Iodine
Free T4 is 12 Reference Range is 9-19
Free T3 is low 2.9 Reference Range is 3.1-6.2
I am taking 90 mg of Natural desiccated thyroid from Erfa. I didn't take any thyroid medication prior to my blood work. I believe that my reverse t3 is high that's why my T3 is so low. I tested Reverse T3 years ago and was too high. It's expensive so I don't want to test it again. Thank you for any comments of what I should do. I also take iodine 4 drops of 5% of Lugol's Solution and selenium 200 mcg every day.
Thank you, Paula
(Hawaii)
11/11/2018
The dose you are taking of Lugol's sounds very high. I take it occasionally for breast cysts that are brought on by eating chocolate or drinking coffee (both contain something called Theobromine, I believe) and it gets rid of the cysts in 2-3 days by taking 1 drop of Lugol's iodine solution in 16 oz. water one time a day. If I don't take the iodine and just eliminate coffee and chocolate the cysts will go away in 4-6 weeks.
(Richmond Hill, Canada)
11/12/2018
I just wanted to know if I need to increase my dose on my thyroid medication. What do you think about my test results? I didn't want to know about the iodine I just mentioned just to let people know what I am taking. I didn't write iodine on the top, just at the bottom, what I am taking at the moment for my hashimoto's. Thanks I am having a hard time with all the symtoms and I am getting nowhere. If anyone can help, I would appreciated.
Thanks, Paula
Iodine
Hi, I understand that it is ok to use iodine if you have Hashimotos as long as you are supported with selenium - according to Dr Brownstein MD but he also warns that some people can be allergic to it. As long as you only use small doses and have used selenium for a few weeks beforehand there should be no problem for most people with iodine. Thanks, Jane
Iodine
What should I do?
(Orlando, Fl)
10/30/2011
★★★★★
I am an avid follower of Dr. Jonathan Wright, and Dr. Mercola. The information on Dr. Wrights site is excellent regarding hypothyroid and Iodine. Two Dr's said in all their yrs of practice, I have the worst case they have ever seen, and described it as "off the charts" I have went from an energetic thin person to overweight, exhausted, depressed and anxiety ridden person overnight. I feel so ill sometimes, I even thought maybe I had cancer. After reading Dr. Wrights site last week, I purchased iodine (colored) to test my iodine, [put the orange color on my inside arm, and it completely disappeared within an hour. I then ran to a health food store, and purchased Iodine, and literally overnight, I felt better than I have in years. In 2 days, the huge lump I had on the right side of my neck, is completely gone. Nothing short of amazing for me. I plan on adding _____s apple cider vinegar next, and a few supplements that are purported to assist.
(Hi)
08/24/2020
Aloha, because it happened so fast, you should consider getting an RBC mineral test to see if you have any thallium or heavy metal poisoning! Go to a holistic doctor for this. Thallium is in rat poison and can make it into food sources. It has radioactive isotopes that can mess up the thyroid. This is what happened to me anyway.
(Sunnyvale, Ca)
04/21/2012
Iodine supplements must be taken with SELENIUM together.
Otherwise, iodine will actually harm the thyroid.
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=3621
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=3650
Do not take selenium alone, do not take iodine alone.
(Solana Beach)
09/15/2013
A friend of mine was just diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease. I read the two articles you included, and I thought they were VERY important articles... That should be read by everyone on Earthclinic and beyond... even if they don't have Hahimotos. We all need to understand the importance of the selenium-iodine balance. Thanks so much!
(Nc)
03/05/2015
I take kelp and evening primrose oil daily for my fibrocystic disease. It helps avoid my huge cyst from filling up with fluid. The last time I had it drained the doctor said I broke a record in how many syringes it took to drain... *7*! It was scary experience since I thought the huge swelling in my breast was cancer. Also it was VERY painful! EVENING PRIMROSE OIL + KELP TABs keep it from filling up! No more going to the doc to get it drained! Hope this helps!
(Anaheim)
09/28/2016
★☆☆☆☆
Be careful with Kelp.. I took kelp and it turned my Hypo symptoms into hyper, I had to take PTU and got hives when I stopped it cause it made me too low/hypo.. it was horrible.. my doc said no more kelp..
Iodine
Hi, I've been doing research on the effects of iodine on the thyroid and I seem to be going in circles. Some articles say iodine can shut down the thyroid if overused or cause an increase in antibodies. Yet, doesn't the thyroid need iodine to produce t3/t4? If Hashimoto's is more of an autoimmune disorder than hypothyroidism, is it wise to treat it the same way?
