This article is part of a special report on Thyroid Disorders. To see the other articles in this series, click here.
In a previous article I showed why, when used alone, thyroid hormone replacement often fails. In this post I’ll explain why optimizing your iodine intake is so crucial, and why both too little and too much iodine can be harmful.
Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide. Once researchers realized this, health authorities around the world began adding iodine to table salt.
This strategy was effective in correcting iodine deficiency. But it had an unanticipated—and undesired—effect. In countries where iodine has been added to table salt, the rates of autoimmune thyroid disease have risen. The following is just a sample of studies around the world demonstrating this effect:
Why does this happen? Because increased iodine intake, especially in supplement form, can increase the autoimmune attack on the thyroid. Iodine reduces the activity of an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase (TPO). TPO is required for proper thyroid hormone production.
On the other hand, restricting intake of iodine can reverse hypothyroidism. In one study, 78% of patients with Hashimoto’s regained normal thyroid function with iodine restriction alone.
In the study above where rats developed goiter while receiving excess iodine, when they were given adequate selenium they did not develop the goiter.
Other studies have shown that selenium protects against the effects of iodine toxicity and prevents the triggering and flaring of autoimmune disease that excess iodine without selenium can cause.
In my practice I always test for both iodine deficiency and Hashimoto’s when a patient presents with hypothyroid symptoms. If they are iodine deficient, I will start them on a trial of iodine and selenium together. In most cases, patients see a significant improvement. In a minority of cases, they cannot tolerate supplemental iodine even with adequate selenium intake.
Unfortunately, the blood test for iodine that your doctor might run is not very accurate. The best way to determine iodine status is with a 24-hour urine loading test. This involves taking a large dose of iodine and collecting your urine for 24 hours afterward. If you are iodine deficient, you’ll retain more of the ingested iodine than you should and the level of iodine excreted in the urine will be lower than expected. The two labs I recommend for this test are Doctor’s Data and Hakala.
That said, if your doctor or health care practitioner won’t order these tests, you can simply begin an iodine protocol. This involves starting with a low dose of iodine (I start my patients with kelp tablets that contain 325 mcg of iodine per tablet) and increasing very slowly over time. As I’ve described in this article, it’s crucial that you also take 200 mcg of selenium per day during this protocol to protect against the potentially adverse effects of iodine supplementation, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease.
Physicians that specialize in treating hypothyroidism with iodine (such as Dr. Abraham and Dr. Brownstein) suggest doses as high as 50 mg per day may be necessary to restore iodine levels in those that are deficient. I have used doses this high in my practice, but it’s imperative that patients build up to such high doses very slowly, and I don’t recommend doing it without the supervision of a clinician experienced with iodine treatment. Be aware that high doses of iodine can lead to a transient increase in TSH levels, which can be mistakenly interpreted as a sign of hypothyroidism.
Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that a minority of patients with Hashimoto’s confirmed by biopsy (the gold standard) never test positive for thyroid antibodies. This is probably because their immune systems are so depressed they can no longer produce antibodies. If you have a combination of hyper- and hypothyroid symptoms, I would still suspect Hashimoto’s even if your thyroid antibody tests are normal. It’s wise to be cautious with iodine if you have any signs of autoimmune thyroid disease, even without a confirmed diagnosis.
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Chris,
I am struggling with the issue of balancing all the positive nutritional benefits of cruciferous vegetables vs the negative effects of the goitrogens for someone with hypothyroidism. I have read everything I can find on the reduction in goitrogens from cooking, but they all focus on steaming or boiling. Can you comment on whether roasting at high temp (425 for 45 mins) has any effect? How about satueeing? Also are there some choices that are better than others? Broccoli or cauliflower? Spinach or kale? Brussel sprouts or cabbage?
Thank you so much for the wonderful contributions you are making to help shed light on the truth about real nutrition and health. You have made a tremendous impact on our family and so many others.
