Iodine Uptake?

[raglansleeve]

I need to use iodine solution, but am not sure what "absorption of iodine from this solution may lower the iodine uptake of the thyroid" means in terms of my hypothyroidism. Does the reduction of uptake mean that I will be more hypo, or less?

[radd]

raglansleeve,

'absorption of iodine from this solution may lower the iodine uptake of the thyroid'

It means different things depending upon your thyroid gland status and if you are medicating thyroid hormone replacement.

Thyroid hormone synthesis requires thyroglobulin, TPO and iodine (iodide) uptake through the sodium iodine symporter. It is pulled into the thyroid follicles where it mixes with thyroglobulin.

There are difficulties supplementing iodine unless you know you are deficient, with have low or controlled thyroid antibodies. The body doesn’t utilise iodine directlybut sends it though an oxidative process that results in oxidative stress. If you overload the body with iodine and don’t have enough selenium to offset the oxidative stress it can damage cells and proteins that contribute to ageing and risk inciting an autoimmune attack.

Thyroid antibodies attack the thyroid peroxidase, a thyroid gland enzyme (TPO) & thyroglobulin (TG). Another theory thought by function medicine is if you are fuelling these with iodine to create more thyroid hormone, you risk also fuelling existing thyroid antibodies.

Supplementing iodine is immensely complicated and usually not encouraged. There is loads for further info on iodine here. ….

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[raglansleeve in reply to radd]

Thank you for the very detailed reply. I will have to read it a few times to fully understand it though, since my hypo brain isn't what it used to be. I will also read everything in your link too. I am not supplementing iodine, but need to use the topical solution for a separate medical condition (I have hashi's and am taking both Synthroid and Cytomel), and am very worried about doing so, if it will send me into a bad state. It took me years to arrive at my current dose, after titrating both the T3 and T4 medications, and I have suffered greatly with anxiety if I'm just a little over OR under medicated. I was just hoping to understand which direction I might go in, if this application affects me in a negative way.

[helvella Administrator]

I need to use iodine solution

Might help to get a comprehensive answer if you explain why you actually need to do this. Who has told you to do so.

What is your current dose of levothyroxine and liothyronine?

[raglansleeve in reply to helvella]

The condition is really too personal to discuss, but it is a surgeon who suggested that it could help. And no offense to him, because I think that he is great and very knowledgeable in his field, I just thought that the group here might know more about how, and even if, the iodine solution would affect a hypo patient. It truly is awful that I just assume that he wouldn't know as much as the people here.

Editing to add that I take 88 Synthroid and 10 Cytomel.

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

I read somewhere on the forum yesterday that if it’s topical there is less risk than taking it orally.

I have no scientific basis or background for the is, just read it on someone else’s post.

Don’t hospitals use it on skin prior to surgery?

And hasn’t the patch test been debunked as an inaccurate way to measure iodine levels?

I tried it orally once after reading Dr Sarah Myhill’s book and felt really sluggish and tired, as if my meds weren’t working. It’s now safely at the back of the bathroom cabinet as I don’t want to feel like that again 🥴

[helvella Administrator in reply to Regenallotment]

When we start to say that topical is less risk than oral, we first need to be sure we are speaking of the same amount!

If you put iodine on your skin, some of it sublimes (directly evaporates) and the proportion doing that depends on all sorts of factors including air pressure!

I suspect that when we try to take of larger doses, it becomes progressive less likely that skin could ever absorb as much as oral.

Yes - hospitals use it before surgery. And during! All depending on what they are doing, etc.

Yes - it can have an effect when used like this. And there is ongoing research on best practices.

Your experience of oral iodine is pretty common.

helvella - Iodine Patch Test

Why the iodine patch test is not appropriate for indicating iodine status.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[raglansleeve in reply to Regenallotment]

I would also suspect that topical use would be less dangerous for me, but I'm still concerned. And yes, while I'm sure many might think that I'm nuts, I actually think that two other times I had topical iodine used during surgeries, were actually the two times that I had very bad thyroid episodes afterward that I now suspect were a result of the betadine. When I mentioned that to a doctor, they almost laughed me out of their office. My current other condition though, severely affects my quality of life, so I will probably have to take a chance. I'm just hoping to be prepared and if I knew more, might even up or lower my Synthroid and Cytomel doses beforehand. I hate the fact that I know that I have no one who can properly answer my questions. I can't imagine my GP or endo having a clue, and didn't ask my surgeon, who was the one who said I should give this a try.

I'm glad that you knew where to put your iodine, lol.