Also, I've been supplementing with potassium iodide for a few weeks and I've noticed memory/brain fog improvement. What are the advantages of using a mixture such as Lugol's (iodine and iodide) as opposed just iodide?
Hello Diego from Albequerce,
You are right, the body does need iodine for the thyroid to function properly, and for a lot of other things including producing hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Just a couple of drops of Lugol's solution or SSKI daily is enough to take care of this, but when you take increased dosage of either for prolonged period you need to have your TSH checked every month or two and if your TSH goes up it tells you to lay off the iodine awhile and let the body return to normal.
For further information on SSKI (saturated solution of potassium iodide which is not much different from the Lugol's solution) type Potassium iodide in a search window and go through references to pull out Dr. Jonathan Wright's great article on SSKI, which tells you what to use it for and how much to use and approximately how long. You can print this out to keep for future reference. After my bout in the hospital last spring, I started taking 6 drops of SSKI daily for multiple purposes (loosen secretions in the head/lungs, get rid of small renal cysts, flush cholesterol out of blood vessels, and also locally for hemorrhoids) but had to drop off after about 2-3 months of this dosage because it did suppress my thyroid (when taking larger dose for prolonged period should have TSH checked every month or two).
The doctor wanted to prescribe me a low dose thyroid supplement but I declined and told her I'd just stop the SSKI temporarily and increase my B complex vitamins (which the thyroid also requires for proper functioning) and have another TSH in a month or two. The next TSH was back to normal, which tells you that when you treat your body right it works with you and balances out.
Another thing you should remember with SSKI or Lugol's solution is that you should never take it with any water containing chlorine as this reacts with it and causes the potassium iodide to revert to iodine.
Dear Diego:
Potassium iodide in general has the least side effects when taking the iodine supplements. A lugol's solution for most people, the use is limited to 1-2 drops. However in the case of a client I know, who has severe Parkinson's disease, they are far more sensitive to the lugol's solution, taken either internally or applied externally to the feet or applied to the throat area. Hence I have found another kind of iodine which produces even less side effects then Edgar Cayce's Nascent Iodine, which is the hydrogen iodide. I had to since this particular case is a hypothyroid. A lot of researchers really got stuck into what forms of iodine has the least side effects and allow the body to utilize them. For most people, I will use lugols' 1-2 drops in the evening with 500 to 1000 mg of vitamin C as it is more available. A potassium iodide will also do fine and has few side effects, but iodine in general will cause some people, at least initially of acne, being the most common problems. In practice, the use of iodine against Hashimoto does reduce them, but it's more likely that a person will not increase in energy. The effects of iodine is because it's a halogen, and a required mineral, it will also drive out cancer causing fluoride and bromine out of the body, even after months of use, it will continue to drive them out. The beneficial effects is it re activates the pineal gland, which is considered your organ's clock mechanism, such as a CPU clock in the computer, and allows for more regular sleep cycle. For example, the common benefits from increase energy is likely more regular sleep patterns which is most responsible for the increase in energy.
The reason why there are conflicting information is the body simply has trouble trying to get iodine and utilized them, as many forms of iodine produces side effect. So the Quick and Dirty rule is commonly used by conventional medicine such as giving out, thyroid medication instead of the use iodine. So you get a quick fix approach, which commercial scale is cost effective, for them, but won't cure your condition as you will end up taking thyroid medication for the rest of your life. So that doesn't make economic sense as a consumer. It just makes economic sense for the conventional medicine approach. As a result the best forms of iodine I have found is hydrogen iodide, nascent iodine, potassium iodide (or a similar form SSKI), are the ones with the least problem. A lugol's makes more economic sense for most people as they are more easy to find, but it's limited by the dose a person can take, which is usually 1-2 drops with vitamin C before sleep and this works too, at least for most people.
The other problem is how to get the body to really utilize the iodine, hence it's possible that lugol's solution can be taken with tyrosine, which helps the body utilize them, but magnesium seems to be also an important factor too, not just vitamin C so the person can take larger dose of iodine without problems. Therefore in event of a hypothyroidism, which in severe cases leads to goiter, it was well known that the use of iodine in larger doses was in fact the cure fo thyroid. This fact is known for over 150 years, but in today's meidicine the quick and dirty rule is slash and burn, which translates to remove the goiter, and take thyroid medication for the rest of your life. That doesn't make sense, so some may rationalize and just say it is shut down.
