Attempted suicide with levothyroxine in an adolescent girl
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM, vol.26, no.1-2, pp.129-131, 2013 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 26 Issue: 1-2
- Publication Date: 2013
- Doi Number: 10.1515/jpem-2012-0247
- Journal Name: JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Page Numbers: pp.129-131
- Keywords: drug preparations, levothyroxine, overdose, suicide, thyrotoxicosis
- Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: No
Abstract
Attempted suicide with levothyroxine is very rare and has been described only in a few case reports. Although acute accidental or intentional overdoses of thyroid hormones can lead to marked elevations in serum T 4 levels, many children who take as much as 5-10 mg of levothyroxine as a single dose have few or no symptoms of thyrotoxicosis. We report an adolescent girl who attempted suicide by ingesting levothyroxine. She responded well to beta-adrenergic blockade.