Iodine - The Biggest Result I've Had So Far

[WoolPippi]

Further experimentation showed that I needed to take T2--or iodine--every 21 days, which I feel is an amazingly precise and consistent delay.

amazing that you found this out! trumpets and compliments to you.

I also admire your approach of experimenting and figuring things out and trying to aim for the lowest dosage needed.

This is more or less how I found out the specifics of my body too. For me it's Choline, Zink, Lithium (the mineral, not the drug), Iodine, Molybdenum, vit D, Kalium/potassium and Progesteron.
Things that mess me up: Mercury, nutmeg, vanillin.

 

[WoolPippi]

Here's the confusing part for me: I seem to have a mammoth need for iodine AND CFS. Where those two intersect, I don't know. Any ideas from the community would be helpful.

No idea but compliments and trumpets to you for figuring out you need Iodine!!

I used the muscle resistance thing too. The DIY method doesn't work for me. But when a practitioner did it it worked. My body screamed for Lithium, the mineral. That's quite an odd need to have, the practitioner just threw it in for giggles and my arm would not move. Then the shop gave me Zinc instead because surely the prescription was written wrong or the doctor's handwriting unreadable because nobody ever orders Lithium (this was back in 2008).

Anyway: use your sensitivity to figure out more things that work for you. Keep a record to cross reference and find new leads. Don't argue too much with your findings, just use them, like you did with the Iodine. Eventually you will find the explanation. Wayne, above, posts some real interesting things about Iodine and health.

It is a wonderful thing you did! You deserve bunting! Bunting and more of that Jeep adventure you write.

 

[Wishful]

I checked out the iodine guide. The first thing that caught my attention was 'energized iodine', which is supposedly 'electro-magnetically transmuted into the Atomic state.' I couldn't take the rest of the guide seriously after that blatant quackery. There might be useful information in the guide, but how to figure out what's true and what's nonsense?

 

[Avena]

Here is an alternate view from Stephanie Buist's free Iodine Guide:


Also listed in that document are the important co-factors to take with iodine:

Thank you! Very interesting. My failed attempt started at 50 mcg. I went up to both 100 and 150 mcg before I quit, but that might not count as long as I started low?

I did take all the co-factors.

 

[PatJ]

I couldn't take the rest of the guide seriously after that blatant quackery.

Nascent iodine is quite popular with some people so the iodine guide needed to cover it. The guide says "Based on Edgar Cayce’s “energized” iodine." Note the quotes around energized that, to me, indicate skepticism. I think the guide is just repeating what is claimed by sellers of nascent iodine (which is very expensive stuff). It doesn't mean the author accepts the claims about it. And she says it's not a good form to use anyway.

 

[PatJ]

but that might not count as long as I started low?

According to the guide I think that would be accurate but if I were you, I would talk to people in the Facebook Iodine group (I've never used that group. It's listed on the site where the iodine guide came from so hopefully it would be a useful resource.)

 

[Wishful]

The quotes in nascent iodine might imply skepticism, but starting the guide off with blatant quackery gives it far too much importance. Putting it at the end, or at least buried deep in a middle paragraph would have de-emphasized it. I certainly found it a bad choice of placement if the author didn't support it. She could have mentioned that it was controversial (ie. it's simply the same sodium or potassium iodide found in other supplements, just with additional unsupported marketing claims).

 

[Dakota15]

@jtex Can I ask where you purchased your Iodine from - anywhere in particular?

 

[uglevod]

Iodine is anti borrelia too: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4738477/

 

[Jusjayne]

I have hashimotos and a few years before i got sick. i took 1205mg of iodine and cofactors and i felt amazing was have alot of dream tons of energy and my thyroid improved alon with my antibodies. i only took for 3 months as my doc scared me into stopping. I wish i didnt listen. I may start again. i found 12.5 mg to be a good amount for me. I was scared to go higher. I didnt take the vitamin c as i didnt react well to it back then either. Ive recently heard that its made from mold and have recently ordered camu camu which is not. fall last year my multi nodular goiter has seemed to improve as per ultrasound so not sure if that was iodine. I have never used iodized salt so pretty sure ive always been low and maybe what start my hashis in the first place.

 

[Jusjayne]

Sorry i meant 12.5 not 1205mg

 

[Wishful]

Good catch. On over a kg of iodine, I could imagine you bouncing to orbit.

 

[Jusjayne]

Just a little lol

 

[Hazeleyes99]

I take about 3.25mg of an Iodine/Iodide blend pretty much daily. The reason I started with it is because I noticed high iodine Kombu kelp abolished my cold feeling and brainfog. I ran out of the kelp and couldnt order from a good provider, so went supplement route. I still think I feel better on the kelp, but will continue with the supplement for now until I can source some good seaweed again. Everything costs money and sometimes supplements are actually cheaper than certain foods, or ordering from the company is not particularly simple or easy.

