It was a story that you may have missed last week, but it was big news for a lot of Lycos users. The battle over the drug Synthroid received more searches than the Bush tax cut.
Synthroid helps people whose thyroid glands don't produce enough hormones. It has been sold for decades but has never formally been approved for use by the FDA.
Back in 1997, the FDA served notice on the makes of Synthroid (and other drugs containing the chemical levothyroxine sodium) that they needed formal approval by August 2000. A new manufacturer, Abbott Laboratories, purchased rights to the drug earlier this year and re-applied for approval but while the decision is being made, the FDA is threatening to recall the drug.
Patient advocacy groups have been lobbying the FDA to allow those who use Synthroid to continue. According to these groups, Synthroid is the third most commonly prescribed drug in the US, with over eight million users. But the FDA has told Abbott Laboratories that Synthroid has a "history of problems" and cannot be "generally recognized as safe and effective."
One of the problems seems to be that Synthroid tablets contain more of the drug than advertised, ostensibly because some of the drug disappears while in storage. Not knowing exactly how much of the drug is in each tablet can cause problems like chest pain and rapid or irregular heartbeat.
All of these problems sent those with thyroid problems scrambling for information, and searches went way up. Synthroid went from a handful of searches per week to as many searches as Michael Jordan.
Lucky for all those looking, Lycos Health has plenty of information on Synthroid and a number of other thyroid replacement medications.
TOMORROW: The new Lycos 50.
