NDT and Iodine

[SVA57]

Hello lovely people,

I am taking 2 grains of Nature-Throid and I still have all hypo symptoms. My lab results show that I am under-medicated.

However, I see that I have iodine deficiency as well. My follow up appt is on Monday. Do you think that I need to ask my doctor to increase my dose and start taking iodine ? Or just taking iodine will bring my numbers up? Because I have read that iodine helps thyroid to make hormones. I am afraid if I raise my NDT and take iodine at the same time, I will get hyper.

TSH 0.01 (0.40-4.50 mIU/L)

T3 REVERSE 13 (8-25 ng/dL)

FT3 3 (2.3-4.2 pg/mL)

FT4 0.8 (0.8-1.8 ng/dL)

IODINE, SERUM/PLASMA 44 (52-109 mcg/L)

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

P.S I do not have Hashimoto's as my anti bodies were within normal range.

[greygoose]

Iodine doesn't help the thyroid to make hormone. Iodine is one of the two ingredients of thyroid hormone. One molecule of T4 contains 4 atoms of iodine. One atom is removed to make T3. The iodine is then recycled by the body.

If you are iodine deficient, it might be the reason for your hypo, but then again, it might not. And, bringing your iodine up to optimal is not just a question of popping a pill, like say with B12. It's more complicated than that, and you really need a doctor who knows what he's doing, to supervise it.

I think you should show your results to your doctor, and ask his/her advice on who you should see to help you. I'm not sure the average endo is capable. But, please, don't just start taking iodine yourself, without medical supervision.

[SVA57 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you so much for your explanation. I used to take kelp a few months ago, but when I ran out I did not buy it again. At that time, I was not on Thyroid medication. I was advised by a nutritionist who did my HTMA. He said by taking kelp I would be fine,but it did not help me.

I do not know if I should ask my Dr to increase my thyroid medication and and prescribe me iodine as well or only ask her to prescribe iodine.

[greygoose in reply to SVA57]

It could very well have made you worse. Nutritionists tend to know little about thyroid.

I don't think you should ask your doctor for anything. I think you should just present her with the results, and see what she says. If she's completely lost - which she probably will be - then ask for a referral to an endo who knows about iodine.