INTERESTING appointment with consultant

[candi1]

I had appointment today with doc, I wanted to discuss if OK to supplement with iodine.....I am hypo....He said to me that as I had been taking levothyroxine for nearly twenty years , my thyroid would absolutely not be functioning at all......so it would make no difference to my overall health.

To be honest I found this to be wierd information, and only rings partly true to me. Anybody here been in the same situ and what did they do.He also told me that the only thing that uses iodine in the body is the thyroid.

Also I would appreciate any advice from anyone that has used Detoxidine.....or if anyone could suggest something that worked out better for them.....thankyou

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If hypothyroid, especially if Hashimoto's then likely iodine is best avoided

drknews.com/iodine-and-hash...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

You would certainly need in depth testing first

[LuckyKat]

Hi Lots of information in this link over many pages, but the first one gives an idea of how much of the body responds to iodine:

healyourselfathome.com/HOW/...

[candi1]

Thankyou for your replies.....I will certainly be looking deep into this. The only thing he said that rang with possibly a grain of truth , was that he said since I had been taking the levo so long that my thyroid would have completely stopped working by now.....ie the levo would be in complete control so therefore taking iodine would not make my hashis better or worse......as it might do if thyroid still working.

The amount of differing information is nothing short of bewildering !!!! I am in the UK and believe me......my GP knows even less than my consultant.......they mean the best but are not very well informed.....and most of the time you cant say too much because you get labeled as a 'difficult patient'.......it is VERY frustrating

SO glad I found this site....great info on here and thankyou all again

[greygoose in reply to candi1]

I think it would still make it worse. But depends on how much gland you have left. Hashi's does progressively destroy the thyroid.

However, how much levo are you taking? There is 65 mcg iodine in 100 mcg levo which is detached and recycled. Iodine isn't used up like other nutrients, it is continually recycled. So, after 20 years of taking levo, you probably have good levels of iodine.

What are you hoping it will do for you, anyway?

[candi1 in reply to greygoose]

possibly improve my dry skin and regrow some of my hair that's fallen out.....and generally help my metabolism....I am on 125mcg levo daily but still have ALL the symptoms of hypo.....and I mean ALL. Generally speaking I am hoping that maybe iodine could help with some of this.

Detoxidine has been much lauded on the global healing centre website

globalhealingcenter.com/rev...

which really put me onto it.......I wanted something that maybe could kick start my metabolism a bit

[greygoose in reply to candi1]

There are over 300 hypo symptoms, I doubt you have them all.

125 mcg is not a huge dose. Perhaps you are under-medicated, or you have a conversion problem, or an absorption problem. Far more likely than an iodine deficiency after 20 years on levo.

Why don't you try getting your thyroid hormones and nutrients optimal before trying something potentially dangerous. Do you have results for

TSH

FT4

FT3

TPO antibodies

Tg antibodies

vit D

vit B12

folate

ferritin? If not then you have no idea of your thyroid status.

If you do, then post them here and let's have a look.

[candi1 in reply to greygoose]

As you are probably aware....doc only looks at TSH (in UK anyway )....if thats OK he will absolutely REFUSE to look any further....I will need to get this done out of my own pocket and it will cost quite a bit....my fear is that even then the doc will have no idea how to interpret the results.......he only seems to know about TSH.

I feel like my back is against the wall.....also very difficult to find any other doc here that knows their stuff on this subject......after all the other stories and experiences on this site ....it's really very hard to know which ...if any ...doc that you could trust

[greygoose in reply to candi1]

I know - well, it does depend on the doc, some docs test other things. But, taking iodine isn't going to change that, is it. If you are under-medicated, I would suggested you get these tests done as an investment in your future health. Once you know how you stand, you could start treating yourself with some things - not iodine. Many, many of us do that.

If your symptoms are caused by low thyroid hormone levels, the only thing that's going to get rid of them is raising the levels. Taking iodine is not going to raise your levels. It's not going to suddenly, miraculously make your thyroid start working again.

