I strongly recommend having your iodine levels tested FIRST and then work with a doctor or endocrinologist and or nutritionist to work out a program. It is not as easy as just buying some form of iodine supplementation and not doing any homework first. Iodine also works better with other nutrients such as magnesium, selenium etc. and you need to do some homework first. I have several posts on iodine supplementation already and lots of LINKS for you to look up for yourself.
HERE is another one:
http://www.safeusesofiodine.com/general/iodine-supplements-dangers-of-too-much-iodine
EXPOSE yourself to information FIRST and then proceed with caution and your doctor's input. I did my homework and had my blood tested first. My iodine level is in the LOW normal range at 42 with the normal range being 40 to 92.
I have an appointment with my diabetes doctor this Friday and in the interim I am taking (2) Nature's Way KELP caps per day (equaling 800mcg of iodine) along with eating (1) Brazil nut per day for selenium and I am going to switch to a liquid calcium/magnesium supplement and then have my iodine levels checked each time I have blood work done and keep records on how I feel, what has improved (Blood glucose as an example), what got worse? any new symptoms? list of improvements, energy level? etc. etc.). You need to READ, READ, READ, and talk to the professionals, educate yourself and then make the best decisions you can about your plan of action with a qualified professional's advice.
Dan
(EXCERPTS) from above listed link:
Iodine Supplements – Dangers of Too Much Iodine
Posted by Dr. Alexander Haskell on Oct 18, 2010
Both iodine and iodide are required for health. Many debilitating health problems arise when our bodies become deficient of these two trace minerals but what happens to us when we take too much?
To understand the dangers of iodine and iodide it’s important to first understand a little thyroid physiology and biochemistry. I promise to make this very easy to understand.
The hormone TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) does just what it says, it stimulates the thyroid to make its hormones.
The most common reason for TSH to increase is when thyroid hormones decline in the blood.
But there’s another reason for TSH to increase and this is where the danger lies. And why would too much TSH be dangerous?
Again, TSH stimulates thyroid cells to make their hormones, but how?
There are a couple of ways but I’ll focus on just one of them.
All thyroid hormones have iodine attached to them. Without iodine thyroid cells can’t make their hormones. But thyroid cells do not absorb iodine, they absorb iodide and once it’s inside it must be changed into iodine. And how is iodide changed into iodine inside thyroid cells?
Now, this is amazing… thyroid cells make hydrogen peroxide which is used to change iodide into iodine. And what stimulates thyroid cells to make more hydrogen peroxide to create more iodine to create more thyroid hormones?
TSH.
The danger then is if TSH remains high and continues to stimulate more and more hydrogen peroxide production inside thyroid cells. Because if this goes on for awhile these thyroid cells will eventually become inflamed from too much hydrogen peroxide leading to their destruction (apoptosis).
You all know about hydrogen peroxide. It’s an antiseptic and is applied to wounds to burn or oxidize bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide also activates our tiny white blood cells and these help to clean up tissue debris and the dead bacteria.
So when TSH has been elevated for an extended period of time and some thyroid cells break apart this releases what’s inside these cells including the hydrogen peroxide. This triggers the white cells to come to the rescue and, you guessed it, we have an autoimmune condition of the thyroid known as Hashimoto’s.
The Proof Is in the Lab Tests
At one time I was a high-dose iodine and iodide prescriber until I reviewed some follow-up lab results on patient’s with thyroid issues. In August of 2008 a 53 year old woman consulted me for the typical low thyroid hormone symptoms and so we ran a thyroid blood test.
Her TSH was 3.5 (lab’s reference range of 0.35 to 5.5) so her TSH was pretty much right in the middle.
But her primary thyroid hormone, thyroxine, was 6.1 which is a little on the low side of the reference range of 4.5 to 12.
So I decided to administer a little iodine and iodide. Well it wasn’t so little. I gave her a 25mg mix of iodine and potassium iodide hoping these would pick up her TSH a little while providing lots of iodide to improve her thyroid hormone production.
Three months later we did a follow-up blood test to find her TSH had shot up to 107…. 107!!! I was shocked and horrified. That result catapulted me into the medical library for several months. After all, I had chosen alternative medicine to ‘do no harm’ and this TSH level would most certainly do this woman harm.
My primary concern was a TSH level of 107 would over stimulate her thyroid’s production of hydrogen peroxide leading to inflammation and eventually to Hashimoto’s.
Here’s another story to prove my point…
I told a close colleague of mine about these results and my apprehensions about this high dose prescribing of iodine and iodide and the possibility of it leading to Hashimoto’s. A lot of what we had formerly read on the subject of iodine and iodide showed a degree of ambivalence about this possibility, but now we had reached a new level of concern. My colleague did decide to continue prescribing the higher doses but would now screen every patient for Hashimoto’s before his recommendation.
One patient tested negative for Hashimoto’s and he recommended 25mg. She returned 6 months later with a lab test from her endocrinologist showing she was now positive for Hashimoto’s.
By the way, this doctor friend of mine developed thyroid cysts and severe hyperthyroidism which lasted for 2 months. This was definitely the result of experimenting with high doses of iodine and iodide. Luckily he refused the standard treatment (removal of his thyroid gland) and if fine today. But it was a scary ride.
Don’t take high doses of iodine and iodide, this is the essence of what I have to say.
