14 replies to this topic

[Nuke]

So I decided that it was time to do some blood tests. I have waited this long because in the short term Iodine can do some weird things with the hormone levels, especially TSH, so I didn't bother testing. Also, the bottle is about empty, so its a good reminder. Turns out it does strange things in the long term too. 

 

A bit of background, I started taking 5mg of Lugols weekly in Oct 2015. Well technically thats incorrect, I tried to start at 5mg a day, but got a sore throat after a few days. Likely some sort of autoimmune reaction. Stopped for a week, and then restarted at 5mg a day. Again I got a sore throat after 2 days, so I dropped it for another week. Then restarted at 5mg a week. Took it at that level for little more than a year, and then slowly worked up to 5mg a day over about 6 months. I have been taking it at that level for about a year. Since the beginning I was also supplementing with 200uq selenium a day.

 

As you can see from the attached file(not in English unfortunately, but you should be able to figure it out) a dose of 5mg a day does your thyroid no good. Knew you could shut down TSH production using oral T3, seems Iodine can do it too. Still waiting for my reverse T3 results.

 

Interestingly I don't feel bad at all, and have no symptoms of an autoimmune disease .

 

Some of the recommendations of the Iodine doctors kind of scare me. I can see of no way 50mg a day can be a good idea, compared to that 5mg is pretty conservative. Not really negative towards Iodine all in all, but I will drop my dose down to 5mg once a week. Will retest in a few months to see if it looks better.

 

Sadly not all experiments have a successful outcome, but it was still worthwhile. I would suggest anyone using iodine to do some bloodwork, including the antibodies.

Attached Files

•  thyroid.png   53.72KB   2 downloads

Edited by Nuke, 21 March 2018 - 04:01 PM.

[pamojja]

 

So I decided that it was time to do some blood tests. I have waited this long because in the short term Iodine can do some weird things with the hormone levels, especially TSH, so I didn't bother testing.

 

The problem now is of course that you can't relate this thyroid test results to your iodine intake, since you have no idea if you haven't hyperthyroid before, or if it made it worse, or even better.

 

I've been taking about 12 mg/d of iodine/iodide for about 9 years and never had such bad results. Even when taking up to 50 mg/d short-term as an antibiotic. Usual response to high iodine would be an initial rise in TSH, before lowering again after some time to normal.

 

In my case and averaged out fT3 is below normal, fT4 and TSH normal range. I clearly suffer low T3 sickness syndrome due to a number of chronic diseases. But everyone is different, and it just shows again how important lab-tests are, if one takes supplements like high dose iodine or vitamin D. Before and after.

Edited by pamojja, 21 March 2018 - 05:26 PM.

[Nuke]

Indeed. Having a before would have been much better. Unfortunately its also not really a clinical trial, seeing that I take a few other things too. But it may be a useful anecdote for someone some day.

 

Though I would have guessed that after 2.5 years it would have stabilized/normalized.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pamojja]

Though I would have guessed that after 2.5 years it would have stabilized/normalized.

 

It could have. No way to know now. But these thyroid results will make you monitor regularly, and then discover associations between different intakes in the years to come.
 

[Daniel Cooper]

Doesn't Lugol's Iodine contain elemental iodine? Consuming elemental iodine in any significant quantity has never really struck me as good idea.  In fact, that may be what was responsible for your sore throat.

 

Ironically, some of the people that recommend Lugol's seem to be the same ones that say that chlorinated or fluorinated water is bad for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nuke]

Doesn't Lugol's Iodine contain elemental iodine? Consuming elemental iodine in any significant quantity has never really struck me as good idea.  In fact, that may be what was responsible for your sore throat.

 

Was worried about it too, so I added it to my vegetable juice or rooibos tea I drink every morning. That way it had the chance to react to something organic before it tried to react with some part of my body.

[pamojja]

I've been taking about 12 mg/d of iodine/iodide for about 9 years and never had such bad results. Even when taking up to 50 mg/d short-term as an antibiotic.

 

 

Doesn't Lugol's Iodine contain elemental iodine? Consuming elemental iodine in any significant quantity has never really struck me as good idea.  In fact, that may be what was responsible for your sore throat.

 

Was worried about it too, so I added it to my vegetable juice or rooibos tea I drink every morning. That way it had the chance to react to something organic before it tried to react with some part of my body.

 

Was surprised myself that despite my high iodine intake, and moreover my multiple chronic health conditions, my ubiome results showed a more diverse Gut microbiome than 93% of all tested.

[ekaitz]

Here 2mg iodine/day from kelp 3 years with no bad alterations on last thyroid analitics.

[baccheion]

Higher iodine/iodide intake requires companion nutrients (selenomethionine, vitamin C, magnesium, etc).

[cat-nips]

Had similar effects starting, stopping and restarting a Thyroid supplement containing 150mcg of Iodine (as kelp + potassium iodide).  Selenium and other co-factors were part of the formulation.  The sore throat is troublesome and lasted 3 days and went away with a dose reduction.  I believe I went hyperthyroid. 

 

Stopping and restarting again later, the sore throat returned, accompanied by neck pain and eventually, headaches.  Concerned this particular symptom may be correlated with an enlargening of the thyroid and may also be translated as, difficulty swallowing, neck pain, or perhaps even difficulty turning your head in a certain direction.  

 

 

Edited by cat-nips, 04 September 2018 - 08:48 PM.

[Kimer Med]

The average daily dose of iodine for people living in Japan is around 12.5 mg/day, so 5 mg isn't that high.

 

A number of interesting and significant things happen when you first start taking iodine. One is that it causes stored bromine to be released. Iodine is also an anti-biofilm agent. Bromine and dissolving biofilms could both conceivably cause a sore throat. Both could also affect thyroid function.

 

If you're already getting a minimal amount of iodine in your diet, the direct effects of Lugol's supplementation on the thyroid are normally pretty minor. Secondary effects can be significant, though. However, the secondary effects usually pass after a while.

 

[cat-nips]

The average daily dose of iodine for people living in Japan is around 12.5 mg/day, so 5 mg isn't that high.

 

A number of interesting and significant things happen when you first start taking iodine. One is that it causes stored bromine to be released. Iodine is also an anti-biofilm agent. Bromine and dissolving biofilms could both conceivably cause a sore throat. Both could also affect thyroid function.

 

If you're already getting a minimal amount of iodine in your diet, the direct effects of Lugol's supplementation on the thyroid are normally pretty minor. Secondary effects can be significant, though. However, the secondary effects usually pass after a while.

 

Interesting about the bromine.  Will do some further research.  Thanks for the comment.  

[graatch]

The average daily dose of iodine for people living in Japan is around 12.5 mg/day, so 5 mg isn't that high.

 

Per this analysis it's 1-3 mg average: https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC3204293/

[stephen_b]

Did you take any selenium with the iodine?

[Believer]

For me it took mere months, think about 1-2 months before my neck got swollen and I went to the doctor.

After I stopped supplementing, the swollen neck went away.

I used lugol's for treating a tooth infection and pain.