On the other hand, other nutrients need to be optimal for the body to be able to use thyroid hormone - convert and absorb. Which is why you need them tested. You could at least ask your doctor to do those. Have you never had your antibodies tested?

Your back isn't against the wall, there are always choices.

[candi1 in reply to greygoose]

You are quite right, I will stay away from the iodine for now and will get the full set of tests done over the next few weeks.......in fact I'm going over to Germany in about six weeks, I'm actually going to stay with a doctor friend so I think I'll get all that done over there.....will definately report back once I have any news.

Thanks again to everyone here, all comments are taken on board and gratefully recieved

[candi1 in reply to candi1]

By the way.....the same doc I saw yesterday also told me that getting a 24 hour urine iodine loading test would be a complete waste of time as it would not tell me if I was iodine deficient or not !!!!!!!!!!!!!!......!!!!!!

[greygoose in reply to candi1]

Testing for iodine is difficult, I know. But, I though the urine test was the best one - maybe not the loading test, though. But, I doubt he knows much about it, anyway. Just trying to put you off - well, I'm trying to put you off! lol But, for different reasons.

[greygoose in reply to candi1]

Well, that's wonderful news! I'm very pleased for you that you're able to do that.

[candi1 in reply to greygoose]

Found this really good explaination of the thyroid and its workings

youtube.com/watch?v=hhs1P5c...(Not working as expected?)

Maybe of some use to others on this site

[greygoose in reply to candi1]

Yes, indeed! But, as this thread is now two days old, not many people are going to see it there. Might be a good idea to start a new thread, so more people can see it.

[Deberebor]

There are iodine receptors in tissues throughout the body. Even people without thyroids take iodine to treat or avoid serious problems with the breasts, ovaries or testes to name just three. As far as Hashi's is concerned, there is a threshold for the dosage that is enough for the body to protect itself from damage. Below that, you can heat up the thyroid. I know this from experience: I took too high a dosage for a month and it caused a big release of bromine and some detox symptoms (temporary hair loss being the big one), and then mistakenly went to a dose that was too low and caused a Hashi's flair. Best video on youtube for all this is "Iodine Conference Lecture | Stephanie Buist", and the Lynne Farrow and Brownstein books. Best course, if you can, is to find an ILP doctor who can guide the process because this is tricky stuff.

[Angel_of_the_North]

The only thing that sounds even vaguely factual is the bit about your thyroid not functioning - if you have Hashis your thyroid has probably been destroyed by now - by the antibody attacks not by taking levo. It sounds like the usual "I don't have a clue but I'll make up some pseudo science to impress the patient". Breasts can need iodine, but it's best to know if you are deficient before supplementing. Iodine can be displaced by fluoride and chlorine, but Europe doesn't allow bromine, which is talked about in a lot of US sources.

[candi1 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

I live in London so dont drink the water at all.....I distill the tapwater and remineralise it.......Anyone who could see the stuff left behind after distilling just 4 litres, would never touch the tapwater straight again

[greygoose]

BP, I have lots of cysts, but my iodine level, after years on thyroid hormone replacement, is sky high.

[diogenes Remembering]

Between three quarters and four fifths of the iodine in a healthy body is concerned with products from the thyroid gland (T4 and T3, plus smaller amounts of minor hormones like T2). So if you have lost your thyroid altogether, this part of the iodine need is lost, because your dead thyroid cannot use it, and you have to take T4 or T3 by mouth to substitute for it. Therefore if so much of the iodine need is now gone, the remaining body need for other activities is easily met, even with lower iodine intake. So there should be no need for extra iodine, unless you live in a totally iodine deficient area.

[candi1 in reply to diogenes]

I live in London....although I try to eat mainly organic greens....and lots of them. Unless you grow your own food you never really know whether the veg is grown in healthy soil or not