Greg
Hello
I wanted to know what is the recommended iodine dose for hypothyroidism
And what is maximum dose
I also want to know what are hashimoto treatments how is gland inflammation treated
And immune sys regulated
I have elevated tsh and I’m still doing the antibodies test
hi dalia :
are you from Egypt? if so i have collected some good information about thyroid contradictions,
hope it will help you,
Thanks
i have had all of my thyroid removed and take oroxin tablets can i have a vitamin that has some iodine in it
Hello Ros
Are u only taking the Oroxin ? I had a complete Thyroidecotomy back in 2010 and I am taking Levothyroxin , was wondering if the SHFT ever hits ( Governement shut down ) and cant get my meds what else I could take to supplement it without dieing ?
Thanks 🙂
I am interested in hearing from people who are diagnosed Hypothyroid (I currently test negative for antibodies)and who are successfully using Iodoral or other iodine/iodine supplements as a replacement for or in supplement to their Rx thyroid meds.
Since Rx thyroid meds do not work consistently for me, I wish to eliminate or reduce the dosage and supplement with Iodine/iodide which I am certain i am deficient in and will found out for sure this week with results from and iodine load test. I am not sure this will work for me, but i am willing to try.
(Unmedicated, my TSH is not that high-2.5-4.3-and sometimes it is even this without synthroid),but I am highly symptomatic for Hypothyroidism, no eyebrows, constipation, tired, 30 lb weight gain, which is helped sometimes on meds. I am a mess without them. I am menopausal on biodentical hormones, eat zero sugar, and take many supplements and as I siad above my thyroid antibodies have been negative, tested twice, so i am just assuming that I do not have Hashimotos immune disease)
Anyone who has weaned off meds and who takes supplements insteads, please share amounts taken, any tips, etc. I am not looking for medical advice just some real life results to use as a guide in deciding what next step to take for myself. Thank you.
Go to http://www.iodine4health.com and read the research there. I got to the point where I couldn’t swallow without choking due to my thyroid being inflamed and went on iodine supplementation. It has helped, but I have been unable as of yet to wean myself off of the medication. I take armour thyroid which is better (according to my doctor) than synthroid along with 50 mg of iodoral a day. I am considering upping my intake to 75 mg to see if I can make faster progress. Who did your iodine load test? Is it something a medical lab will do?
I am confused by certaining terminology regarding “iodine” as I research this topic and here’s why:
It seems that the word “iodine” is loosely used to refer to both iodine and iodide as well as the combination of the 2 like that which is found in Iodoral.
Since the articles/research Optimox site, etc. has indicated that the thryoid needs “iodide” and that the breast (FBD) needs “iodine”? how does one take a combination product that uses each of its 2 component to address 2 different health issues? The con cern is that the Iodide is needed for thryroid, but that the Iodine (the amount needed) is controversial, still.)
I have negative thryroid antibodies (tested twice), have FBD, am hypothryroid( with sometimes hyper symptoms while on Rx meds).
Not looking for medical advice but a way to understand the terminology when distinguishing between iodine, iodide, elemental iodine. (Is elemental iodine the combination of iodine and iodide?)
Read Iodine by David Brownstein, The Iodine Crisis, and Stop the Thyroid Madness. That should give a more complete understanding of Iodine, Thyroid, and Adrenals.
In Nov 2010, after I finally reached menopause (yay!), my routine well-woman Lab Corp lab tests showed I was on the high end of their normal range (5.5) and my panicky doctor immediately wrote an Rx for Synthroid, which I declined. I was certain they made a mistake. My hair was not falling out, my nails are hard as nails, my eyebrows are full, I have plenty of energy, and I’m not constipated, among other things. A month later, my independent Quest Diagnostics test results showed I was in their normal range so I made the right call to decline the Rx. Then I read a Brownstein article that claimed that daily supplementation with 12.5 mg iodine, based on Japanese health statistics, would be good for nearly everyone. (This article made only passing mention of selenium. But why be so specific about iodine amounts yet leave the reader to guess how much of anything else to use alongside?) So for 18 months, I conservatively took 6.25 mg iodine daily, expecting my 2012 well-woman lab tests to put me well within the new normal range. NOT! My initial results of TSH 5.5 in 2010 shot up to TSH 16.5 in 2012 after 1.5 years of taking that daily half dose of Iodoral. Thank goodness I didn’t take the full 12.5 mg all that time. So I immediately stopped the 6.25 iodine daily supplement; 30 days later, my TSH was back down to 5.13…but the full thyroid panel shows I have excessive thyroid antibodies. So here I am, out of the frying pan and into the FIRE. Thanks, Brownstein (NOT). Nevertheless, my hair is full, my nails are gorgeous, I have plenty of energy – e.g., I still have no hypothyroid symptoms. The only way I can figure out how to get out of this lab test mess is to take 200-400 mcg of selenium supplements daily as an “antidote” for the next 6 months, hope for the best and re-test.
