Iodine - Can It Really Be That Bad?: I understand... - Thyroid UK

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Iodine - Can It Really Be That Bad?

6 months ago•45 Replies

I understand that there is such controversy on taking external iodine.

Yet, levothyroxine has lots of iodine from what I have gathered from other posts (and as I recently found out it is also composed of/from the amino acid tyrosine).

And, occasionally, I have come across people with thyroid disease who report success with their health in taking it.

I would be interested in learning of personal experiences with taking iodine. The good, the bad, and everything in between.

I think I may test my iodine and tyrosine levels next!

Ever learning.

Love and Peace.

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HealthStarDust

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45 Replies

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greygoose6 months ago

It was that bad for me! I was undiagnosed, didn't even know what a thyroid was! I did have symptoms, though, although I didn't know it: mainly uncontrollable weight - one minute well over-weight, the suddenly skinny; and I had always had heavy, painful periods, and other niggly little things. Went to the doctor for a sudden increase in floaters in my eyes. He did no examination, no blood tests, didn't even ask any questions, but prescribed iodine. Everything got suddenly worse: weight piled on and stayed on! Periods got heavier and more painflu. Etc. Etc. Etc. I wouldn't recommend anyone take it.

HealthStarDust• in reply togreygoose6 months ago

Ooo! That sounds awful. Though, I am not sure what you mean by floaters in your eyes.

helvella• in reply toHealthStarDust6 months ago

Quick link:

Floater

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floater

There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of videos about floaters. Many recommend all sorts of unproven "treatments" and I do not want to link to any of them because I simply do not have the time to view before posting a link, as well as what I find good others may dislike, but you can easily search for them.

On this forum, we have had a lot of posts about the impact of the medicine Amiodarone which is very high in iodine. Have a read:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

IdahoMountainGirl• in reply togreygoose6 months ago

Floaters are parasites. Most doctors won't tell you this and many others don't know themselves.

greygoose• in reply toIdahoMountainGirl6 months ago

Pretty sure they're just dead cells floating around in the blood. But it had nothing to do with covid because this was about 40 years ago, and the floaters have pretty much gone now. Still have Hashi's, thoug!

helvella• in reply togreygoose6 months ago

Pretty sure I agree!

There are very occasional reports of some worm or other - but such reports are made quite simply because the issue is so rare.

IdahoMountainGirl• in reply tohelvella6 months ago

No, not rare at all, it's just that big pharma doesn't want to tell you what they are, because if you remove them, you're cured and no longer need the synthetic drugs. Most countries de-worm their populations at least 2 times a year and often 4 times a year. The anti-parasitic can be purchased without a script from the doctors. Just go to the pharmacy. Those who have been removing parasites in their bodies discover how well their thyroid comes back on line. If people have the correct info, they can heal themselves quite quickly.

helvella• in reply toIdahoMountainGirl6 months ago

If you are going to make claims like that we expect, we require, references.

Not necessarily deep science papers.

Most countries de-worm their populations at least 2 times a year and often 4 times a year.

Which countries?

The anti-parasitic can be purchased without a script from the doctors.

Which anti-parasite?

Indeed, which parasites?

IdahoMountainGirl• in reply tohelvella6 months ago

A easy google search will give you those answers in more detail. If you wish to really heal yourself, making an effort to research is part of the package. Happy researching.

helvella• in reply toIdahoMountainGirl6 months ago

I'm afraid that reply (and the previous replies) appear to breach two guidelines:

14. Posts, replies and comments posted on the website should be designed to support, not replace, medical advice.

15. Members posting on Thyroid UK must only post information which is true and correct to their knowledge. If relevant, please provide references to health or medical information.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

HealthStarDust• in reply toIdahoMountainGirl6 months ago

I thought asking you was a part of my research since you were the source of the information.

thyr01d• in reply toIdahoMountainGirl6 months ago

Please IdahoMountainGirl will you give us the information? I would really like to heal myself because without medication I am at coma level but on replacement thyroid I really don't have the energy to go searching on Google and trying to work out which articles are genuine and reliable and which not. It would help us enormously, since you know already, if you would share this knowledge. Please?

HealthStarDust• in reply tohelvella6 months ago

I want to know too.

RedApple• in reply toIdahoMountainGirl6 months ago

'Most countries de-worm their populations at least 2 times a year and often 4 times a year. '

IdahoMountainGirl, you are posting on a UK based forum. 'De-worming' is not practised here, and we cannot 'purchase' anti-parasitics from doctors here either.

HealthStarDust• in reply toIdahoMountainGirl6 months ago

Most countries? Which? I did not realise this was the case.

And, which anti parasitic are you referring to? If it’s so great I’m sure we’d all lien to know and buy it from the world wid seen. Seriously, I’m curious.

radd• in reply toHealthStarDust6 months ago

HSD,

A common natural anti parasite/wormer is diatomaceous earth. It's used by people not wanting to use phrarmacuticals.

