Iodine supplements: Hi. I have been on thyroxine... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

138,800 members162,856 posts

Iodine supplements

janeballoo profile image
5 Replies

Hi. I have been on thyroxine for several years and generally well but still suffer with hair loss. My blood tests are fine including B vits and Iron

I found a thyroid support formula which seemed to help but it has iodine in it. Can anyone explain why iodine supplementation is not recommended.

Written by
janeballoo profile image
janeballoo
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
5 Replies
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Levothyroxine contains all the iodine you need

Iodine use to be used to test hyperthyroid patients (before Carbimazole)

Iodine can make thyroid issues much worse

Avoid any supplements called thyroid support

Suggest you get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing done

Low ferritin levels linked to hairloss

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

Do you always get same brand

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested

plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options and money off codes

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

janeballoo profile image
janeballoo in reply to SlowDragon

Hi. Thanks for getting back to me. I haven't had tests recently but 18 months ago my antibodies were fine and thyroid hormones and vitamins were all mid range except for Ferritin which was towards the lowest part of the range. I have started taking a B complex supplement so hopefully this will be the answer.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to janeballoo

B complex is nothing to do with ferritin

Ferritin is iron

How low was ferritin

Are you vegetarian or vegan

Suggest you get full thyroid and vitamin testing done now

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...

In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency

Also See page 7 on here

rcn.org.uk/-/media/royal-co...

Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet

Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

An article that explains why Low ferritin and low thyroid levels are often linked

preventmiscarriage.com/iron...

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing. It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron

Medichecks iron panel test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

Iron and thyroid link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Heme iron v non heme

hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Didn’t realise…this is your first post ….welcome to the forum

Please add actual vitamin results and ranges

Vitamin D

Folate

Ferritin

B12

Ideally full iron panel results if you have them

Do you have autoimmune thyroid disease?

Also called Hashimoto’s, usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Lalatoot profile image
Lalatoot

Iodine used to be a treatment for HYPERthyroidism so its effect on hypo could be all wrong!If you are not deficient in iodine taking it could set everything out of balance. I took a multivitamin with 100% daily iodine intake in it. It knocked me all out of kilter and pushed my slightly dodgy thyroid on the slippery slope to dysfunction.

You may also like...

Iodine Supplementation

often but I still see no definitive answers on the specific question of supplementing with iodine...

iodine supplements: Yes or no?

information regarding iodine supplementation. Is it OK to supplement with iodine if you have...

Detoxadine®Nascent Iodine Supplement

(without Hashimotos, which I have) suggested Detoxadine®, Nascent Iodine Supplement, as it had...

Hashimoto's and Iodine Supplementation

foods and supplements containing iodine. My latest blood test show I am now deficient in Iodine:...

Goitre & supplementing selenium & iodine

Does anyone supplement with selenium & iodine? I have a multi-modular goitre which is not really...