Hi
I’ve just been diagnosed with having multinodular goitre. I also have an underactive thyroid, take T3 only and feel well.
However I still cannot lose weight. I’ve bought some iodine as Ives read it helps with goitres and with losing weight.
Does this seem an effective method to take iodine?
You should test your Iodine level before supplementing, iodine should only be taken if tested and found to be deficient, and then under the guidance of an experienced practitioner.
Many years ago iodine used to be used to treat overactive thyroid (not talking about current day radioactive iodine treatment) and it can make hypothyroidism worse. It's particularly not recommended when Hashi's is present.
Do you have further information/ref about this?
About what in particular?
Sorry I meant about: ''Many years ago iodine used to be used to treat overactive thyroid''
It still is used in some circumstances:
IODIDE WITH IODINE
Indications and dose
Thyrotoxicosis (pre-operative)
bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/iodide...
Not sure what else you want to know?
You made a statement about iodine and hyperthyroid, so I asked for a reference or more information.
The link you sent doesn't say anything about hyper thyroid.
I asked the question because, I didn't know. (and really want to know). So I'm not sure what else you expect me to ask you.
Unreferenced statements aren't helpful, and cause confusion.
Thyrotoxicosis is the state of having too much thyroid hormone. It is very often caused by hyperthyroidism which is a thyroid producing too much thyroid hormone. Causes include Graves and an autonomously functioning thyroid nodule. (Thyrotoxicosis can also be caused by taking too much thyroid hormone.)
If someone is hyperthyroid due to Graves or a goitre/nodule that is producing excess thyroid hormone, and is going to receive surgery, they use iodine and iodide to treat them before surgery.
That is the licensed indication for iodine and iodide according to the British National Formulary.
(By the way, that was my first contribution to this thread. I did reference the information I posted by adding a link.)
Hidden
When I changed my computer recently I lost a lot of my saved links. I have this one
uptodate.com/contents/iodin...
which starts with:
Iodine solutions, such as saturated solutions of potassium iodide (SSKI) or potassium iodide-iodine (Lugol's solution), replaced burnt sponge extract in the 19th century as treatment for endemic goiter. By extension, they were sometimes used to treat Graves' disease, but by the end of the century, they were considered to be a dangerous form of therapy. They returned to favor in the 1920s as preoperative treatment for hyperthyroidism and were used in the 1930s as the sole therapy for mild hyperthyroidism prior to the introduction of the thionamides. Today, iodine continues to have a minor role in the treatment of hyperthyroidism.
It's only possible to see a small amount of that article and I am not subscribed so can't see the rest of it.
In this article:
empoweryourhealth.org/magaz...
it states
Early treatment of Graves’ disease mainly utilized iodide treatment or surgery. Iodide use for Graves’ disease was first described in 1820, by Swiss physician Jean-François Coindet. Nine years later, French physician Jean Lugol created the iodine solution that is named for him and still used in modern treatment. In 1948, Drs. Jan Wolff and Israel Lyon Chaikoff at the University of California described the mechanism of iodide exposure leading to inhibited organification of thyroid hormone in abnormal thyroid glands, thereby leading to decreased thyroid production. Subtotal thyroidectomy (surgical removal of the thyroid), sometimes accompanied by the tying off of thyroid arteries (ligature), was also described as early as 1823, although this practice became less common over time, while iodide treatment was increasingly utilized before surgery after Plummer at Mayo started doing so in 1922. In the 1850s and 1860s, cervical sympathetic chain resection was also tried, following the concept that Graves’-related palpitations were associated with increased sympathetic activity.
That's all I have at the moment. I hope to be able to find lots of the links I lost at some time but it is going to take a lot of research which I expect to take a long time.
You said in response to helvella 's reply to you
"You made a statement about iodine and hyperthyroid, so I asked for a reference or more information."
It wasn't helvella who made the original statement, it was myself.
Thanks for the info, much appreciated. I read healthline.com/health/iodin... that hypothyroid was a symptom of iodine deficiency. So was getting confused when I read its used to treat hyper thyroid.
Sorry about replying to the wrong person. I do that without realising on this site.
