I am really want to know more about iodine,as I am taking it along with Adrenal Support Capsules, and I have to tell you I have felt pretty good for several weeks, I put it down to the Adrenal Capsules but it could be the iodine, I have googled about iodine and realise we dont get enough of it in out diets now, Salt used to have a lot, guess it still does,but they have cut it out in other foods. So Hey I am open to feeling even better....

Some excerpts from "Beating Lyme Disease" by David A. Jernigan, Ph.D. :

"According to a study by the CDC the number of Americans with low iodine has quadrupled in the last 25 years". * (source below)

"Dr. Bernard Jenson, D.C., Ph.D., found that the iodized table salt, which is superheated so that it can pour more easily, is a poor form of iodine for the body."

* Iodine Nutrition in the United States. Trends and Public Health Implications: Iodine Excretion Data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys I and III --- The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism

I am looking to read some resource information on a few things with iodine.

1 Is iodine needed for people with No thyroids?

2 Best supplementation of iodine to take?

3 Proper administration of iodine

4 Symptoms of low iodine

5 What iodine will restore in the body if taken and how to know if you are managing appropriately with it.

Yes please that the information I need ,

This is the test/treatment listed on Dr. Jernigan's website that I did and it actually WORKED ! I have soft hair now too ! ; ^ )  

********Remember that stopping thyroid medicine all together only applies to those who are hypothyroid due to iodine deficiency and only under drs orders. Talk to your physician before trying ANY iodine supplementation.*************

This simple test is almost too simple, it cost next to nothing and will help you to know when your body is in need of Iodine.


Instructions:


Get a 1 ounce bottle of tincture of 2% Iodine.

Paint a spot using the tincture about the size of a silver dollar. Paint the spot in an inconspicuous place such as your belly, thigh, or the inside of the arm. Be sure it is dry before putting on clothes to prevent staining the clothing. Do this when you know you will not be taking a shower or bath, since it may wash off.

If you body level of Iodine is normal, then the spot will remain on the skin for 24 hours.

If the spot disappears in less than 24 hours, this means your body needed Iodine and took it in. (I find it awesome that our body will take in what it needs and leave on the skin what it doesn't need!) This works transdermally much like the now popular Nicoderm and Estrogen Patches, by soaking into the blood stream via the skin.

*** Important...if you are presently on thyroid medicine you may need to cut back on your dose, or ultimately stop it all together, now that your body has the iodine to manufacture the thyroid hormones it needs.


Keep applying the Tincture of Iodine every 24 hours, at different places on your body, until the spot stays there for the full 24 hours.


http://abc.eznettools.net/jernigannutraceuticals/inexpensive_treatments.html

Thank you Platelet Gal !!!

You're welcome ! I was a little skeptical at first, but it worked. The first time I did the test, the iodine disappeared within 2 hours. This continued for at least 2 more weeks. Last week I did the test again and it took over 12 hours before the iodine disappeared.

PlateletGal (still has soft hair and is no longer spending big money for expensive conditions that don't work ! ; ^ )   )

Wow thank you I will get some to try I have been taking the kelp drop with iodine in it, definatly do the test.

don't just buy any kind of iodine tincture....make sure it is potassium iodine form only!

Platelet Gal- Where did you find yours? I told Stella how hard it is to find the right kind and she found it to be true....unless of course you buy online.

I recommend Lugol's Iodine....it is a trusted brand and my doctor friend uses it himself.
He suggested doing a small scratch test first to make sure no sensitivities are there.

oops --- I wrote conditions... of course I meant to write, "conditioners" in my previous post.

Laura -- I purchased my iodine online. I think I purchased it through Walgreens.

Great thread Laura.

PlateletGal --Thx so much for your info; am dead keen to crack this iodine gig that am sure makes me thryoid right lazy!  

Soooo----is doing this kind of iodine supplementation in place of taking kelp supplements, or is there no harm in taking kelp too?  I have heard that there are quality issues with kelp---and is this a 'potassium' type Laura is saying is best?  Am thinking there could be toxicity with too much iodine in the system?  --  thoughts?  Does anyone know which foods eaten can boost iodine as well?

Margypops ---where did you get Adrenal Support capsules, and what are they composed of?   : )

You don't want to consume too much as you stated. I would first start with a skin test to see how deficient you are. You can Lugol's right on line. I would imagine as almost everything there could be a toxic level....also do you have Hashi's? If so you will want to tread carefully with the use of kelp or iodine.
For the adrenals....i like adaptogens  (will increase when needed and decrease when needed)  

Here is an interesting link which gives history on Lugol Iodine....who invented it per say...mixture...and benefits!

http://www.naturodoc.com/mm5/merchant.mvc

Thx for the link!!  Reading the intro put in my mind immediately the reason the Greek meaning of the word thryroid is----shield!!  Wow! Yes you are wise to mention testing--- I must do so for iodine deficiency, as have been throwing back (unsafely am sure!) hand fulls of kelp tablets! I too have been wondering about Hashi and really must rule this out for reason of continued hypo. Hoping I can get Lugol here.   Thx again.  Am so happy this board here, as have restlessly wanted to move my search for health re-balance ideas into a slightly more holistic arena.  Are adaptogens PX?  : )  

Ok I found Lugol's OTC - but not at a drug store.  I found it at an Aquatics (Pet fish) store. $19 bucks- one ounce bottle

It took two weeks but I was determine to find it - IT had to be sold somewhere. If you read about "water" you will find so much stuff on the toxins.