Deb,
Did you have an iodine load test done (before beginning supplementaion) to see if you were actually deficient in iodine? I am curious, as I just had one myself.
I understand your frustration:)!
Menopause (I am there, too) can raise your TSH levels, and make them fluctuate, so I have read.
Perhaps the Iodoral did help you, and it would be great to know if your were actually deficient which can be done with iodine load test about ($130).
Dr. Flechas, a colleague of Dr. Brownstein, has written that with Iodoral supplementation, the TSH level sometime increases, but the person is asymptomatic/feels great and so he believes that on a cellular level the Iodoral supplemetn is helping the body systemically. Who knows for sure?
I have had a TSH level of 2.6 and have felt AWEFUL with all the Hypo symptoms that fortunately you did not have at TSH 5.5. Going on synthroid helped me greatly, at times, but there is no exact science to this, and this is so very, very frustrating.
Also, there seems to be BIG holes in the “research” both for and against iodine/iodide/iodoral supplementation. Also, if the Rx medications for thyroid “disease” worked consistently, and medical professionals had true and absolute answers to the cause and cure for thyroid and other related issues, then we “suffering” patients would not be left to basically figure this out on our own.
Good luck to all of us.
Hello Lisa,
Until recently I was unaware that an iodine load test was possible, so no, I have not had one done yet. That is the point at which I probably should have started, rather than plunging right in with mega-doses of Iodoral based on reading an article. It’s possible I was not iodine deficient to begin with. My new doctor is not quite as panicky as my previous one, he recommends that I re-test in 6 months, and he understands my reluctance to take Rx without having any symptoms as it could possibly cause those very symptoms if it’s unneeded. In the meantime, I’ve come across articles that suggest that either selenium alone or selenium taken with the iodine supplement may place TSH readings in a normal range. But careful, they say selenium can be toxic over 400 mcg / day. I do have mild allergies, plus the newly diagnosed thyroid antibodies, so there may be some kind of autoimmune process going on. I just came across a book in the library about how breathing correctly could help alleviate allergies, asthma, emphysema, and, get this, thyroid problems (among many other ailments), see http://www.buteyko.com/. It has to do with the oxygen/carbon dioxide balance and the immune system. I’ll pursue that angle a bit not just on my own behalf but for loved ones with allergies and lung problems, hope it’s not a false lead. Maybe it takes a combination of a few approaches to tackle a health problem, we’re all different.
And what would be a proper amt of vit d for someone with hypo thyroid?
Terri,
I take lots of Vit D3, drops or capsules, and my lab levels are still only 43 which is too low.
I have recently read that D3, which is fat soluble only, must be taken with an oil to be absorbed, so now i will take it with food/oils to see if this helps with absorption.I am hypothryroid and I took about 5000 IU but will up it to 20,000 IU for awhile then back down to 10,000 IU. As long as it’s D3,( not D2 -the artificial form and not safe in high doses).
What is the best way to detox to get rid of the toxins that are previously stated way above, causing
hypo thyroid problems, or that add to the problem?
