No thyroid and iodine intake

[Liz94]

I think I've asked this before and I can't find the answer anywhere.  When you have no thyroid is okay to have iodine? I'm having lots of hairloss due to the synthroid and I've been looking around online at options as far as supplements go. My doc told me to take Evening Primrose Oil which I do. But, I saw on a website that said if you have hairloss due to thyroid issues you should include iodine in your diet in the form of sea salt.  I'm confused. I have no thyroid so is it safe to take iodine? I've noticed that lots of supplements have iodine in them. I just can't seem to find answers regarding NO thyroid and iodine intake. Whether it's good or bad for me.

[AR-10]

Sea salt is not any different than regular iodized salt except that you can get it coarse ground, and it is more expensive.

If you truly have no thyroid, then iodine shouldn't make any difference one way or the other. The only use your body has for iodine is to feed your thyroid.

I've been told that once your thyroid is ablated, you should try to avoid large quantities of iodine, but a little won't hurt you. I was trying to find out if shellfish was off my diet forever.

I have also looked around and can't find any official answer regarding iodine and the lack of a thyroid. I'd like to see what others say about it, and hopefully a link to some sound medical findings.

[Liz94]

I had my thyroid out due to cancer. So if iodine "feeds" thyroid cells I would imagine that consuming it would be a bad idea because I don't want any lingering thyroid cells to be happy. I just don't know. This is bugging me and I don't trust my endo to answer the question correctly.

[nissah46]

Did you go on the Low Iodine Diet for RAI? This is the only time you have to watch your iodine intake, as far as I know.  I am on the LID now and it takes planning.  I have never been told not to consume iodine except while on LID.  I have read that thyroid cancer is from too much iodine, and I have read it is from too little.  What's a person to do? I guess everything in moderation.  

[Liz94]

Yes, I did the LID and had RAI in January. Now I'm in the phase of playing "find the right dosage" to get me stable. In the process of this fun adventure my hair is coming out like nobody's business!  So, I was looking at hair vitamins and most of them contain iodine. I'd never noticed iodine added to a vitamin before (probably because I never cared!) but now that I see that it's there and I wonder if it's a good idea for someone with no thyroid to have added iodine in their diet in supplement form.

[AR-10]

I would avoid as much iodine as you sensibly can without being on a special diet.

I had RAI in January, but not any surgery. I think you and I both want to stay away from obvious sources of iodine for a few more months while the radiation is doing it's thing. I don't want to encourage a hormone dump, and you don't want to encourage thyroid growth.

What I'm trying to figure out is how iodine will affect me a year from now. Whether I'll be able to eat whatever I wish, or if iodine is something I will need to be mindful of from now on.  

[Liz94]

I'm gonna call my endo tomorrow and see what he has to say. This is gonna drive me nuts till I know.

[DianeJune]

Hi I started taking Iodoral an iodine supplement for one main reason Fibrocystic breast disease.  I was diagnosed with a breast lesion last august and my naturopath referred me to the breastcancerchoices.org website.  There's a lot of information about iodine deficiency and breast disease.  I'm also sufferring from all sorts of autoimmune issues, and I had my thyroid gland removed in 2006.  I can report that since I've been on the iodine I went into a "hyper" state with my thyroid balance so my thyroid medicine is being reduced.., I don't have a good report attesting to the breast benefit, although I'm due to go get a repeat mammo soon, hoping that all's they see is clear tissue.  Regarding the hair loss, with me it's a constant issue because I've yet to ever get stabilized on my thyroid replacement.  I'm hoping that my hair loss problem will go away once I'm stabilized.