The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Kelp
Posted by Ann (Worcester, MA) on 05/25/2008
★★★★★
Kelp: It works wonders for thyroid disorders. It can be given to cats dogs and humans. What ever the problem it will get the job done. Can be purchased at local heath food store. Used in cooking or can be added to pets food.
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Mary (Illinois) on 06/05/2013
Hi Jan from Buffalo, what were your other symptoms?? I've been under a great deal of stress and think I may have hyperthyroidism. I hate this nervous feeling and panic/anxiety!! Thank you. Feel free to email me:maryleej3 (at) hotmail [dot] com.
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Carmel (Essex, England) on 12/15/2015
This really interests me. I have a slightly underactive thyroid and tried the usual thyroxide from the doctor - all three brands - all three brands gave me worse problems than the original problem, was not able to work or live a normal life on them as feeling so bad. I tried the natural thyroids too and they made me feel awful in different ways. So I now take iodine/kelp together with brazil nuts - for selenium - and so far although not perfect I feel far better and am able to live a normal life and enjoy life again. Would love to hear from others. Carmel. Thanks.
Where to Buy: USA
Posted by Pam (Pueblo, CO) on 11/19/2007
In Oct. 07 I special ordered lugol's solution from Wal-Mart pharmacy. The price was $28 & tax for 1 pint. Since it seems like people are having a hard time finding it I will try giving you the brand. It is Humco, Strong Iodine Solution, Quality Rx Prescription, Lugol's Solution. It contains 5% iodine, 10% pot. io-dide, pur. water. Says can be used internally. Good Luck!
Iodine Warnings
Posted by Lana (Ormond, USA) on 11/13/2007
Ingesting ACV has long been used for medical treatment and is sometimes very effective.. HOWEVER, one should also take an iodine supplement, such as kelp tablets or kelp extracts while using this therapy. Extended ACV consumption can remove iodine from the body, and can result in thyroid problems. (Salt also causes the same problems which is why commercial salt has added iodine.) I learned all this back in the early 1970's, and have not found this important information on iodine/ACV interaction in any articles or books recently. However I have not covered your entire site. So in case no one has mentioned this yet, it really needs to be addressed.
Iodine Warnings
Posted by Sharon (Valdosta, GA) on 02/11/2008
Lana from Ormond wrote that ACV inteferes with Iodine consumption. This confuses me and causes some concern as the bottle of Lugol's I'm using has this instruction printed on the bottle: "take on an empty stomach 20 minutes before eating in an 8oz glass of distilled water with a teaspoon ACV for slight acidification". So does ACV interfere or help????
Iodine Warnings
Posted by Pamela (Houston, Texas) on 12/04/2008
I thought I would add my 2 cents. There is an article on the internet by Dr. DeForest Clinton Jarvis, from his book Arthritis & Folk Medicine of him recommending using avc and iodine together. See attached link on article:
http://www.jcrows.com/MaryJoFahey_IodineRemediesSecretsFromTheSea.pdf
It is a good read all about iodine very informative. Thanks for your input. It takes all of us working together and sharing information. Keeping looking for where you got your information so we can get the whole picture.
Where to Buy: USA
Posted by Toby McAdam (Livingston, MT) on 10/25/2007
Just a note to let you know that we offer Lugol's Iodine solution at
www.bloodrootproducts.com. If you would ike to contact us feel free to do so. Our phone number is 406-222-9949. Thank you and excellent web site. We would like to provide a link to your site if that is acceptable to you. Thank you Toby McAdam
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Maria J. (Orlando, FL) on 08/06/2007
★★★☆☆BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Well it's a weird story because I think Iodine helped me and then didn't do so much good. I had a pain like "something stuck in my throat" and the acupuncturist thought it was my thyroid so she gave me potassium iodine drops to drink (20 or 40 a day - remember it is not regular iodine); and these were great to alleviate the pain and gave me the strength I needed to move, because I was in a point of suffering all the symptoms of a thyroiditis or a thyroxicosis; but then I took Ibuprofen and when the swelling of my thyroid was coming down, the iodine felt terrible so I stopped taking it! I really never knew which was the perfect dosage for the potassium iodine drops! I also took kelp, around 20 pills divided in 4 or 5 times in a day and they helped me a lot, but I was never sure if this is what I needed. I end up going to a specialist who immediately asked me to leave the iodine because he thought the help was just psychological, and charged me 250 dollars for saying this! I hope the traditional doctors learn about the iodine to properly help their patients. And I also hope that people who is suffering the hyperthyroid symptoms and hypothyroid too, should consider having some iodine to help ease the pain and problems. What I recommend very urgently is to have a blood test taken meassuring your thyroid levels (TSH and T4 and T3) way before taking the iodine or Kelp, because it can change those results and affect your helath or, worst, doctors might end up giving you the wrong medication - (as it happened to me and thank God they couldn't harm my thyroid too much!). Hope you all get well! Think that you will! Maria J.