Truly impressed! All the things is quite open and very clear explanation of issues. It contains certainly information. Your website is very helpful. Thanks for sharing. Searching ahead to far more!
tinks2cents: Symptoms of overdosing and underdosing with thyroid hormone can be very similar and hard to tell apart. There’s a good chance what happened to you was what happened to me and many others after taking milligram level doses of iodine: a reduced need for thyroid hormone medication. Did you try reducing your thyroid hormone dose? That might have made you feel better.
My dose has deceased 40% since starting Iodoral. My endocrinologist is so impressed with this progress that he and his medical partner have both started Iodoral themselves, and they are using it with patients. So far, he believes many patients are having the same great results as me. He’s advising them to try reducing their thyroid hormone dose on their own a little if they begin to feel poorly after a few weeks. The results have been good so far. A year from now, after he’s done this with more patients, the patterns will be clear.
I don’t see how these results are consistent with the theory that taking iodine is pouring fuel on the fire of autoimmune thyroid disease, at least not for me and apparently for most people who experiment with Iodoral.
By the way, I also don’t see how the insignificant amount of iodine in a multivitamin could make you sick. I don’t doubt you had the experiences you describe, but I wouldn’t be so quick to blame iodine.
Bill,
Want ot experiment with reducing synthroid and supplementing with Iodine/Iodide.
Am very intereste in your experience and how this has worked for you over time.
Would you be willing to dialogue with me about this? I have done much research, and have tried many many things for my thryroid health, but am new to the iodine aspect of this.
Thanks!
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Sure, be glad to share experiences. By supplementing with iodine (initially cooked kelp, then Iodoral @ 50mg/day) I was able to reduce my thyroid medications for Hashimoto’s by almost half. I did the entire Abraham iodine protocol including all the “companion supplements.”
An initial iodine loading test by Dr. Flechas’s lab showed my extraordinarily toxic in bromine and, as expected, deficient in iodine. Dr. Flechas recommended 1 teaspoon of Celtic salt a day (as per the Abraham iodine protocol) to help drive the bromine out in urine. A followup loading test showed substantial improvement in the bromine toxicity as well as iodine saturation. My need for thyroid meds gradually decreased over this time period, lasting perhaps a year.
At some point my need for thyroid meds increased slowly again, as shown by standard lab work as well as how I felt. The reason seemed mysterious until I had another loading test. This one showed even higher bromine toxicity than the initial one. I then realized I had become complacent and gradually slacked off on the Celtic salt while continuing the 50 mg Iodoral and the rest of the protocol.
My bad. I resumed the daily salt supplement and the increasing need for thyroid meds halted. My doses leveled off. It remains to be seen if my requirement for supplemental thyroid hormone starts to go back down. I believe it will, up to a point at least. My Hashimoto’s is very sever (I take as much T4 as many thyroidless people), so the chance of a complete recovery seems remote. As you know, people at earlier stages frequently do stop requiring any meds via the iodine protocol. I’ll take what I can get!
I plan to try LDN in the near future to see how far that can take me as well.
Good luck. Based on my experiences, I suggest trying to find a friendly, knowledgeable doc to help you with all this and to monitor yourself via loading tests if you can. And don’t forget the salt!
Let me know if I can help further.
Bill
Bill,
Thanks for taking the time to write.
I am curious how you were diagnosed as having Hashimotos. Was it through antibody testing? My endo says I have Hashimotos, but my thyroid antibody tests have come out negative twice, so I am not sure that my problem is autoimmune and why it would be called Hashimotos if it is not.
My TSH is not high, but it has just increased after several daysof eating loads of dried seaweed. Interesting….
I just found some relevant and interesting material that helps to balance some of the controversy regarding the camps that are proponents for iodine therapy and those that are not. It also helps with dosages.
Take care,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Yes, I was diagnosed on the basis of both an extremely high TSH (>30) and high antibodies. Not sure about your case, but I suspect that Hashimoto’s is often simply assumed with primary hypothyroidism if there is no other obvious cause. Mainstream docs treat it the same way regardless, so in their minds perhaps it doesn’t matter very much.
