Newbie - TSH and iodine, advice needed please

[Liggo22]

Hello. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give and apologies for long post. This is all new to me so i have little knowledge of thyroid ...I've recently been to gp as I thought that my neck looked a little swollen at front. She sent me for bloods and booked ultrasound but didn't think neck swollen, more because I said I was more aware of swallowing. TSH came back as 23 !! but she didnt tell me other results. She wants to repeat bloods in 4-6 weeks but says on these results I'm underactive and will need medication for life if bloods still the same. Back story to this is that i take a lot of supplements for breast health due to years of fibro cystic condition. I have used Iodoral (iodine) 12.5mg for about 5 years to support this and last blood test in 2015 all normal for thyroid. I had a breast scare before Xmas and upped my iodine to 25mg for a couple of weeks...thinking I had been on it long enough for it to be safe and my body be used to it. I stopped taking the iodine as soon as i realised the possible connection and the bloods were done about a week after i stopped. Could this have caused these recent symptoms and blood results ? I'm really scared that I have irreversibly damaged my thyroid. Im now aware of every swallow, have intermittent sore throat and ears feel funny...but i am extremely anxious about it and know how much I can create symptoms... as i said to gp i have no other typical symptoms of hypothyroidism. Please can you advise ?? Many thanks.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Well, iodine is anti-thyroid and used to be used to treat hypERthyroidism so it's possible that it's caused your problem. Iodine should be tested and only supplemented if deficient and then under the guidance of an experienced practioner.

I had many years of fibrocystic breasts pre menopause, one scan showed 24 at one time, and I was told it would settle down once post menopause. I have had a scan since post menopause (very post menopause!) and again 10 cysts in one breast. Consultant radiographer said it's often due to too much oestrogen.

[Liggo22 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for your response. Do you think ts possible to reverse this by stopping the iodine??

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Liggo22]

If your thyroid is damaged I doubt that it can be reversed but can't swear to that. As I said, it used to be used as a treatment for Hyperthyroidism. However, it may or may not be the iodine that has caused this.

If it was me in this position, I would be testing my iodine level with a non-loading urine iodine test from Genova Diagnostics, order through ThyroidUK (follow the instructions to order and receive your results) - END25 is the test code thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/g...

I would also consider doing a female hormone test.

[Liggo22 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks. I'll look into that. I've had an oestrogen/progesterone check with Genova and am on bio identical progesterone. If anyone else has any advice I would be very grateful. Thanks.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Liggo22]

Out of interest, was your oestrogen level high?

[Liggo22]

Oestrogen high end of normal and progesterone low.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Liggo22]

That ties in with what the consultant radiologist told me about too much oestrogen causing fibrocystic breasts. However it wasn't the case for me as all my hormones were very low.

PS - for someone to get notification that you have replied to their specific post turn you need to use the green REPLY button directly below their post otherwise they don't get notified

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Ask GP to test your thyroid antibodies, plus vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

If your antibodies are high then cause is autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's

This is linked to leaky gut, low stomach acid and then as result low vitamins, plus gluten intolerance very common

Iodine is not recommended for Hashimoto's

[Liggo22 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks will do

[bobtomistic]

I have had a lot of Thyroid trouble in the past. I had to take like 50 mcg's of Cytomel for two and a half years. But recently was able to stop all med's because water fasting healed my Thyroid. If you go to YouTube and type Neighbor Bob in the search bar you can see some of my vid's about Thyroid. Bob

[Liggo22 in reply to bobtomistic]

Thanks Bob

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to bobtomistic]

Why would water fasting heal thyroid disease?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to SeasideSusie]

SeasideSusie,

Oddly, Bob has posted a video on YouTube titled:

Water Fasting Does "ABSOLUTELY NOTHING" To Heal You!

Which rather gets back to your question... ???

[bobtomistic in reply to helvella]

If you watch it, it is saying that the act of water fasting is not what heals you. It is because your body is what heals you. When you get everything else out of the way by water fasting and let it heal you. : )

[bobtomistic in reply to SeasideSusie]

Water Fasting allows the body to potentially heal itself, of pretty much anything and everything. It's like hitting the reset button on one's health. It healed my Hypo Thyroid, Benzo withdrawal nerve damage and much more.

[Liggo22]

Hello again

Thanks for all your advice. In addition I found out my free T4 is 6.4. I've been told to use chlorella powder to wash out the iodine so will try that. Just really anxious that it's something more serious now as it's strange that i have no other hypothyroid symptoms. I do feel like my neck is less swollen now too but I do still have a very on/off soreness in my throat. As I said gp asked me to get bloods done again in 4 to 6 weeks and said ultrasound wouldn't come through for 8 weeks...so hoping that her lack of urgency means shes not overly worried??

Thanks again.