Iodine and levothyroxine

[hope10]

Hi. Just wanted some advice that can you take iodine supplements while taking levothyroxine.i have a goitre in my neck even though doctor says its Adams apple.i have read that iodine can help it go down. Thankyou 😊

[Clutter]

Wecome to the forum, Nuh10.

I'm not in favour of supplementing iodine when taking Levothyroxine and wouldn't do so unless an iodine test showed deficiency. Generally Levothyroxine supplies the required amount of iodine. There is considerable disagreement whether or not to supplement as you will see from the posts in this link healthunlocked.com/search/i...

[janiebell in reply to Clutter]

Hi clutter, just jumping on this thread as I am interested in your comment that levothyroxine provides sufficient iodine. I had a blood test which revealed my serum iodine is above the range although I avoid iodine in supplement form due to my hashi and eat no seaweed, little shell fish etc. I can't understand why it's above range but as my tsh is supressed at 0.01 would the levo be causing it?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to janiebell]

Around 65% by weight of levothyroxine is iodine.

If, before taking levothyroxine, you had been getting sufficient iodine (say, 150 micrograms a day as per some "official" daily requirement), when you take 100 micrograms of levothyroxine your total intake would rise to about 212 micrograms a day.

Indeed, if your iodine intake had been as low as 87 micrograms a day, the 100 micrograms of levothyroxine would have got you to the official 150 micrograms a day.

Bodies have sophisticated mechanisms for retaining and recycling iodine - and for getting rid of excess. Most of the iodine we consume ends up in the thyroid, incorporated into thyroid hormone, and distributed round the body. When you are making no thyroid hormone (after operation, radio-active iodine treatment, or end result of autoimmune thyroid destruction), there is no call for iodine by the thyroid! Of course, things are never quite that simple!

[janiebell in reply to helvella]

Thank you! I have never thought about what is actually in thyroxine!!! This explains why when I took a supplement for a few days with 150 of iodine I started feeling quite hyper. I was optimally medicated with a tsh of 0.01 and thanks to this fantastic sight was taking enough iron, etc to convert well so I obviously tipped over. V interesting. I'm taking a herb at the mo that includes a blend of seaweed to help it work better with assimilation etc so I will monitor symptoms and see what happens.

[joyce59 in reply to janiebell]

i have an allergy to shellfish and salmon so iam unable to eat any at all. i have hashis too however not sure if iodine levels were tested but will add that to my list to ask next time i go to the surgery.

[melburns007 in reply to joyce59]

Iodine tests you have done shouldn’t be blood test for an accurate iodine test result a urine test is the most accurate so make sure you ask them to test your urine for the iron or buy some online

[melburns007 in reply to melburns007]

Also lugols iodine is fab but you need selenium too

[Heloise]

Interesting article about iodine. People think it will trigger more attacks if you already have attacks due to Hashimoto's. I'm not sure if a small dose would do that and there are many benefits of iodine as you can see in the article.

alkalizeforhealth.net/Liodi....

There is a 1 mg. supplement.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Heloise]

I'd not call 1000 micrograms a small dose.

150 micrograms is often suggested to be a sensible daily intake. Whist that is very much something that is up for discussion, a dose of more than six times that cannot really be regarded as mainstream.

[Heloise in reply to helvella]

Hi Rod, these are some reviews from actual purchasers. Iodoral is 12.5 mgs. iherb.com/product-reviews/O...

Dosing is selected by the manufacturer. Have you seen any in a lower dose? iherb.com/Life-Extension-Se...

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Heloise]

There are quite a few products that contain around 150 micrograms of iodine - though quite possible none that are Lugol's or equivalent.

[faith63]

I thought i had a Goiter too and it was my Voice Box. just like the doctor said. I had a scan of my Thyroid which was very small, although i felt like i was choking and having pressure in my throat. I guess it was an esophageal spasm or from reflux. I was told that if my multivitamin contained Iodine then that was ok, but not to take more than that. I don't know if the doctor is correct or not.

[Abmonster]

I take iron and vitamin c tablets with recognitions and don't have any trouble. I think it should be fine. I take the iron though because my iron can drop. My hair is falling out now.

[katwoo2]

I have a friend who has been on thyroxine for over twenty years and has never felt any benefit from it. I put her on a supplement I have felt the benefit from without thyroxine called NOW Thyroid Energy, and after 10 days she felt the benefit too. It contains iodine, selenium, B6, B12, folic acid, zinc, copper and other herbal ingredients, which are all necessary for thyroid function. Selenium is needed to balance the iodine and can prevent damage to the thyroid, if taken before iodine is taken by Hashimoto's sufferers.