As you may know, TSH often rises with iodine supplementation (via seaweed in your case perhaps). It seems to be generally benign, though it may scare the bejesus out of your doctor. The experienced iodine docs believe this is a healthy physiological adaptation to the amelioration of iodine deficiency, since TSH up regulates the thyroid’s ability to absorb iodine now that it is more available. Usually it is not associated with actual hypothyroidism, as shown by free T4 levels or symptoms. I did not experience this TSH rise, but many do. It can take months to resolve. It would not have bothered me if it had happened as long as I did not feel like I was truly going hypothyroid.
You are probably aware that seaweed can be very high in heavy metal toxins. Something to think about and one reason I switched to Iodoral.
Bill
You might want to check out Stop the Thyroid Madness. It talks about people using natural dessicated Thyroid hormone to great effect where T4 only synthetic hormones didn’t do much of anything for them.
The website with the same name has quite a bit of the information. Its a great read. I think it might be an improvement if you switched to a dessicated Thyroid instead of T4 only.
Dessicated Thyroid has T1, T2, T3, T4, and Calcitonin all of the things the Thyroid naturally produces rather than just one of them.
I’ve been having a hard time getting my thyroid regulated after the armour reformulation. I went to a doctor that recommended I take the Iodoral. I told her I have Hashimotos, but she assured me that all the information I had read about how bad this is for Hashimotos was old information, that they have proven Iodine will help your thyroid problems. She also told my she was hypothyroid until taking Iodoral, and she doesn’t have to take any thyroid medication now. So I decided to give it a try, at that point I was desperate for anything. WOW! Wish I could go back in time and listen to my gut instinct instead of her. It make my Hashimotos flare up, I had SEVERE pain in my legs, feet, arms, hands. I had been taking it for a few weeks when all this happened. It also seemed to make me feel hyperthyroid, yet at the same time I had a lot of my hypo symtoms come back. I immediately stopped taking it and after time started feeling better. I swore I would never take that stuff again. So about a month ago I ran out of vitamins and grabbed some centrum vitamins. I didn’t think to look to see if they contained iodine in them. While I was taking them I noticed my hypo symtoms were really coming back with a vengence….and the Iodine in the vitamins is a lot lower then the amount of Iodoral I was taking. I grabbed the bottle the other day because I was wondering how much selenium was they contained, and noticed the iodine in them. I can’t believe I made that mistake again, but I have stopped those vitamins, found some w/out iodine and will be anxiously awaiting the day it is all out of my system. If you are planning on taking Iodine and you have Hashis, you really are taking a gamble.
Interesting topic. I myself was diagnosed in 2007 with “thyroiditis”…no one would call it Hashimoto’s. I also went under-treated. However I did try a holistic doctor at the time who told me to take iodine. (I used Iodoral). I felt AMAZING after taking it for just a few days…felt no need for the tiny Armour dose I had been trying to take. However it turned bad when I started to have a terrible metal taste, cycstic acne, horrid mood swings and exhaustion. The doctor told me she had never heard of anyone having that reaction. I emailed Dr. Guy Abraham having read some of his iodine info on the internet…he told me it was iodism and to cut my dose. I had to to stop all together for the symptoms to go away. I tried again another time and the same thing happened. Now I notice they have info on bromide toxicity..and that taking iodine can cause you to detox from this. I believe ( as Stephanie wrote about earlier) this was my case.
I am now trying to recover from a severe flare up of Hashi’s after having a baby. I am not seeing a Dr. K doctor, but instead a functional medicine doctor. She is treating my immune system (I go weekly for IV infusions), healing my gut and also balancing my hormones. So far it’s working for me and I have seen drastic improvement. It’s a huge lifestyle change and costly due to all the supplements & visits, but well worth it.
I am still curious though about my previous experience with iodine & how great I felt for a little while anyway. Could be worth looking into to test for bromide…maybe this is a link to my autoimmune problems. I don’t know.
My doctor of good friends with Dr. Browstein’s associates (I’m in Michigan). I suppose I will have to ask her take on iodine as well!
