Too much salt?

[Hazyp]

Hi,

I am newly diagnosed as hyper thyroid and I am struggling to find some answers.

I have always eaten quite a lot of salt and I am wondering if this has caused my illness and if I stopped eating salt would it cure this problem?

I really hope someone will have an answer for me.

Thank you

Hazel

[stella5349]

yes - I am a cheap date too when it comes to going and having a drink.

[Hazyp]

Thanks to you both for your help! It has really helped me and I wish you both a very happy Christmas and New Year.

Smilerdeb...I have noticed that if I have just one drink I feel like I've had three....is that the same with you? Is it because of the overactive thyroid..I cant believe it can cause so many problems!!

The best to you both,

Hazel

[Smilerdeb]

Hehehe Stella...I'm hoping to have a 'chrissy drink' this year without getting 'half charged' on HALF a glass of wine.
Yes I know I'm a shocker but I tend to be a 'one pot screamer ' since RAI lol .
Hugs x

[stella5349]

good point Deb I forgot to mention TSI. I got hung up on adrenals and salt.

[Smilerdeb]

Have you had antibody testing done for Graves Disease yet?
If not ask for the TSI test to be done.
This is 100% sure if you have Graves or not.

[stella5349]

Hazel you question is pretty tough - I am not a doctor - but I think even a doctor would have a hard time really knowing why your levels are abnormal.

I just think you need to really check out everything first before coming to the conclusion that its "this" or "that" before doing anything permanent to a part of the body.

The thyroid doesn't just malfunction and become bad without cause. I don't think any part of our bodies work like that.

The adrenals are pretty tough buggers and if they get hurt- stressed or malnurished and they start to react - its a spiral system breakdown of other things. Rarely are adrenal tested with a patients. Symptoms of adrenal fatigue are vague and the tests are not really in focus. Thyroid tests are more common than adrenals and if the adrenals are starving the thyroid - then it can look hyper too becuase its the thyroid overcompensating now for the adrenals lack in functions.

Your salt issues should be your focus - if the adrenals are fine... then the thyroid could be the issue and vise-versa sometimes too. a low functioning thyroid will weaken the adrenals - and you can have the salt cravings with that too.

Its not easy..

[Hazyp]

Wow Stella! Thank you so much for all your help...following my diagnosis at first I wanted to read all I could about the illness, but now I feel that I need to find a reason...I keep thinking that maybe its all a big mistake....how could it be me, sort of thing...

My two blood tests came back as TSH under 0.03 T3 7.8 and T4 19.8 and another one following that was same for TSH but T3 rose to 8.6 and T4 to 27.3

I've always loved jacket spuds with cheese and salt and always put salt on my dinners and now I'm scared that its all my fault...and if I stop using salt would my throid correct itself?

I think I'm trying to put the blame on myself and make myself believe I can put it right.

Hazel

[stella5349]

Hello Hazel,

Welcome to the board. Let's back track a bit on history here some so you can get a real good picture of iodine. I think your question and your thoughts here is

" Is my hyperthyroidism related to too much iodine?" is that right?

Decades ago - goiter related iodine deficiencies were mainly found in America-  but Europe - also had issues.

I believe in the 1930's iodine was being used for these goiter related issues and was curing alot of cases. That practice continued for decades into the 1970's or so.

During that transistion of iodine - it was mandated that "salt" would have iodine added into it to help with these goiters. That was pretty successful in those days but times have changed dramatically since then.

Salt now - is ionized - but not as the healing for "hypothyroidism goiter" relations. Things have changed in the processing of salt. Yes, there is still ionized salt - but the bleaching process is different and they counter act the iodine. So really - ionized salt is not the healthy substitute as it was.

In hyperthyroid cases back decades ago - iodine was actually being explored to TREAT hypERthyroidism and in some reports that was very successsful in getting that issue under control.

In my opinion this makes sense with all the iodine reading I have done. I live in the "goiter" belt of the country. If you map it out on a goggle search I am right in there smack dab in the middle of the most severe levels of iodine deficiency. Guess what I was diagnoised with? - HypERthyroidism Graves... back in 2003.

Unfortunately the iodine treatment is no longer looked at as treatment for hyperthyroidism and we have moved into ablation RAI  or surgery to remove the gland with hyperthyroidism / Graves -  now as the only treatments. I was not iodine educated back when first told about my hyperthyroidism so I really can't add anything in IF - iodine would of cured me - or not. My thyroid is gone with no return of its function and need medication for life to live well.

OK - back to you.... Salt - excessive salts intake is more related to a craving of it. Usually people with a salt addiction and need large amounts of it are lacking somewhere and thyroid is not connected persay. Your adrenals is the salt craver and that is a classic sign of abnormal adrenals.

If - lets say - this adrenal issue is found by your doctor then it would make perfect sense on why your thyroid is over compensating or acting off on labs.

I think you should request adrenal testing first before you lay all your eggs in one basket.

You have not listed your actual labs that were done to determine your hyperthyroidism.  Do you have those labs available.

This is my opinion only but really in your question of did salt cause my thyroid issues? - I don''t think so at all - but you should explore why you take in so much salt to begin with and look into that  ( adrenals??) as the cause of your issues.