I read healthline.com/health/iodin... that hypothyroid was a symptom of iodine deficiency.
Yes, iodine deficiency can be a cause of hypothyroidism, it used to be so in Derbyshire - hence Derbyshire Neck years ago (Google Derbyshire Neck, some of the images are pretty horrendous). However, in the UK now it's unusual to have iodine deficiency, it's in many staple foods in our diet - milk, yogurt, white fish, etc - so it's quite easy to get the recommended daily intake of 150mcg iodine. I can only say that for the UK though, not for other countries.
What I don't understand is if iodine deficiency causes hypothyroid.
Why is iodine be used to treat hyperthyroid?
So adding iodine, lowers TSH moving the scale towards hyperthyroid.
But if you are hyperthyroid, how can iodine move TSH, the other way also?
Or am I off track and TSH has nothing to do with it?
For the record thyroid stuff confuses me totally.
I'm afraid I can't answer your questions, but the iodine used today - radioactive iodine (RAI) is not the same as the iodine solution used in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
When it gets too scientific I get lost too!
Thyroid hormones are based on amino acids with some of the hydrogen atoms replaced by iodine.
Any thyroid requires sufficient iodine available to make enough thyroid hormone. If there is not enough, that would and does result in hypothyrodism.
We have pretty efficient processes in our bodies which collecte and recirculate iodine as thyroid hormone is deiodinated (converted) around the body.
The thyroid also needs selenium (some of the critical enzymes used in making thyroid hormones contains tiny amounts of selenium), and tyrosine (an amino acid). Plus a phenomenally generous blood supply. And a pituitary hormone, TSH, which signals the thyroid to make and release thyroid hormone.
Inadequate iodine sees the thyroid enlarge in an attempt to collect more iodine and make more thyroid hormone. However, things are more complicated than that as some who have insufficient iodine get huge goitres, others hardly notice any change.
If a thyroid is working OK and you supply a high dose of iodine, it appears to shock the thyroid into not making any thyroid hormone. You could see this as a safety feature. That is, if a thyroid is working just fine, you wouldn't want it to suddenly massively increase thyroid hormone production just because its owner ate a little seaweed or other iodine-rich food one day.
After while, and the medical literature often suggests around two weeks, the thyroid will spring back and pump out lots of thyroid hormone.
Used before a thyroid operation, it closes down the thyroid and reduces bleeding. But if the thyroid is being removed, there cannot be this rush of excess thyroid hormone.
The other way iodine is used is when radioactive iodine is given. The idea is that after swallowing some radioactive iodine, the thyroid will efficiently take it up from the bloodstream and concentrate it within the tissue of the thyroid. Being radioactive, it kills the thyroid cells, or some of them.
Apologies that a lot of the explanation is teleological.
A multi nodular goitre usually means Hashimoto’s (autoimmune thyroid disease)
How much T3 are you currently taking?
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
Ask GP to test vitamin levels and thyroid antibodies
You may need to get full Thyroid testing privately as NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
If/when also on T3, make sure to take last 1/2 or 1/3rd of daily dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test
Is this how you do your tests?
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
For thyroid including antibodies and vitamins
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random
If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3 £29 (via NHS private service )
monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...
Iodine is controversial and not usually recommended for hashimoto’s
I have a multinodular goitre and I was advised to never take iodine because it can stop your thyroid from working ... so I personally would avoid taking it.
Thank you. I think my thyroid has near enough stopped anyway. I’m hoping it will get my motivation going. I realise it mustn’t be taken long term.
I hope you have read up on it because there can be side effects as with all supplements as I found out recently after taking Methyl Folate for just a week.
As I have no thyroid it makes no difference to me taking iodine. I understand iodine can have a beneficial effect with gout, which has made my life difficult over the years. I also understand that iodine can eliminate skin flaps of which I have many around my neck.
I shall be getting some soon to see if it is as good as is made out.... when used in extreme moderation, of course.
It may also, hopefully, have some effect on weight reduction, the weight I put on whilst on levothyroxine some years ago and cannot shift.
There is such contradictory information about iodine.
Iodine Supplemention
Iodine and Hashis
Iodine 
Iodine and Selenium
Iodine
