Hiya.I have recently sourced a batch of ERFA via a private pharmacy, but after reading the fine print on the bottle, I have noticed it also contains 0.2 % of iodine. I thought this would be counterproductive, as iodine supplementation is not recommended with hypothyroidism?
I am now concerned about taking it due to this!
🤔😒
Something odd here.
Several years ago Erfa were bought by Searchlight and, on their website, the documentation for Erfa Thyroid is here:
searchlightpharma.com/wp-co...
I have not been able to find any words or numbers which claim or imply 0.2% iodine added.
Can you post a picture of what you are seeing?
Personally, I wouldn't be at all concerned. 0.2 % of iodine if such a minuscule amount. I can't imagine it could have any effect at all.
Thanks, but I wonder why some batches have it and others may not. I thought only one manufacturer made ERFA? 🤔
I'll leave helvella to sort that question out! But, could it be that it's a natural component of the raw thyroid that it's made from, rather than an added ingredient?
Oh, possibly, not thought of that! So you think the percentage is too low to cause hypo symptoms? I am currently having substantial difficulties with the Thyroid-S I am taking causing hypo symptoms as well as other weirdnesses, so I want to avoid that where possible.
Hopefully the Erfa will work for you, but if it doesn't, I really doubt it will be anything to do with the 0.2% iodine. If it was me, I'd put that worry aside and give Erfa a try.
The label is NOT saying that anyone has added iodine!
Many years ago, before we could measure T4 and T3, indeed, before we even knew about T3, the potency of desiccated thyroid was assessed by techniques which measured the amount of iodine present in the desiccated thyroid powder.
This could be measured reasonably accurately. But it was not good enough to accurately assess potency - it just gives a general guide. The primary reason being that not all the iodine is actually part of T4 or T3. Also, the quantities of T4 and T3 are not entirely consistent.
The label is saying that 0.2% of the desiccated thyroid in a one grain tablet (65 milligrams) is iodine - and that works out to be 130 micrograms.
Now that we have decent ways of assaying T4 and T3, we know a lot more!
A one grain tablet or Erfa will contain 38 micrograms of T4 and 8 micrograms of T3. Together, they represent 27 micrograms of iodine.
That means the rest of the desiccated thyroid powder contains 103 micrograms of iodine. But it won't be free iodine - it will mostly be attached to proteins.
I hope that makes sense! If it doesn't, either ignore me entirely - or ask anything you need to. 
RedApple
All a bit too 'chemistry' for me, but I think the take home message is 'don't worry about it'?
Absolutely, I will now try with ease 😄. Thanks RedApple.
Oops, I feel a bit silly now... My lack of knowledge of the technical stuff I'm afraid 🤣. Thanks so much for that helpful info.
There is no reason to feel silly - at all.
Some of us have been immersed in these things for many years and at least have an idea - even if we then have to check it up! And still we find we are wrong all too often.
All thyroid hormones contain iodine. That's what thyroid hormone is. Every molecule of T4 contains four atoms of iodine. A molecule of T3 contains 3 atoms of iodine. That's how they got their names. And that's why the thyroid needs iodine: it's one of the ingredients of thyroid hormone.
It's excess iodine that causes problems, not the iodine from thyroid hormone replacement, but iodine supplements taken on top of that, as some people do.
This is probably just waffle, and might be a misunderstanding on my part.
I thought all thyroid hormone preparations sold as treatments for hypothyroidism (NDT, Levothyroxine, T3) were created, then when a huge batch had been made and thoroughly mixed the T4 and T3 levels were checked to see that the batch had the intended levels of T4 and T3. Perhaps the iodine level is also checked during this process? I have read that small amounts of Levo and T3 can be added to NDT if the strengths are not quite right.
Not waffle at all humanbean, very informative, thank you!
Cod and Chip the cod has more iodine than the Erfa.
I eat lots of fish and seafood all containing iodine. You can get your level of Iodine tested, that's what I did when I first joined this site.
That very small amount I wouldn't worry about.
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