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This page presents data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the FDA-approved drug label. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event. Always consult a healthcare provider about medications.

Levothyroxine Sodium

Last updated: June 20, 2026
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Levothyroxine Sodium is a medication. According to the FDA-approved label, Hypothyroidism Levothyroxine sodium tablets are indicated in adult and pediatric patients, including neonates, as a replacement therapy in primary (thyroidal), secondary (pituitary), and tertiary (hypothalamic) congenital or acquired hypothyroidism. FAERS contains 308,673 submissions naming this drug from 1997 through 2026; the top three reactions cited are fatigue, nausea, and drug ineffective.

Most-Reported Reactions

Counts of the reactions most often cited in FAERS submissions that named Levothyroxine Sodium. Inclusion here does not establish causation - submitters describe what was observed, not what was confirmed. One submission can list several reactions, so the totals exceed the report count.

FATIGUE 26,235 (8.5%) NAUSEA 22,324 (7.2%) DRUG INEFFECTIVE 20,823 (6.7%) HEADACHE 19,111 (6.2%) DIARRHOEA 18,461 (6.0%) DYSPNOEA 16,478 (5.3%) PAIN 16,156 (5.2%) DIZZINESS 15,613 (5.1%) ASTHENIA 13,349 (4.3%) OFF LABEL USE 13,186 (4.3%) ARTHRALGIA 13,165 (4.3%) MALAISE 12,288 (4.0%) VOMITING 11,801 (3.8%) FALL 11,638 (3.8%) WEIGHT DECREASED 9,922 (3.2%)

Patient Demographics

Patient sex and age across the FAERS submissions that named Levothyroxine Sodium. Percentages here are computed only from submissions where these fields were filled in - many leave them blank.

By Sex

Female Male Unknown

By Age Group

0-17 18-44 45-64 65+

Severity Outcomes

Severity flags recorded across the 308,673 FAERS submissions that named Levothyroxine Sodium. Each bar shows the count of those reports carrying that flag. A single case can carry more than one (a hospitalization that became life-threatening, for example), so these bars are independent rates - they don't sum to 100%. Inclusion of a case under any flag does not establish that the drug caused the outcome.

DEATH 19,975 (6.5%) HOSPITALIZATION 89,563 (29.0%) LIFE-THREATENING 10,619 (3.4%) DISABLING 9,165 (3.0%)

Submissions Per Quarter

Quarterly count of FAERS submissions that named Levothyroxine Sodium. Ups and downs on this chart can track prescribing volume, news cycles, or shifts in how reports get filed, rather than the drug becoming safer or more dangerous.

1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

From the FDA-Approved Label

Excerpts from the official FDA-approved prescribing information for Levothyroxine Sodium. This is the authoritative source on indications, warnings, and known adverse reactions.

Indications

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Hypothyroidism Levothyroxine sodium tablets are indicated in adult and pediatric patients, including neonates, as a replacement therapy in primary (thyroidal), secondary (pituitary), and tertiary (hypothalamic) congenital or acquired hypothyroidism. Pituitary Thyrotropin (Thyroid‑Stimulating Hormone, TSH) Suppression Levothyroxine sodium tablets are indicated in adult and pediatric patients, including neonates, as an adjunct to surgery and radioiodine therapy in the management of thyrotropin-dependent well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Limitations of Use Levothyroxine sodium tablets are not indicated for suppression of benign thyroid nodules and nontoxic diffuse goiter in iodine-sufficient patients as there are no clinical benefits and overtreatment with levothyroxine sodium may induce hyperthyroidism [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. Levothyroxine sodium tablets are not indicated for treatment of hypothyroidism during the recovery phase of subacute thyroiditis. Levothyroxine sodium tablets are a L-thyroxine (T4) indicated in adult and pediatric patients, including neonates, for: Hypothyroidism: As replacement therapy in primary (thyroidal), secondary ...

Adverse Reactions (from label)

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS Adverse reactions associated with levothyroxine sodium therapy are primarily those of hyperthyroidism due to therapeutic overdosage [see Warnings and Precautions (5) and Overdosage (10) ]. They include the following: General: fatigue, increased appetite, weight loss, heat intolerance, fever, excessive sweating Central nervous system: headache, hyperactivity, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, emotional lability, insomnia Musculoskeletal: tremors, muscle weakness, muscle spasm Cardiovascular: palpitations, tachycardia, arrhythmias, increased pulse and blood pressure, heart failure, angina, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest Respiratory: dyspnea Gastrointestinal: diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, elevations in liver function tests Dermatologic: hair loss, flushing, rash Endocrine: decreased bone mineral density Reproductive: menstrual irregularities, impaired fertility Seizures have been reported rarely with the institution of levothyroxine therapy. Adverse Reactions in Pediatric Patients Pseudotumor cerebri and slipped capital femoral epiphysis have been reported in pediatric patients receiving levothyroxine therapy. (continues in label)

FDA label effective date: 2026-03-24

Disclaimer

AdverseEvent.ai is not affiliated with the FDA. Adverse-event counts come from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Drug labels come from the FDA drug label dataset. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event — always consult a healthcare provider about medications. This site is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.