However, too much iodine might not be possible for the body to utilized them, since other supplements are needed so the body can handle them, such as taking tyrosine amino acid along with the iodine. It would be a boon to actually allow the body to quickly utilize the iodine if other supplements are also taken so it can be cured faster. So if a simple case for most people I would modify taking a bit larger drops of Lugol's solution to say 4-5 drops every night, with vitamin C 1000 mg, and 500 mg of tyrosine supplements. Or a more conservative dose, if someone still have problems is just to limit to 1-2 drops again. Another indirect way is to take the tyrosine supplements 500 mg with vitamin C in the morning followed by a 10 drops in 1/2 glass of water with lugol's solution as just a mouthwash. That should also reduce some of the problems. SO the cause of hypothyroidism and goiter has been the lack of iodine, how we can take them without problems is the real issue. In fact iodine can cured malaria as same as MMS, but both has problems with the side effects and some can handle them, some cannot. It's all about finding the remedies that won't cause problems for a great majority of people, not a small minority of people. In general for the questions of Lugols' versus the potassium iodide, the answer is simply that potassium iodide produces less side effects then the Lugol's solution, such as light headedness is the ones I noticed, but I take in much larger dose, such as 10 drops to test for their side effects. I won't get these problems at 1-2 drops. As for potassium iodide in general, there's no lightheadness problem if the dose are reasonable and keeping it at 10 mg dose or below. It's harder to do a 10 mg dose on Lugol's. In general, Lugols' for most people are easier to obtain then potassium iodide, so if it's hard to get, people will just get Lugol's and get around the problem by taking them at night and take the vitamin C to reduce the side effects of lightheadedness. It's taken during the night because lugol's solution does make you sleepy. Hence it's one of my remedies to help sleep also and allows people for regular sleep patterns.
Ted
(Santa Monica, Ca)
11/10/2010
★☆☆☆☆
(Amesbury, Ma, Usa)
02/10/2011
I have tried iodine/iodide and I have Hashi's hyPOthyroidism. At first, iodine/ide makes me more tired even if I take Vitamin C with it. Then, after a week or so I get more energetic and feel better. Except for one thing. Along with the Hashi's, I also have the thyroid eye disease (ted) that usually comes with Grave's hyPERthyroidism. Iodine seems to make the double vision of the ted much worse and I can't live with the pain behind my eyes or the sensitivity to light when I paint myself with iodine. This doesn't make sense as I am normally very iodine deficient and I know we need iodine. Go figger! Anybody ever dealt with this?
Iodine and Antioxidants
THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF AUTOIMMUNE THYROID ILLNESSES: IODINE DEFICIENCY AND ANTIOXIDANT DEFICIENCY
Chapter 7 described the apoptotic (i.e., anticancer) effects of the iodinated form of lactone (delta-iodolactone). Iodolactone is not only important for preventing cancer, its production is also necessary to help regulate the oxidation of iodine. Figure 3 illustrates this regulatory step in the oxidation/organification of iodine.
As previously mentioned, the oxidation of iodide to iodine occurs through the interaction of H2O2 and TPO. Iodine is a necessary product in order to provide the correct molecule in the cell so that organification can occur. If organification does not take place or is blocked, thyroid hormone and iodo-lipids will not be formed. As can be seen from Figure 3, this reaction is controlled by intracellular calcium levels and iodinated lipids delta-iodolactone.
Intracellular calcium stimulates this pathway. On the other hand, delta-iodolactone and other iodinated lipids act as a brake on the system. If there is not enough iodine in the cell to organify and produce adequate amounts of delta-iodolactone, it can set the stage for damage to the thyroid cell and the development of an autoimmune thyroid disorder such as Hashimoto's or Graves' disease.
A Proposed Mechanism For The Development Of Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders
The NADPH oxydase system is found in the mitochondria of our cells. The mitochondria are the energy-producing cells of our body. The mitochondria produce energy (i.e., ATP) through a complex process called oxidative phosphorylation. All medical students (and most physicians) are familiar with oxidative phosphorylation because we have to memorize the many steps responsible for producing ATP. This production of ATP requires many items including: oxygen, magnesium, ADP, and amino acids.