Where to Buy: USA
Posted by Tom (Midland, Texas) on 05/23/2007
Lugol's Solution bought at Walmart: I special ordered Lugol's Solution at the local Walmart Pharmacy. Next day delivery. $30.03 for 500 mL.
Where to Buy: USA
Posted by Rachel (Reno, Nevada) on 04/17/2007
Last week I purchased decolorized iodine at Rite-Aid. A 2-ounce bottle was $4.59.
Where to Buy: USA
Posted by Ginny (Tampa, Florida) on 03/29/2007
I found decolorized iodine at our local CVS drugstore for $2.16 for a one-ounce bottle.
Where to Buy: USA
Posted by Dawn (Arlington, VA) on 03/27/2007
I found decolorized Iodine on Ebay for $3/bottle/1 ounce. The seller has over 1,000 in inventory.
Where to Buy: USA
Posted by Tamara (Houston, TX) on 03/25/2007
I had a lot of trouble finding decolorized iodine also, but I found it online. Try searching 'iodo blanco'! Good luck all!
Iodine Painting
Posted by Sandra (Clovis, CA) on 03/15/2007
Hi. I read on your site about someone's experience with painting iodine on the skin, having it disappear overnight, and then reappear after applying hydrogen peroxide. Here is an excerpt from a site I found: From the published data, the skin iodine patch test is not a reliable method to assess whole body sufficiency for iodine. Many factors play a role in the disappearance of the yellow color of iodine from the surface of the skin. For example, if iodine is reduced to iodide by the skin, the yellow color of iodine will disappear because iodide is white. In order to regenerate iodine on the skin, one needs to apply an oxidant such as hydrogen peroxide, complicating the test further. The evaporation of iodine from the skin increases with increased ambient temperatures and decreased atmospheric pressure due to weather conditions and altitude. For example, the yellow color of iodine will disappear much faster in Denver, Colorado at 5,000 feet above sea level then Los Angeles, California at sea level, irrespective of the amount of bioavailable iodine. This was taken from the site:
http://www.optimox.com/pics/Iodine/updates/UNIOD-02/UNIOD_02.htm . Just thought you might like to know.
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by Brad (Winnipeg, MB) on 03/14/2007
I cannot find lugol's anywhere in canada- it is possibly not approved. i did see lugol's iodine for marine purposes such as fish tanks. is this the same and can i take it internally or paint it? thanks, Brad
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by Louis (Courtenay, BC) on 04/19/2009
Hi Brad,
In regards to purchasing Lugol it is available in Canada with no restrictions (for now anyway), an you can purchase it at xenex lab. I just got some 500ml for $43.00 CAD including delivery and tax.
Good luck
Louis
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by Cindy (Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada) on 05/20/2009
I have checked all over for the Lugol's Iodine, and cannot find it anywhere, I did check the website for Xenex Labs, and you cannot direct order from them. Is there anywhere else to Look?
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by MJ (DC, U.S.A.) on 05/20/2009
You can order Lugol's Iodine online. To comply with EC's guidelines, I can't post the URL or site name, however if you do a Google search you should find the online store that sells it.
Good Luck!
EC: Feel free to send us urls for lugol's or food grade h202!
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by Anonymous (Anonymous, USA) on 05/20/2009
Looks like Amazon.com might carry it. Wishing YOU well!
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by T (Maryland, USA) on 05/21/2009
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by MJ (DC, U.S.A.) on 05/21/2009
I purchased Lugol's Iodine online from JCrow: http://www.jcrows.com/iodine.html. You'll have to scroll down the page a little to find the order form, but the page contains an abundance of info. on the Usefulness of Iodine. I don't have a link for food grade H202.
EC: Does JCrows ship to Canada?
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by MJ (DC, U.S.A.) on 05/21/2009
JCrows does ship to Canada and other international countries.
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by T (Maryland, USA) on 05/21/2009
It seems J. Crow's would ship to Canada. They have "Province" and "Country" as fields on their order form, and also this on the site:
"Phone or Fax Toll Free 1 800 878 1965 in US & Canada"
There's also this note on the order form: "Shipping on international orders figured at time of shipment
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by Don (Kailua, Hawaii) on 08/22/2009
I have ordered lugol's solution from online Swansons vitamins.