Interesting articles and discussion, it is great to hear so many perspectives. I am a nutritionist and was last year diagnosed with Hashimotos. I have been strict paleo and gluten free for a few months now. Paleo fixed my other niggling auto-immune issues (joint inflammation) and menstrual issues – pms and severe menstrual pain, and constipation – so it is highly likely I had an issue with gluten – undiagnosed but responsive to removing it.
I tried iodine – but my thryroid started to swell and TSH increased very quickly, and I started to gain weight, even with paleo eating. So I stopped it and my swelling has reduced, and weight dropped back down.
I actually have very few symptoms and am not on medication, I’m hoping to manage it by using paleo diet plus supplements like Vit D, C, selenium, zinc, and omega 3.
One thing i do know about Dr. K is he won’t treat someone who doesn’t have the support of the spouse and family. He has just seen too many failures otherwise.
I’ve treated a few patients (including my wife) with Dr. K’s protocols and they work very well. Certainly much better than the care they had received before.
I’m sorry you didn’t have a great experience with the practitioner in San Diego. I wouldn’t, however, write off the idea of a treatment plan altogether. The reason these plans are offered is that making a commitment to care and sticking with that commitment is an important variable in determining whether that treatment succeeds or fails. This is even more true with a condition as complex as hypothyroidism. It takes between 4-6 months on average to address all of the mechanisms and bring a Hashimoto’s patient into a more stable and higher functioning state.
Many practitioners have found that when patients commit to their course of treatment up front, they are more likely to receive the care they need, and thus more likely to get well.
The reason he/she asked for your spouse to be present is probably exactly why you suspected: treatment plans for Hashimoto’s generally won’t be cheap. Depending on the type of practitioner, they may include acupuncture, herbs, supplements and lab tests over a 4-6 month period. Many people who are married have agreements to make larger financial decisions together. Thus the doc wanted your spouse to be present to save another step in the process.
What concerns me is that the doc wouldn’t tell you about the treatment. That’s strange, and I can’t think of any reason why he/she would not explain their protocols. It doesn’t make sense.
I believe Dr. K is accepting new patients, but he’s selective about it. At this point he specializes in difficult-to-treat cases and has patients flying to see him from around the world. These are usually people with mysterious, rare or intractable conditions that haven’t been able to find help elsewhere. He only sees 8 new patients in a month, because he spends so much time on their cases and because he also needs time to research, write and teach.
Dr. K is master diagnostician, and he’s approaching autoimmune disease in particular with a rare level of specificity and sophistication. I have referred people who’ve contacted me with the kind of conditions I described above for this reason. But because of his focus, he’s not the right practitioner for everyone.
There are a group of us at the “Hashimoto’s 411” group on facebook that are currently using Dr. Kharazian’s protocol usng drs. who have trained with him and we’re having great success. Feel free to join us there….we’re all tracking our progress there and are happy to answer any questions you may have.
The unfortunate thing about Dr. Kharrazian’s work is he has no control over how practitioners choose to practice. I’m sorry about your experience, i would have run too. That approach in no way represents Dr. Kharrazian or his work, it’s just that one individual’s approach. I sure am glad it was free at least! I have talked to Dr. K’s patients and know he doesn’t work that way.
Yes Dr. K is real and he practices and teaches. He has a clinic phone number on his site.
I would say try a different practitioner, or email your concerns to the thyroidbook.com site.
As a person with diagnosed with and treated for hypothyroidism for 4+ years, I’m always interested in increasing my understanding of the origin and the best options for treatment of the condition. It’s been a slow and uncertain road, especially within my HMO options: as a result I’ve had to consult with a number of doctors both within and outside my HMO in an effort to find my best treatment options.
In addition to diet and lifestyle modifications, I have been on Synthroid or Levoxyl only, Levoxyl with compounded natural thyroid extract, Levoxyl with Cytomel, and the new formulation of Armour and now Naturethroid only (some variation of T4/T3 therapy seems to give me the best results when the dose is right).