[Heloise in reply to katwoo2]

Hi Kat, did she also quit thyroxine or just lower her dose? Because of the problems in the UK with diagnoses, it would be wonderful to have something to fall back on.

[sue11 in reply to katwoo2]

Hi,this now thyroid energy.......we're would l get it......did l read this right......you don't take any other thyroid medications,apart from what your taking........

[katwoo2 in reply to sue11]

Hi,

Sorry for delay.

I don't take medication because I have never had a positive test for hypothyroid (and I have had three) and I don't know if taking this since last April would affect a test if I did it now.

At least ten years ago I took my basal temperature every morning for a week and it was always below 97.6, I typed up the results and took them to my doctor who just said "We don't test that way anymore." And I believed her because I didn't know any better. Chronic fatigue, easy weight gain, difficulty losing it, constipation, heavy, painful periods weren't enough.

I have been taking my temperature the past few mornings and it has been 35.5 and 35.8, normal in celsius is apparently 37, so not a lot has changed.

Now I know a lot more on this subject I foresee a 'discussion' which I suspect won't go in my favour so I have been putting it off because I have definitely felt better taking the Thyroid Energy.

Amazon has a bottle of 180 for £29 but I stock 90s for £13.50 plus P&P if you want to try a smaller amount. I am a kinesiologist so keep limited amounts of supplements in stock for patients.

I hope this helps. 😊

[hev38 in reply to katwoo2]

hi was ur friend still taking , and how much ,levothyroxine when u gave her the NOW tablets, thanks heather

[katwoo2]

Hi,

She hasn't stopped taking her thyroxine, she has just added the Thyroid Energy supplement to her regime. I don't know what dose of thyroxine she is on, I am just glad the vitamins and minerals are helping it work better for her sake.

I feel better for taking it without thyroxine but I have never had a medical diagnosis of hypothyroid, in spite of three tests over eight years ago. I haven't bothered since as I didn't understand the results of the private test I had done. I wish I could find the results of it now but it has disappeared.

I keep thinking I should have a test but I suspect it will all be futile and I may know more about hypothyroid than the doctors, but they wouldn't take any notice of me anyway.

Best wishes, Katrina

[jhheaney]

i take iodine salt ,, just pop it on my tea every day only cheap ! also b12 .. Fish Oil Capsules ,, and probiotics capsules all one a day ? i have been told seaweed can help to?

[paulagriff]

Does anyone know if spirulina is ok to take fir supporting the thyroid. I think it contains iodine

[Hidden]

This issue is controversial, but from what I have read I understand that it is OK to take iodine, provided that you take selenium at the same time. One of the highest sources of selenium are Brazil nuts and two a day provides your daily requirement. I have Hashimotos thyroiditis and I have been taking 750 mcg of iodine and 200 mcg of selenium (both as drops) every day for a year now. My information is that the scare over toxicity of iodine is overrated. Western Europeans recommend a daily dose of 250mcg, but the Japanese consume with their high fish and seaweed diet from 3000mcg to 12000mcg daily with no ill effects whatsoever. In fact their rate of thyroid disease is far lower than ours!

[bobsmydog]

I was diagnosed hypothyroid a few months ago, prescribed levothyroxin and doctor said antibodies were fine. When I asked what was causing hypo I was told it's of no interest as treatment is the same regardless of cause. So that's when I went on to internet to try to find an answer (and as my hypo symptoms were still persisting)

I discovered worldwide iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism and that the World Health Organization's latest report on research indicate that Europe is becoming increasingly iodine deficient.

who.int/nutrition/publicati...

So I decided to give Iodoral (Lugols in tablet form) a try for a short while, along with Selenium. I take 12.5mg Iodoral a day. Decision was made to try this after doing an iodine patch test and the iodine being absorbed after a few hours indicating a deficiency.

Too soon to say what the effects are , but will I come back and report any good/bad ones!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to bobsmydog]

bobsmydog,

The iodine patch test has been debunked. It does not provide a reliable measure. Even some strong advocates of iodine say this.

[bobsmydog in reply to helvella]

I see that was 3 years ago so time to report back I guess! I haven't done a patch test since then.

But I'm still taking 12.5mg iodoral plus selenium 3 to 4 times a week. I have tried spells of not taking it but feel better when I take it.