Ingestion of large amounts of papaya fruit and impaired effectiveness of levothyroxine therapy

摘要

The daily dosage of levothyroxine in the treatment of hypothyroidism mainly depends on efficiency of its absorption through the intestinal mucosa at the level of the jejunum and ileum. The effectiveness of levothyroxine therapy is influenced by several factors, including the age of the patient, adherence to therapy, interference of other drugs (bile acid sequestrants, ferrous sulfate, calcium carbonate, aluminium-containing antacids, phosphate binders, raloxifene), malabsorptive disorders (celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lactose intolerance, atrophic gastritis of the body of the stomach, Helicobacter pylori infection, chronic intestinal giardiasis), pregnancy, dietary habits, and food (soy, dietary fiber, espresso coffee) (1,2).