There is absolutely no reason to go above the 3mg combination of iodine and potassium iodide. It may take a little longer to get to optimal storage and protection levels on this smaller dose but it’s safe. Do not be in a hurry.
I have studied all the sources of iodine and iodine in food, supplements and other products. You can read my other blogs on iodized salt, sea salt, kelp tablets and the most popular high-dose iodine supplements which I do not recommend. The product which I do recommend comes from Pure Research Labs. Yes, I am affiliated with them since I approached them with my research and product ideas but we are talking about high quality products which are not some relabeling or copy-cat. These are very specific formulations based upon medical science while are both safe and effective.
Thank you and I sincerely hope that this and the rest of the information in this blog will help you with the choices you are making on how to improve your health and well-being.
Dr. Alexander Haskell, N.D.
To understand the dangers of iodine and iodide it’s important to first understand a little thyroid physiology and biochemistry. I promise to make this very easy to understand.
The hormone TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) does just what it says, it stimulates the thyroid to make its hormones.
The most common reason for TSH to increase is when thyroid hormones decline in the blood.
But there’s another reason for TSH to increase and this is where the danger lies. And why would too much TSH be dangerous?
Again, TSH stimulates thyroid cells to make their hormones, but how?
There are a couple of ways but I’ll focus on just one of them.
All thyroid hormones have iodine attached to them. Without iodine thyroid cells can’t make their hormones. But thyroid cells do not absorb iodine, they absorb iodide and once it’s inside it must be changed into iodine. And how is iodide changed into iodine inside thyroid cells?
Now, this is amazing… thyroid cells make hydrogen peroxide which is used to change iodide into iodine. And what stimulates thyroid cells to make more hydrogen peroxide to create more iodine to create more thyroid hormones?
TSH.
The danger then is if TSH remains high and continues to stimulate more and more hydrogen peroxide production inside thyroid cells. Because if this goes on for awhile these thyroid cells will eventually become inflamed from too much hydrogen peroxide leading to their destruction (apoptosis).
You all know about hydrogen peroxide. It’s an antiseptic and is applied to wounds to burn or oxidize bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide also activates our tiny white blood cells and these help to clean up tissue debris and the dead bacteria.
So when TSH has been elevated for an extended period of time and some thyroid cells break apart this releases what’s inside these cells including the hydrogen peroxide. This triggers the white cells to come to the rescue and, you guessed it, we have an autoimmune condition of the thyroid known as Hashimoto’s.
The Proof Is in the Lab Tests
At one time I was a high-dose iodine and iodide prescriber until I reviewed some follow-up lab results on patient’s with thyroid issues. In August of 2008 a 53 year old woman consulted me for the typical low thyroid hormone symptoms and so we ran a thyroid blood test.
Her TSH was 3.5 (lab’s reference range of 0.35 to 5.5) so her TSH was pretty much right in the middle.
But her primary thyroid hormone, thyroxine, was 6.1 which is a little on the low side of the reference range of 4.5 to 12.
So I decided to administer a little iodine and iodide. Well it wasn’t so little. I gave her a 25mg mix of iodine and potassium iodide hoping these would pick up her TSH a little while providing lots of iodide to improve her thyroid hormone production.
Three months later we did a follow-up blood test to find her TSH had shot up to 107…. 107!!! I was shocked and horrified. That result catapulted me into the medical library for several months. After all, I had chosen alternative medicine to ‘do no harm’ and this TSH level would most certainly do this woman harm.
My primary concern was a TSH level of 107 would over stimulate her thyroid’s production of hydrogen peroxide leading to inflammation and eventually to Hashimoto’s.
Here’s another story to prove my point…
I told a close colleague of mine about these results and my apprehensions about this high dose prescribing of iodine and iodide and the possibility of it leading to Hashimoto’s. A lot of what we had formerly read on the subject of iodine and iodide showed a degree of ambivalence about this possibility, but now we had reached a new level of concern. My colleague did decide to continue prescribing the higher doses but would now screen every patient for Hashimoto’s before his recommendation.
One patient tested negative for Hashimoto’s and he recommended 25mg. She returned 6 months later with a lab test from her endocrinologist showing she was now positive for Hashimoto’s.
By the way, this doctor friend of mine developed thyroid cysts and severe hyperthyroidism which lasted for 2 months. This was definitely the result of experimenting with high doses of iodine and iodide. Luckily he refused the standard treatment (removal of his thyroid gland) and if fine today. But it was a scary ride.
Don’t take high doses of iodine and iodide, this is the essence of what I have to say.
There is absolutely no reason to go above the 3mg combination of iodine and potassium iodide. It may take a little longer to get to optimal storage and protection levels on this smaller dose but it’s safe. Do not be in a hurry.
I have studied all the sources of iodine and iodine in food, supplements and other products. You can read my other blogs on iodized salt, sea salt, kelp tablets and the most popular high-dose iodine supplements which I do not recommend. The product which I do recommend comes from Pure Research Labs. Yes, I am affiliated with them since I approached them with my research and product ideas but we are talking about high quality products which are not some relabeling or copy-cat. These are very specific formulations based upon medical science while are both safe and effective.
Thank you and I sincerely hope that this and the rest of the information in this blog will help you with the choices you are making on how to improve your health and well-being.
Dr. Alexander Haskell, N.D.
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