Many people with chronic illnesses, such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and autoimmune disorders, complain they have no energy. ATP is the molecule that stores energy for the body. The body is constantly producing and utilizing ATP. Its production is a complex process that is beyond this book. However, there are two cofactors, Vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin), that are integral to stimulating oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production.
Hydrogen peroxide is a byproduct of oxidative phosphorylation. It is this production of hydrogen peroxide that is so critical to the oxidation process of iodine. Hydrogen peroxide and TPO help to oxidize iodide to form iodine.
If there is a deficiency in iodine, which is common when ingesting the RDA for iodine, there will not be enough substrate (i.e. , iodine) to produce iodinated lipids. As can be seen from Figure 3, the lack of delta-iodolactone and other iodinated lipids results in a loss of the 'brake' in the pathway to oxidize iodide. This may result in a temporarily production of too much hydrogen peroxide. This excess hydrogen peroxide can damage the enzyme TPO.
What Happens If TPO Is Damaged? Autoimmune Thyroid Illness
The body's response to TPO damage is to produce antibodies against TPO or anti-TPO antibodies. A diagnosis of Hashimoto's disease requires the presence of anti-TPO antibodies. As the damage worsens, surrounding proteins can also be damaged such as thyroglobulin. Damaged thyroglobulin will result in the body producing antibodies against thyroglobulin - anti-thyroglobulin antibodies.
In most cases of Hashimoto's disease, there are antibodies to both TPO and thyroglobulin present. Although Graves' disease may also possess these same antibodies, antibody production is not necessary to make the diagnosis of Graves' disease. However, my clinical experience has shown that the treatment for both Hashimoto's and Graves' disease can follow a similar course with similar positive outcomes.
How to Treat Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders
1. Ingest enough iodine in order to provide adequate substrate to iodinate lipids.
2. Take Vitamins B2 and B3 in amounts necessary to stimulate the NADPH system to produce adequate amounts of H2O2.
3. Correct oxidant stress in the thyroid gland and the mitochondria with antioxidants.
4. Ensure adequate magnesium levels.
5. Minimize oxidative stress in the body.
(Tyler, Tx)
06/13/2013
(San Fernando, Philippines)
06/25/2013
Hi Lou.... There are many medical theories concerning vitiligo. Some believe that vitiligo arises because of an over-abundance of hydrogen peroxide in the skin area caused by a lack of anti-oxidants such as catalase enzyme and SOD to get rid of it. The hydrogen peroxide acts as a bleach which turns the brown pigments white. Other minds believe that it is an anti-immune reaction against the cells producing the brown pigment melanin.
Personally, I'll go with Ted's view that vitiligo is caused by fungus. This is really the root cause of vitiligo in my book.
(Cardiff, Wales)
06/26/2013
Hi, I have to agree on this. I got Vitiligo in the UK. It is recognized as inward turned stress. If natural remedies don't work, try Nizarol Shampo. Although it's applied to your skin, it does not leak into your body. Others have had great success with Selsian Blue. I am alway's searching for a way to get rid of this Devil!! It hurts!!! It's just not the discolouration, it's the agitation that it causes as well. I belive it's the Major cause of my neuropathic pain! xxx
(Cardiff, Wales)
06/27/2013
Follow up to my last post on Vitiligo. Sorry it is called 'SELSUN' in UK... But I think it's 'SELSIUM' in USA. I will go look and correct any other mistakes I may have made. But the 'VITILIGO' forums I went on were USA... I love The American people, they're real honest and open about health problems and willing to share what worked for them, and don't try to sell you some, B.S. product. Also can everyone please 'REPORT' any Links That say's IT'S FREE!! And when you 'click', on the link....... 'THERE IT IS!!!!!!! ' A product being sold????? That's EVIL!!!!!! Some one finds something that 'cured' them..... Then sells Books, E-Books and Products which are all given with good intention on here. OK!!!!! For instance, under 'COPD' Some one posted a so called 'FREE E-BOOK-LINK, I thought I bet it's the 'DR WILLIAM'S PROTOCOL FOR 'H202 ORAL INGESTION'.... So I purchased it. Do not bother!!! I am not stupid, I just wanted to save deperate people from spending money they can't afford, neither can I!!! ALL THE INFO IN THERE HAS BEEN COPIED OFF EC!!!!!!! PLEASE NOTIFY EC....... IF YOU SPOT SOME THING 'DOGEY' I always do. Love Andrea C xxxx
(Miami, FL)
01/02/2015
Kombucha Tea
(United States)
12/31/2014
★☆☆☆☆
Kombucha Tea
Kombucha Tea
★★★★★
EC: More about https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/kombucha_tea.html
(New Fairfield, Ct)
08/29/2009
My question is to Susan from Seattle, What treatment if any were you using to treat your Hashimoto's? I have read on a Hypothyroid forum that antibodies will lessen as hashimoto's worsen which it will if not treated with thyroid meds (preferably Natural Dessicated thyroid). I am curious to know if you suffer any symptoms of hypothyroidism? I have heard of the many benefits of Kombucha tea but very much want to know if it cured your hypothyroidism or if you are just assuming so because you are not showing antibodies. In a nutshell are you symptom free since taking this and nothing else?
