Can I take other medications with levothyroxine?

With your FREE subscription, you get immediate access to our exclusive articles as well as product offers and opportunities that let you stay ahead of the curve. However, for those looking for a natural, long-term cognitive enhancer with fewer risks, Lion’s Mane may be a worthwhile alternative. Whether used as a stand-alone supplement or in combination with other nootropics, its role in promoting brain health and neural growth makes it a compelling option in the world of cognitive enhancement. Emerging research suggests that Lion’s Mane may offer benefits for individuals with ADHD by improving focus, reducing anxiety, and enhancing cognitive function. While it does not work as rapidly as Adderall, its role in neurogenesis may help address some underlying neurological factors contributing to ADHD symptoms. Anecdotal reports indicate that regular use of Lion’s Mane supplements may improve mental clarity and concentration, though more clinical studies are needed to confirm these findings.

• Studies using dopamine infusions in critically ill adults and neonates with the nonthyroidal illness (NTI) syndrome suggest that dopamine and NTI have and additive effect of HPT axis suppression.
• For optimal cognitive benefits, many users prefer a daily dose of high-quality Lion’s Mane extract, taken with food to enhance absorption.
• Wilber and Utiger showed that high dose glucocorticoids suppressed serum TSH in hypothyroid patients and normal subjects (3).
• It contains a combination of amphetamine anddextroamphetamine, which work by stimulating the central nervous system.Adderall helps improve focus, attention, and impulse control in individualswith ADHD.
• Adderall, a widely prescribed stimulant for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is known for its ability to enhance focus and energy.

Can Adderall interfere with thyroid function test accuracy?

Thyroid function can be determined either directly, by measuring thyroid hormones or indirectly, by assessing TSH concentrations, which inversely reflects the thyroid hormone concentration sensed by the pituitary24. Therefore, serum TSH measurements might offer a better sensitivity for detecting thyroid dysfunction in comparison to fT3 and fT4 testing. This is especially important in light of our results regarding the positive association between TSH and ADHD diagnosis in children. Hypothyroidism, a condition characterized by an underactive thyroid gland,affects millions of people worldwide. It can lead to various symptoms such asfatigue, weight gain, and depression. Many individuals with hypothyroidismalso take medications for other health conditions, including Adderall.

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As this holds true for all stages of brain development, maternal thyroid function is important for early brain development while childhood thyroid function is important for subsequent stages of the maturing brain42,43. Our analysis showed that although the prevalence of ADHD diagnosis remains approximately the same between children and adolescents, thyroid hormones are different. In adolescents with either an ADHD diagnosis or ADHD symptoms, fT3 was higher. Sometimes drug interactions cannot be avoided because both medicines may be very important to your treatment. In the case of levothyroxine, you may need more frequent testing of thyroid stimulating hormone and T4 levels when other medications are added or removed from your treatment regimen. After another drug has been added to or removed from your regimen, you should report worsening of any disease symptoms or medication side effects to your doctor.

Table 2. Drugs that affect thyroid function in patients taking levothyroxine. Mechanism of action in italics.

The medications in Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine) can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Taking Adderall during pregnancy can cause premature birth, low birth weight, or withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby. Do not use this medicine synthroid puberty if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days.

Thyroid function biomarkers

The relation between thyroid function biomarkers and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents is currently unclear. The study cohort included 11,588 children and adolescents with 572 and 559 having an ADHD diagnosis or symptoms, respectively. ADHD symptoms were assessed through the Inattention/Hyperactivity subscale of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), and free thyroxine (fT4) concentrations were determined enzymatically. Adjusted regression models were used to relate serum TSH, fT3, and fT4 with risk for ADHD diagnosis or symptoms.

• Symptoms are characterized by difficulties with concentration and attention, with controlling behavior, and hyperactivity2.
• When you’re not producing enough thyroid hormone — as happens with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or hypothyroidism — it can also affect the health of your nervous system and other brain and neurological functions.
• While there islimited research on this specific interaction, it is essential to consult witha healthcare professional to ensure safe and appropriate use of bothmedications.
• In this way, thyroid hormone influences brain processes, such as cognition, nerve cell growth, and myelination.

Adderall contains a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. Amphetamine and dextroamphetamine are central nervous system stimulants that affect chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control. The various short- and long-term medical, social and health economic consequences of ADHD illustrate the high level of public health relevance of this disorder.

• Adderall can influence the production and metabolism of thyroid hormones,potentially leading to changes in T3 and T4 levels.
• The Ethics Committee of the Charité/University Medicine Berlin approved the study.
• Designed the data collection instruments, coordinated and supervised data collection, and reviewed and revised the manuscript.
• Never share this medicine with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction.

These data may support the importance of TSH during early brain development, since these associations disappeared in adolescents. In addition, since we found no significant relations between TSH and fT4 with ADHD symptoms, our results suggest that these parameters may not be suitable for ADHD diagnosis in adolescents. In addition, it should be noted that the positive association of fT3 with ADHD symptoms might simply be measures of behavior at the high-end normal variation for the Inattention/Hyperactivity scale. Metformin may affect thyroid function tests and TSH levels in patients on exogenous levothyroxine. Monitoring of TSH and free T4 levels is advised for patients taking both metformin and levothyroxine. Rexinoids are a subclass of vitamin A derivate drugs, or retinoids, that interact with a specific nuclear hormone receptor, the retinoid X receptor (RXR).

Dried Blood Spot Testing for Hypothyroidism

A small subset of medications including glucocorticoids, dopamine agonists, somatostatin analogs and rexinoids affect thyroid function through suppression of TSH in the thyrotrope or hypothalamus. Fortunately, most of these medications do not cause clinically evident central hypothyroidism. In this review, we explore mechanisms governing TSH suppression of these drugs and the clinical relevance of these effects.

Both Adderall and Lion’s Mane come with potential side effects, though they differ in severity and frequency. When comparing Lion’s Mane vs. Adderall, it is important to understand their fundamental differences in how they interact with the brain. Avoid drinking alcohol or taking illegal or recreational drugs while taking Adderall. This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article. Data are however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of the Robert Koch Institute.

The most common medication prescribed for those with ADHD is Adderall. Adderall is a stimulant drug that helps gradually balance the brain’s neurochemicals and reduce common ADHD symptoms. However, is Adderall a good fit for someone with a history of thyroid disease?