I'm not advocating or condemning this product.

thyr01d• in reply togreygoose6 months ago

The brain screens out the floaters so we no longer see them even though they are still there. Clever hey!

blondpalomino• in reply toIdahoMountainGirl6 months ago

Never heard that one before! From the college of Optometrists - floaters appear as black spots in your eyes, they occur as you get older and the vitreous gel in the eye shrinks and separates away from the retina. They are harmless, but if you see a sudden increase in floaters you need to get to an eye casualty department immediately as it could be a retinal detachment.

thyr01d• in reply toIdahoMountainGirl6 months ago

I believe floaters are of different kinds, for instance people with macular degeneration suffer from them and I don't think those are parasites. My daughter has something like toxoplasmosis (slightly different name) and the most likely cause of that is a worm from cat or dog poo (if pregnant mum inadvertently comes into contact with it). When it flared up she had floaters and I think those are of a parasitic source. The source of my daughter's type can also be eating unwashed salad, according to the eye consultant - worth knowing, I no longer eat salad when eating out nor if prepared by friends who don't wash it first.

LuckyKat6 months ago

It depends whether you have sufficient iodine in your system already. I was deficient, supplemented to sufficiency and then stopped. Wouldn't be without the benefits.

HealthStarDust• in reply toLuckyKat6 months ago

How did you find out if you was deficient?

I’m not sure what you mean by “wouldn’t be without the benefits”.

JuSa446 months ago

I find the arguments for supplementing with iodine to be very compelling although it is so difficult to know what the truth is. I read the book 'The Iodine Crisis' by Lynne Farrow, which I found very interesting.

Iodine is clearly useful and effective because my husband recently had a bad staph infection on his skin and he put Lugol's iodine on it and it seems to have worked really well.

I'm not sure what to think about supplementing iodine with thyroid issues but, like you, I'm intrigued by the topic and am keen to learn more.

helvella• in reply toJuSa446 months ago

There is no issue with applying topical iodine provided that the amount is proportionate to the issue. Though most commonly povidone iodine is used. That allows the minimum amount of elemental iodine to be used and it tends to be retained at site of application (and close by) and for longer than other forms such as Lugol's or tincture of iodine.

However, there are plenty of documented cases of iodine used in major trauma and during operations where that iodine has caused thyroid issues.

There seems to be a major difference in the effects of iodine on people who have generally had sufficient iodine rather than those who have always been borderline/low in iodine. I suspect this is one reason for the huge variation in personal experiences.

There is also an enormous amount of misinformation, even disinformation, on the topic.

HealthStarDust• in reply tohelvella6 months ago

Yes, the variation in experiences could be explained by a persons baseline levels before taking iodine.

HealthStarDust• in reply toJuSa446 months ago

I am so intrigued by it.

Tell me more about this cream/lotion for skin? It sounds interesting.

helvella6 months ago

"levothyroxine has lots of iodine"

Be careful here.

Yes, levothyroxine is around 63.54% iodine. But is that lots of iodine?

The most common daily iodine requirement is put at 150 micrograms. A single 100 microgram tablet contains about 42% of that. So significant - but modest.

And that iodine only becomes free when the levothyroxine is converted into T3 (or T3 into T2, etc.) Individual atoms of iodine being released and picked up by the systems which perform recirculation or excretion.

When we see iodine supplementation, discussion often starts at 1000 micrograms and goes up to 25,000 micrograms or even higher. That really is lots of iodine. And it is the whole lot all at once.

And many iodine supplements are based on seaweeds. Any quoted iodine content is read from a list. They do not measure each batch of kelp or other seaweed. What you get could be much less, or much more, than the label appears to claim.

You also often see claims about the astonishing intake of iodine in Japan. With hair-rising quantities sometimes being quoted. Yet more sober and balanced assessment comes out suggesting they on average consume 3000 micrograms a day. Much more than UK average. But much less than is sometimes promoted.

Sparklingsunshine• in reply tohelvella6 months ago

Doesn't Japan also have higher levels of thyroid problems and thyroid cancer though?

helvella• in reply toSparklingsunshine6 months ago

Yes - it does. (Though I'd have to check statistics because it might be some specific disorders are higher with others lower.)

But often it is claimed that their high levels of iodine intake protect them from thyroid disease. And that is why it is such a good idea to take iodine. Even if that is just plain wrong.

Sparklingsunshine• in reply tohelvella6 months ago

I was scouting about for some papers on Japanese iodine consumption, interestingly thyroid cancer rates are going up in Japan, for both genders. However that might be down to earlier or better diagnosis.

Interestingly China and South Korea also have higher thyroid cancer rates as well. As ever these things are never straightforward.

