Let's take a minute to talk about your medication.

This is levothyroxine. You should take each dose on an empty stomach, 30 to 60 minutes before food, because that is when your body absorbs it best.

Levothyroxine is used to replace or supplement low levels of thyroid hormones in your body, which are important for normal metabolism, growth and development.

It can take several weeks to start improving your symptoms, and the full effects from a dose can take a month or two. Your doctor will monitor your dose with labwork.

Levothyroxine is generally well-tolerated, but at first there could be slight and temporary hair loss. This is normal and should go away. If you notice other effects, like changes in appetite, sleeplessness, feeling hot, a fast heartbeat or diarrhea, let your doctor know because these could be related to this medication.

Also, it is not recommended to take non-prescription weight loss products with levothyroxine unless you are under the close supervision of your doctor.

For best results, continue taking levothyroxine, and follow your doctor's recommendations for labwork and monitoring.