(Highland, Il)
05/12/2010
★☆☆☆☆
I have just been diagnosed with Hashimoto's and was looking up giving up gluten. I have been drinking homemade kombucha for about three years now. Although I think it's a great immune booster and I really like it, I guess this proves that it's not a cure for everybody. I still hypothyroidism and have had it for around 7 years.
(Chilton, Wi)
05/18/2010
I also came to the conclusion that Kombucha tea could be the answer. I only just received my diagnosis of Hashimoto's disesase. The doctors in my area are not very vigilant about validating their patients' concerns. Therefore, I've been forced to take it upon myself to find a cure for my condition, rather than just be ill for the rest of my life and mask the symptoms with medication. I'll be trying the Kombucha tea cure because I too read about the yersinia bacteria as well as TH1 antibodies.
(Appleton, Wi)
10/31/2010
Dear PinkDiamondz,
I too live in Wisconsin and the doctors here have NO CLUE about Hashi's. I read the book everyone has mentioned, and I knew I had it. My female dr in appleton said that "Hashimoto's is so rare, there is virtually no chance of you having it. " She basically said its all in my head, and that I am "anxious". I persisted, and she said fine, if it will make you stop worrying, I will feel better too, so go to the endocrinologist. After the endocrinologist asked me a few questions, I asked him "with all of these symptoms, is it possible that I might have hashimotos?" He said "Might? There is no doubt you have hasimotos! Its obvious! " Now he put that in my medical record on the computer, but my dr not wanting to admit I was right, left my diagnosis as "Primary Hypothyroidism". I hate the doctors here. They scare the hell out of me. I want to move back to Canada, no offence. Dr. Michael Johnson, a chiropractor in Neenah, WI, deals with hashimotos and give you oxygen therapy, 12 different blood tests, and a bunch of other stuff about your diet, and no gluten. 100% gluten free. But I can't get his help because he only takes credit or cash, and it costs $9,000 and I am on UI. I can't get well because no one will help me. I'm poor and alone. All my relatives are in Nova Scotia. PinkDiamondz, please contact me so we can compare notes by email or phone. I need help desperately. I am getting sicker.
[email protected]
(Chilton, Wi)
12/01/2010
(Asheville, Nc)
09/22/2011
Hello Susan from Seattle - I am so excited to read your post! I am writing a book about the stories of people who have cured Hashimoto's disease and would love to interview you for the book. Could you please be in touch? If anyone else out there has cured themselves, please be in touch as well. We are all on this site to help each other. Thank you so much, Miriam
(Dudley, Ma)
12/25/2011
Low-Dose Ivermectin
★★★★★
All signs pointed to looming Hashimoto's with an initial hyperthyroid phase (hashitoxicosis.) Finally one physician (I consulted with 6) came to this diagnosis. I had suspect the same but was tired of trying to offer my view to physicians as it seemed to set their will against me and my impressions.
In any event, I saw a man who had posted on this site who had taken Ivermectin for Hashimoto's and when he had blood work done after some time (months?) it came back as completely gone. I did everything I could: bugleweed, motherwort, lemon balm, selenium, black seed oil, inositol, etc. But I still had these frightening attacks. I awakened with a racing heart nearly every night and whenever I would stretch, my heart rate would go up 20 or more bpm. (I believe this racing heart from stretching may be due to higher cholesterol since my thyroid became less active.) In any event, taking 1/2 mg of Ivermectin at bedtime stopped these attacks. I should add I was also taking LDN and it may have been effective to some degree. but it also caused me to awaken at 1 and 3 am nearly every night. I stopped the LDN. Well, something worked because last blood work showed TPO at 71. That was 2 months ago and the attacks seem to have stopped and I feel quite good. I should add that I followed a NO SUGAR, anti-inflammatory diet. I also had to do AIP for 3 weeks because the beta blocker I took, Carvedelol [sp?] caused me to have food sensitivities I had never had in my life. Three weeks of AIP was plenty for me. Also, a British woman had posted that ascorbic acid healed her leaky gut. It did mine too. I turned the corner taking 3 mg ascorbic acid a day.