Earlier this year I became aware of Dr. Kharrazian and his book, which I’m partway through reading. It’s quite different from the many other books I have read on hypothyroidism and its treatment.
I was interested to note that Dr. Kharrazian is located in my area, in fact, there is an address listed in my town, however there is no practice at that address. I can find little evidence that he actually sees patients currently. Does anyone else know anything about him and his practice? Most of the info I have found about Dr. Kharrazian relates to the training seminars he conducts all over the country for other practitioners. Many of the testimonials of his “students” (typically chiropractors and alternative health practitioners) refer to how his seminars have assisted in growing their practice and increasing revenue.
Despite the inability to find out enough information about Dr. Kharrazian and his practice, I was curious, and I made an appt with a “graduate” of Dr. Kharrazian’s seminars, a San Diego chiropractric doctor who claims to be an expert at treating hypothyroidism and diabetes with Dr. Kharrazian’s methods (I also am glucose intolerant/prediabetic, so this had some appeal).
I can’t comment on the treatment protocol, though, because I ran for the hills after the first appt (which was free, pending “acceptance” as a patient).
I have no idea if Dr. Kharrazian suggests the “patient recruiting” methods this arrogant “graduate of his seminar” uses, but my “radar” was on high alert when he wouldn’t tell me anything about the treatment he would propose for me; would only schedule the next appt (after some blood test results were in) to outline the recommended treatment protocol IF my husband also attended; and insisted it wasn’t up to me if I would be his patient, it was up to him to accept me as a patient IF I met his qualifications.
Frankly, it felt like eerily one of those hard-sell home improvement and time-share salespeople who insist on both spouses being present at the pitch for the “one time only” sales “opportunity”. I can understand encouraging the support and participation of spouses (support and understanding is always a good thing), but I question the “requirement” that the spouse also attend the appt. My past experience with this sort of requirement is that there is a large cost involved and the salesperson wants to head off objections to the sale. It simply didn’t feel right for medical treatment.
Has anyone else experienced this approach with thyroid treatment? Frankly, it was far more arrogant and off-putting than the HMO docs who provided such abysmal care early in my hypothyroidism treatment.
This has all been very interesting reading, though a bit confusing. I have Hasimoto’s (10 yrs). Started taking Nascent Iodine about 6 weeks ago. Did not do iodine deficiency testing as the cost made it unafordable. Have purchased Dr Brownstien books. Hope it works for me. I also have started using Transdermay Magnesium. For some time now I have been using barley greeens, and vit B, D, C and omega’s. Since taking the Nascent Iodine and Magnesuim I have improved. My muscle aches and pains and anxiety etc are so much better. My endochronologist knows I am doing this but he is not sure wether it will be of benifit. My antibody level was very low (under 100) for about 6 years, until I broke my foot in Dec 09. They skyrocketed up by over 1,000 in the Jan 2010 when symptoms escalated. My next appointment and antidbody test is 27 June 2010, so I am interested to see the results. After reading the above article am feeling worried that I am agrivating my antibodies. It is difficult to decide what to do. Thanks to all. Roswitha
“Bill, had you done a salt loading Iodine test to see if you had a deficiency?’
No, I didn’t do any iodine lab testing before beginning my supplementation (though I’m not sure exactly what you mean by a “salt loading Iodine test”). Since I began with simply increasing my sea vegetable consumption and now take no more iodine via Iodoral than Japanese people have been eating for eons, I didn’t see much risk, and neither did any of my doctors. Plus, Drs. Abraham, Brownstein,and Flechas pretty well convinced me that, as with Vitamin D, iodine deficiency is almost universal, at least where I live, and quite possibly just as dangerous.
Since I’ve had such excellent results, my docs agree with me that there’s no compelling reason to do any iodine lab testing now. It seems pretty clear I needed the iodine and that I’m taking enough to begin repleting my stores of it. At some point, perhaps when my T4 dose finally levels out, I plan to do a 24-hour urinary iodine loading test to get a sense of whether I’ve achieved whole-body sufficiency. Based on that, I may change my Iodoral dose up or down.