Can you imagine - we are keeping fish healthly in tanks while us humans are suffering with depletion.

Hey Platelet - Did you use sodium iodine tincture - or potassium iodine for your test? I find oodles of sodium iodine at the drug stores but not potassium.

Also the Lugol's I found is 5% and not 2% -  what's that about?  Another thought....

How often can you do a patch test? Is the iodine you are applying starting to balance out the deficiency and after you get to it stay on for 24 hrs - that is your clue that you have put enough in?

Lugol's is 5%....read the link up above that i posted for the history and info on Lugol's. Very interesting. It will give testing info too.

A sluggish thyroid

Common problem, commonly overlooked

Are you tired, constipated, mildly depressed, struggling to lose weight, with dry skin? You may suffer from hypothyroidism — an underactive thyroid.

Problem: the above symptoms may have other causes. Another problem: rigid blood test interpretation can lead to a missed diagnosis of hypothyroidism.

Your thyroid gland
Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck. It regulates your body’s energy production.
Your thyroid gland produces thyroid hormone (no surprise there). “T4” is the storage form. T4 is converted to “T3” in the thyroid, liver, brain and other tissues. T3 is the active form, 200 times stronger than T4.

The importance of TSH
TSH, made by the pituitary gland in the brain, stands for thyroid stimulating hormone. If your thyroid is sluggish, your pituitary produces more TSH, a kind of kick in the pants for the thyroid. The TSH blood test is the most useful test for thyroid function.

What causes a sluggish thyroid?
A common cause is autoimmune. Your immune system thinks your thyroid belongs to someone else and starts attacking it. This is called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
Other causes? Stress can suppress your thyroid. Sometimes large amounts of soy products, peanuts or raw cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts) may slow down the thyroid, although this is controversial.

Why is the diagnosis missed?
There is disagreement over what TSH level signifies disease. Some doctors believe your thyroid is OK, regardless of symptoms, if your TSH is below 5.0. Many specialists regard 3.0 and below as normal. They will sometimes treat patients until it’s below 1.0, if necessary.

Treatment options
Most specialists, including some holistic-minded doctors, use synthetic T4. Response is slow so your doctor will wait 6 - 8 weeks before checking your TSH again.
Nutritional support can help. Selenium (200 micrograms a day) and adequate Vitamin D levels are important. Iodine is often used. Stress reduction, as with most health problems, is essential. Nutritional support and stress reduction are all some  need.

What about T3?
Some folks feel better with a small dose of T3. T3 alone or with antidepressants may help in depression. And some respond best to Armour Thyroid, which has both T4 and T3 (from ground up pig thyroids).
The use of T3 is controversial because most studies show little benefit. The studies, however, are inconclusive. I find T3 has a useful role in some patients.
A small number of people have trouble converting T4 to T3. A low free T3 blood value in someone with suspicious symptoms may respond to treatment.

Know and understand the meaning of your TSH level. Is it between 5.0 and 3.0? Do you also have symptoms? Then treatment may help. See a thyroid specialist. They take a broader, less dogmatic approach.

Hi Stella,

I used the sodium iodine for my stain test. After that, I purchased the liquid potassium iodide (yes iodide... not iodine). You can find it online and it is very inexpensive. You can also take it sublingually and while using the skin stain test. (according to Jernigan --- pg. 463 in Beating Lyme Disease)

For people who have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or fibromyalgia. This is the preferred test to diagnose thyroid problems (except physicians seem to not know much about this test and/or reluctant to order it). Also, this is how Dr. Holtorf treats thyroid problems in his CFS and fibro patients:


T3 REVERSE -- "The mix of treatments needed varies from patient to patient. There are some abnormalities that are common. For instance, close to 100% of individuals with these syndromes have low thyroid. This is, however, usually not picked up on the standard blood tests because the TSH is not elevated in these individuals due to pituitary dysfunction. Many of these individuals will also have high levels of the anti-thyroid reverse T3, which is usually not measured on standard blood tests. In addition, the majority of individuals can also have a thyroid receptor resistance that is not detected on the blood tests. Consequently, thyroid treatment, especially with timed release T3, is effective for many patients. T4 preparations (inactive thyroid) such as Synthroid and Levoxyl do not work well for these conditions."

Kent Holtorf, M.D.

The adrenal adaptogens are usually an adrenal formula mostly of herbs etc. A good healthfood store should have it. It might say support on the bottle as well. The most important thing is that it supports the adrenals if your cortisol levels are high or low. I will give an example of ingredients to you a little later when I have more time. :)


To everyone else:  I wonder how to tread carefully with Iodine when a hashi patient? Anyone found any info pertaining to hashimoto's and iodine treatment?

I just returned from the Adrenal forum and saw this post. This woman has Hashimoto's and started feeling better after taking iodine (sublingually) :

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/750439

I got the kelp iodine today but I will look for lugols' iodine , as you reccomend,I feel so much better nowadays, taking these supplements , It was the thyroid forum , suggested to try Adrenal Support first before the Thyroid support which I have done with Vit C  sellenium and Iodine , have to tell you I feel pretty good..

What is the dosage of Kelp a day ?

Margy-did you get the kelp iodine in liquid form or capsule?

Here is a link to a different kind of iodine that is supposedly better than all other types:

http://www.thyroidnascentiodine.com/index.htm

This is suppose to be the most readily to absorb....everyone take a read please and let me know what you think.