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by Pieter (Edmonton, Alberta) on 03/18/2010
bought lugols solution made by xenex labs at my local Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy... they didn't stock it, but ordered it for me when I asked. the solution is 5% iodine, 10% potassium iodide, 85% water
Where to Buy: Canada
Posted by Kk (Ottawa, On) on 05/02/2010
You can get this product from costco cheaper than any other pharmacy.500 g or 100g--Xenex lab $30.and $9.
I live in ottawa. Prod # PT231 (5 g iodone 10 g potassium iodide.)
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Mary (London, UK) on 01/20/2007
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
These poor people need to be treated for hypothyroidism. Brittle nails, falling hair, being deathly pale and being exhausted and tired are all symptoms - as are most of the things you are saying the iodine "cured".
The iodine will help only because it is feeding the thyroid but it may not help completely and they will feel much better if they take a free T3 test to confirm low thyroid hormone. Publishing these instances without proper attribution to the serious health problem they can signify is irresponsible. These are sick people! And they need more than iodine.
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Dianekjs (Raleigh, NC) on 02/16/2009
Ted-- do your comments refer to taking iodine internally, or applying topically? I have a variety of problems that I am hopeful iodine will help--enlarged pores, patches of dermatitis, and hair loss--but I'm not sure what form to use, how much, etc. Thanks for your advice.
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Bilabong (Sea, Wa) on 02/09/2012
Wish my mom had had the benefit of this wonderful website. She suffered horribly throughout her life with fatique and a ton of other symptoms. Had she had access to all of this information she would have drank it up. The doctors just told her she was crazy. They would say low thyroid, high thyroid, then low thyroid. Fibro came along just at the end of her life. I feel like she was so beaten down by years and years of health issues that she finally succombed to cancer. Iodine might have been just what she needed. Doctors never did squat for her.
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Victoria (Toronto, Canada) on 01/21/2015
I have hypothyroidism and have been taking a high dose of medication. I recently purchased Lugol's Solution 50 ml - what is the proper dose to take? I was advised to take one drop under my tongue. I don't think this is enough.
Can another give me some advise?
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Bill (San Fernando) on 01/21/2015
Hi Victoria...If you wish to follow the Iodine Protocol then please have a look at this article:
The Iodine Protocol
This article describes how to supplement lugol's iodine(as LI or Iodoral). Please also make sure to read all the reference links at the bottom of the article -- these links describe the history of use of iodine in medicine over the last 140 years or so. The links also describe the many benefits as well as how to avoid problems while supplementing logul's iodine.
Kelp
Posted by Charles (Hillsdale, NY) on 01/18/2007
★★★★★
Hello Please note that kelp is a well known chelation agent for toxins such as metals. Kelp broth is made by slowly heating a six inch long piece of kelp in 1 quart (pure) water for 1/2 hour minimum. Do not boil, as kelp gets slimey. Leave some small pieces of kelp in broth; discard the rest. Use broth in recipes, especially sukiaki. Remedy from Japan--I read that kelp eliminates over 1200 toxins from body--but somehow recognizes difference between, say, good iron and radioactive iron. High in Iodine, too. A remedy for eliminating toxins.
General Feedback
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 12/06/2006 392 posts
The most direct method of testing almost any deficiency is usually done via the urine as it detects early signs of the deficiency. By the time it shows up in the thyroid it is often too late.
This is also true of sugar: high blood sugar is too late, you have been diabetic too long. In fact I can even predict kidney stones a year before it happens: cloudy urine. Or I can predict 6 months in advanced that you will have a blood clot, leading to heart attack or a paralysis if the clot goes into the brain. Prepare a blood and view them with a cheap microscope.
If the red blood sticks to each other you have good chances of having a stroke, a blood clot, which can lead to a heart attack. I am finding a way to determine the "stickiness" of urine without such invasive technique. The budget don't require millions to find out, it only requres a couple of hundred dollars where most of the money is actually spent on the microscope!
But the use of scientific iodine detection is just really beating around the bush. You only need to know the optimum iodine intake free from political and medical monopoly bottleneck. If we just looked back where such bottleneck did not exist by going back long ago, here is an excerpt: http://optimox.com/pics/Iodine/IOD-12/IOD_12.htm
"As far back as 100 years ago, U.S. physicians used Lugol solution extensively in their practice for many medical conditions (1). In 1932, physician B.N. Cohn (7) wrote: "…the widespread use of compound solution of iodine, U.S.P., (For the reader’s information, that is Lugol solution) is the result of a paper by Plummer and Boothby, published in that year (1923). Since then compound solution of iodine has been used by nearly every clinician ..."
