrous dodecahydrate.

Levothyroxine sodium powder for reconstitution for injection is a sterile preparation.