I would be fascinated to know if anyone has a theory as to how or why Ivermectin alleviated my symptoms. The gentleman who posted about it initially said, "TPO antibodies behave like parasites in the body." Godspeed to all who struggle with health issues. Goodness knows the drug pusher, pharmacy trained doctors know next to nothing about helping us. They're good for testing, x-rays and the like, but treatment? They offer mainly symptom masking poisons.
Zander,
Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic drug, so if it is able to alleviate your disease, then chances are you have got parasites in or around your thyroid.
Why is it that you keep getting misdiagnosed? Because medical schools ignore parasites as much as they can, I.e. the typical MD is trained to ignore parasites, AND blame their action on something else, such as autoimmunity.
No, I am not saying that TPO antibodies behave like parasites in the body. What I am saying is that you might have a microscopic intracellular parasite infestation resulting in the inflammation of your thyroid and the presence of TPO antibodies.
May I suggest you continue using an anti-parasitic drug such as Ivermectin, and stop saying it is an autoimmune disorder.
I hope this will help.
(Montana)
07/20/2024
It's possible that the ivermectin worked because in some cases a parasite called blastocystihomimus (spelling?! ) can cause problems. Also EBV can be part of the cause. Like you I experience elevated bp and heart related symptoms. They used to be extremely scary and I think my reaction made them worse. I stay calm now and do better. I have found that a combo of nettle and dandelion teas daily (traditional medicinals brand is what I use) helped me a lot. Not sure why…? I've noticed that I also experience a rise in bp when I'm getting sick, so I'm guessing that the triggered immune response causes the rise..? I'm so sorry you find yourself in this predicament!! I wouldn't wish Hashi's on my worst enemy. 😢
Low-Dose Naltrexone
★★★★★
(new england, usa)
07/12/2024
(Miami)
07/13/2024
★★★★★
A functional medicine doctor would give you a prescription. Or call to any compounding pharmacy and ask the names of physicians who prescribe LDN. In many countries it is sold without a prescription. Most allopathic doctors confuse it with Naltrexone 50mg and it is impossible to get a prescription from them. Besides they belong to a Health System and are being heavily monitored.
My mom started and continued with 3.5mg. Supersensitive people, people with MTHFR polymorphosms MIGHT want to start with 1mg, but it is not necessary in my opinion. LDN cost is about $90 for a 90 days supply.
Nascent Iodine
I have Hashimoto's and have for a long time and tried all meds and diets to no avail. They just make me worse even after several attempts.
I have now decided to take Nascent Iodine. I have had a small trial with it a while back and it worked well except my TSH went up too high. Anyway I wish to try it again, but I am not sure how many drops I should take and the other vitamins with it.
I was going to take selenium, magnesium, vitamin D (deficient) B12 Injections (deficient), vitamin C and zinc. Would you be able to point me in the right direction of how much to use of each and if I need others as I have read conflicting things on the net. Oh and one more thing - take it at night or morning?
thank you, Lynda
(Miami, FL)
09/05/2014
(San Fernando, Philippines)
09/06/2014
Hi Lynda...Regarding supplementing iodine, these links will give you the most useful advice on form, dosages, frequency etc:
The Guide to Supplementing Iodine
The Role of Iodine Companion Nutrients
My own preference, and the preference of many independent researchers is to use either the lugol's iodine or Iodoral forms. Triiodide, in the form of Nascent Iodine(NI), is usually given at too low dosages to be effective. NI is also not as good as the other two forms -- for instance the triiodide or NI form will not detox your body as well lugol's iodine or Iodoral which contain all three useful iodine forms -- triiodide, molecular iodine and iodide which all have considerable beneficial action in the body.
Here's some more research on using iodine supplementation for Hashimoto's:
Hashimoto's Questions Answered
Hashimoto's and the Importance of Selenium
Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disorder where your antibodies end up attacking your TPO enzyme in the thyroid. This happens because there is insufficient glutathione peroxidase in the thyroid cells to prevent the excess build-up of hydrogen peroxide free radicals(which are naturally produced from the thyroid hormone producing process). Normal amounts of glutathione peroxidase act to quickly quench these free radicals, so if you are deficient in glutathione then these free radicals will act to oxidize and change the TPO protein structure which the antibodies immediately recognize as the enemy -- so they attack TPO, further damaging the thyroid.
