The effect of thyroid function on the liver's ability to metabolize various therapeutic agents is well documented, but evidence that changes in thyroid function affect the rate at which theophylline is metabolized is limited. We report a case of a 55-year-old woman with severe hypothyroidism and chronic bronchitis whose theophylline clearance doubled from 0.50 to 1.02 ml/min/kg with aggressive inpatient intravenous levothyroxine treatment. Chronic outpatient data showed that theophylline clearance remained relatively constant as thyroid function stabilized. This case is further evidence that thyroid function indeed has an effect on theophylline metabolism.
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