Lugol solution was called then Liquor Iodi Compositus, (that is Latin for compound solution of iodine). Marine in 1923 (8) used a daily average of 9 mg iodide in the prevention of goiter in adolescent girls, an amount 60 times the current RDA for iodine. In Marine’s study, the prevalence of goiter decreased 100 fold compared to a control group following 2 ½ years of supplementation....
"First is the notion that the optimal daily iodine intake for humans is around 13.8 mg per day, which is about 90 times the RDA and more than 13 times the "safe upper limit" of 1 mg per day established by the World Health Organization."
We lie ourselves that this is the age of political correctness, it just an euphemism for supporting further medical deadlock on the health care system.
So when in doubt paint! And if you get do get hyper, or you get acne then just give the body a rest period you will know. Most of the bad symptoms officially listed are not that bad, they just ignore the obvious symptoms! The body must process the iodine to properly absorb them so one day apply, two day rest or you can apply alternate days is also a possibility.
Whatever happens, the optimum intake of iodine you can easily is something we are far off and away.
In case you worry about iodine poisoning. The antidote for iodine overdose is easy: chocolate or cocoa. It is high in bromine and it displaces iodine when the need comes. For some reason or another Russian scientist found that giving iodine and bromine will prevent and overdose and allows the body to better utilized them and did a study on school children.
One cruel joke is that bread are currently using the bromine process where the entire iodine process of bread making is removed. So what we have here is a runaway iodine deficiency to those that eat wheat, white flour and bread. Perhaps, to be safe anyway, they are best avoided because of these food is often acid forming.
Other authoritative websites don't tell you the antidote for iodine poisoning amazingly enough. However, the information can be easily found from any standard medical research journals if you really look them up either the local library or the internet. If you want medical profession to come clean, they will when everyone knows about it and hence, you need to know more than your doctors.
So the issue of whether the color stays on the skin is irrelevant if the purpose for you is to get a cure. I can tell you people after applying iodine can stay on their skin for days and I live in the tropics where weather throughout the year exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Even if it was proven to be true or not, you still are sick. So don't get side-track on the issue, it is something that these professions loved to do and it means spending even more money without a cure in sight.
General Feedback
Posted by Jarret (Calgary, Ab, Canada) on 03/09/2011
Ted, you say that the main ingredient in chocolate is bromine, and I assume you are referring to theobromine... The chemical formula for theobromine is C 7 H 8 N 4 O 2
so where does the bromine come from?
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Ellen (St. Louis, Missouri) on 05/08/2008
I just found this web site. I had my thyroid removed 4 years ago. Do you know if this iodine will work if you do not have a thyroid? I also have liver spots all over my body. This is called Seborrheic Keratoses. Do you know anything about this and a possible thryoid connection? Thanks! Ellen
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Janice (Hudson, Co, Usa) on 11/28/2009
I never saw a reply to Ellen from St. Louis, Missouri's request. Does anybody have a suggestion for Seborrheic Keratoses?
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Jean (St. Pete, Fl) on 02/15/2010
Take fish oil & put it on the skin for any skin problems.Worse to happen is you'll smell fishy
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Wenona (Benton, Ar) on 08/23/2015
Iodine will still help, other organs/systems of the body use/need iodine even without your thyroid. A former coworker of mine had her thyroid removed and I told her about coconut oil, which she tried (she said one tablespoon a day). She was on synthroid and after taking the coconut oil, her dose of "medicine" had to be reduced. Just her experience, but other people could have the same or different.
Thyroid Issues
Posted by Green Augustine (North Wales) on 08/25/2015 41 posts
Hello Wenona.
I've been borderline hypothyroid for years as were all the women in my family. I started taking Coconut oil as I had read it helped the brain health, and both my mother and sister had Alzheimer's. But I was also keep track of my basal temperature because of low thyroid, and noticed about 2 weeks or less after taking coconut oil daily, just one tablespoon, that my temp was up from 36.1 tO 36.5 Celsius and my 'dry eye' problem had disappeared.
I actually wrote to Bruce Fife who wrote The Coconut Oil Miracle, and he said that as coconut oil stimulated the thyroid which then balanced the hormones, everything works better. So win- win all round. And when I forget to take it, I'm reminded quite soon by return of dry eyes and cold feet! It also helps a huge amount with 'turkey neck' which you get as you grow older:-) . So I agree with your friend's finding. It's a great product as long as you're not allergic to any of its components.