Proper amounts of glutathione peroxidase can only be generated with proper levels of selenium intake in the diet because the central metallic atom for glutathione is selenium.
Some more information on this concerning other factors which might also be involved in Hashimoto's:
Hashimoto's and Molecular Mimicry
i also would not worry to much about your TSH going up if you take the iodine. The TSH normally always goes back down to normal after awhile. I would also monitor your Free T3 and Free T4 periodically, since this is a much more accurate and proper measurement of your thyroid hormone levels. So I wouldn't worry too much about your TSH levels:
TSH: Why This Measurement is Useless
I would first just take all the companion nutrients with no iodine for 3 or 4 days to build up the minerals and enzymes to necessary and adequate levels in order to accommodate the thyroid process. When you start supplement with iodine, start small and go slow until you reach the proper daily dose.
I would also take the the daily dose of iodine in smaller split dosages during the day. Avoid taking larger dose iodine during the evening because it tends to energize you -- and might cause difficulty with sleeping.
(Australia)
09/08/2014
(Australia)
09/08/2014
Rhodiola
★★★★★
I have been taking Russian-Rhodiola for a week now, 300g in the morning. I'll see my Doctor tomorrow, as I am also under pills for my thyroid, and I would like to replace thyroid chemical pills (Levothyroxine sodium - thyroid hormones) with rhodiola's cure, let's see what he's going to tell me. I feel definitely better, from the first day. I used to be chronically tired, now not anymore.
EC: Read more about Rhodiola here.
Selenium
(Boca Raton, FL)
01/30/2009
The vitamins that usually go along with iodine are Selenium, Sulfur, Magnesium, B6(which helps the body story more Magnesium), and Niacin.
The Guy Abraham and Brownstein research on Iodine looks pretty good. Hyperthyroid is sometimes associated with high iodine intake. Iodine kills fungus, so Bacterial infections makes some sense for this disease. Perhaps extra vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate) would come in handy.
Anyways, Magnesium Citrate, which Ted often recommends for a leaky guy, seems to cure "Yersinia enterocolitica", if Yersinia is the cause.
Could Antibiotics Cure Your Hashimoto's Disease
Foodborne Bacteria May Be a Cause of Hashimoto's Disease
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/yersinia.htm
"In this research, investigators studied the prevalence of antibodies to Yersinia enterocolitica in patients with diagnosed Hashimoto's thyroiditis. What the researchers found was the the prevalence of antibodies to yersinia --evidence of exposure -- was 14 times higher in people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis than in the control groups."
http://iai.asm.org/cgi/reprint/63/12/4837.pdf
Y. enterocolitica strains were cured of the virulence plasmid by
streaking them on Luria-Bertani agar plates containing 20 mM MgCl2 and 20
mM NaC2O4 and incubating the plates overnight at 378C (11).
Yersinia enterocolitica induces apoptosis in macrophages by a process requiring functional type III secretion and translocation mechanisms and involving YopP, presumably acting as an effector%u2009protein
http://www.pnas.org/content/94/23/12638.abstract
(Santa Monica, Ca)
11/10/2010
(Us, Usa)
09/17/2011
I was just looking at the "Selenium Cures" page on this site, as well as researching it in general. They're saying that more than 2 brazil nuts per day is dangerous. That you can get your "recommended" amount of selenium from just 2, and some are saying just one. One source was also saying that the danger is more than just too much selenium, but that this nut has some type of poison(s), and so advising not to eat more than 2 per day.
I purchased a bag of brazil nuts recently, and at first was just eating 2 (I'd remembered reading previously that this was a good amount to eat), but then seemed to be craving them, so I let myself eat 6. And I've been doing that for the last several days. I was feeling a little sick a couple of times, but that may be because of the high fat. That's more fat than I usually eat (liver issues). Also, I wasn't even considering that I might be getting too much selenium--and not taking into account that I'm also taking several different supplements (and foods) that contain selenium.
So I'm pulling back on the brazil nuts. No more than 2 from now on and will make a note of how much I'm getting from food/supps.
Very appreciative of the information on this site.
Shen Lu
★★★★★
Subclinical Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism Remedies
(Denver)
02/22/2014