HealthStarDust• in reply toSparklingsunshine6 months ago

Since it is a not tested often enough, it could be thought that Japan are better at testing.

I may be wrong, but isn’t Japan’s TSH range and level for diagnosis for hypothyroidism higher too?

HealthStarDust• in reply tohelvella6 months ago

Yes, levothyroxine is around 63.54% iodine. But is that lots of iodine?

It’s more than half of its contents, so yes, that certainly seems a lot to me.

helvella• in reply toHealthStarDust6 months ago

But the amount of levothyroxine in a dose (any real dose!) is incredibly small.

I mean, there are relatively few medicines that are measured in doses less than one milligram.

And, in healthy people with varied diets, even considerably more - such as 1000 micrograms (1 milligram) of iodine - wouldn't usually be a concern.

HealthStarDust• in reply tohelvella6 months ago

But it’s a lot to me! I’m allowed to hold my own view on what it considered a lot to me.

RedApple6 months ago

tattybogle has a very useful post with sources/references about iodine here:

Iodine ~ a collection of useful information ( because the search facility on Health Unlocked is totally pants) healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

HealthStarDust• in reply toRedApple6 months ago

Thank you. I really was interested in people’s personal experiences.

RedApple• in reply toHealthStarDust6 months ago

Other members reading here may find those useful though.

HealthStarDust• in reply toRedApple6 months ago

It would be nice for me particularly my foggyish brain if contributions would focus on what is being asked as it often end’s up conflating so many other matters and going off track.

RedApple• in reply toHealthStarDust6 months ago

It would also be nice for admins if that were to happen on all post threads. We have a hard time trying to keep up with everything that's posted on this incredibly busy forum. But then again, if no-one ever strayed off topic, we might as well all be robots.

tattybogle• in reply toHealthStarDust6 months ago

my only direct experience of the effect of iodine on thyroid is this :

my TSH was 0.06 ... around my 'usual' level for 13yrs (on levo)

in 2016 I had iodinated contrast dye for a CT scan, and a few wks later (can't remember how many exactly) my TSH was 7.9 (scan found no issues and i had no other illness at the time, so no other apparent reason for the dramatic change in TSH)

I don't know how long it took to go down again cos i wasn't tested again for a couple of years, and by then it had returned to my usual 0.04 ish and stayed there for a couple of years until i changed dose.

I really can't remember how i felt at the time TSH spiked , as i only found out the TSH went that high many yrs later, when i got my records.

Interestingly ~ despite the large spike in TSh level , my fT4 and fT3 levels were pretty much unchanged fT4 was 59% then 66%... fT3 was 42% then 32% (even more astonishingly , the NHS tested my TSH / fT4 and fT3 , both before and after the CT....)

HealthStarDust• in reply totattybogle6 months ago

Thank you so much for sharing.

Also, your mostly stubborn TSH always fascinates me anyway.

IdahoMountainGirl6 months ago

I have been on the Lugol's Iodine protocol for 35 years. My grandmother and her crowd took a drop of iodine in a bit of water each and every day when I was just a kid. So I was familiar with why they took it and their dedication to keep as healthy as they could. If you follow the protocol correctly, take your time and keep with it, it won't flare up on you. It does start with saturating the adrenals with celtic sea salt for two weeks before taking the iodine drops. This prepares the body and keeps the adrenals happy.

One of my most informative books which speaks of iodine, is from a country doctor named D.C. Jarvis. It was written in 1957 and still holds more info on iodine and other cures than anything out there today. Simple is always better in my world. Things don't have to be so complicated.

Iodine book

HealthStarDust• in reply toIdahoMountainGirl6 months ago

Thank you for sharing.

What benefits have you seen with your iodine use to continue it for so long?

Katherine12346 months ago

I am an iodine user. Lugol's iodine. 2 drops in a glass of water or a 50 pence size spread on my tummy, sometime I will goes days without it. I do not have Hashimoto's just an under performing thyroid that went down each time after I gave birth. Then righted itself and then decided to go down again when I was 50 and stay there. Sea salt is a must for me with iodine. I also take selenium and L-tyrosine to help conversion. I am on 75mcg of T4 and 20mcg of T3.

HealthStarDust• in reply toKatherine12346 months ago

And, thank you for sharing. I have more to share but it’s time for bed 😘

HealthStarDust• in reply toKatherine12346 months ago

Right… I am back! And I have so many questions but I’ll try to keep them few and short. Not that you are obliged to answer.

Firstly, I want to say thank you so much for sharing as I acknowledge that it can be difficult for people who take iodine to express it so openly, particularly on these types of forums where the dominant view often appears to shun iodine use. So, thank you!

The main questions I have:

Why do you take iodine? And, how has it helped you? And, how long have you been taking it including post diagnosis from 50 years?