When I first started it, I could smell it coming out of my sweat. It smelled like chlorine because I wanted to convince myself it was a detox effect, but reasonably it was probably my body just not being able to take up the Iodine at first. I felt pretty horrible for at least a week but slowly reached a higher baseline.

I moved up to 12.5mg but I got anxious on that dose, started imagining or feeling my thyroid swelling at some point, so I dropped it back down and will stay on 3.25mg indefinately, it seems like a reasonably safe dose. I also take 400mcg selenium-methionine, and NAC 500mg-1g per day.

I notice a lot of new bleached white "grey hairs", I think it was from not pre-loading the selenium and glutathione producers, as I think iodine can create an excess of h202, in the thyroid at least. It may also be a combo of other nutrient deficiencies, I have an inkling I am low in some b-vitamins. It is too hard to say if iodine caused the hairs to get bleached. I am starting an antioxodant regimen so maybe that can help, either way I figure not to care about it too much as I am still figuring out the best way to heal.

Anyways, I think once my gut issues are better, I will switch to transdermal iodine, I learned painting iodine on skin has about a 10% availability so it is not as cost effective, but I want to spare my gut flora once I have established better populations in case iodine supresses beneficials when taken orally in higher doses. My gut is still not great, and am about to start a round of herbal anti-bx, and iodine has antimicrobe effect. So for now I will stick with it.

I do notice my body temp is slightly higher, and I have before thyroid function bloodwork to compare when I get it done again. I know some people say 50mg of iodine for a year before thinking of lowering, but I do not want to risk it. I have heard at least one doctor move his dose reccomendation down from 12.5mg to 3mg. Even if the thyroid issue is somewhat rare, I do not want to risk it.

 

[jtex]

@jtex Can I ask where you purchased your Iodine from - anywhere in particular?

Hi Dakota15. IveI used two types: Terry Naturals Tri-Iodine and RLC Labs i-Throid. Both are 12.5 pills of blended iodine and iodide. Tri-Iodine has 3 forms, while the cheaper i-Thrpid just has 7.5mg Potassium Iodide and 5mg Iodine per pill.

Once I get through starting a new supplement (colostrum) this week, I'll experiment with increasing my intake from 50mg (25 x 2) to 75mg (37.5 x 2) daily.

 

[jtex]

Iodine is anti borrelia too: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4738477/

That's interesting. I've never been tested for line.

 

[jtex]

Thank you everyone for chiming in and sharing your insights. I've been impressed by the outpouring of help. I have an update on my iodine experiences to share.

I did what I said I would, and tried increasing my dose of iodine to 62.5mg/day and then 75mg/day. Within a week, I began experiencing new symptoms. The first time I went outside, within 30 minutes I was panicking, feeling hot to the touch, getting dizzy and feeling sick. I had heat exhaustion. I continue having heat exhaustion more frequently. I went to see an endocrinologist in another town and was tested for Free T3, Total T3, Total T4, Free T4, TPO antibodies, and TSH. Everything looked normal. I got an ultrasound of my thyroid and it showed a nodule, smooth and nothing interesting to the Dr.

The Dr.s didn't care about checking for Hashimotos so they gave me a prescription for synthetic T4. I had a serum iodine lab run and the results showed I had iodine levels in the toxic range. I didn't take the T4 but I stopped taking iodine. For 5 days I felt a little better and didn't experience heat stroke. Then I started to feel even more tired and sickly. I took a small amount of iodine (5mg) and went back to being at 50%. I've been on 5mg/day of iodine since and have been at 40-50%.

My thinking is this: Iodine is significantly beneficial for me, and one of 2 things is happening when I take it. Either it's treating hypothyroidism/hashimotos until I took too much and had toxicity symptoms, or I'm experiencing an antimicrobial effect from the iodine that's helping with whatever chronic infection/CFS I have (I shared some information about that in this post).

Thanks again for all y'all's guidance and help.

 

[Wishful]

Iodine also affects cell function significantly through T2. I don't know why iodine or T2 has the beneficial effect it does on my symptoms, but it works despite my ignorance. I don't think it's working by affecting my thyroid function or by antimicrobial effects. The abrupt changes with a consistent 21 day cycle should mean something, but I don't know what. There's no tapering off of effects, no differences from physical activity or diet; just this abrupt switching effect.

Have you tried T2? It may not work for you, but if it were me, I'd do the experiment just to better understand what's going on, which might lead to better or safer treatment. I bought my first T2 for that reason, and I'm ever so glad that I did. Many other things proved to be a waste of money, but the few things that have worked have made it worthwhile.

 

[jtex]

Iodine also affects cell function significantly through T2. I don't know why iodine or T2 has the beneficial effect it does on my symptoms, but it works despite my ignorance. I don't think it's working by affecting my thyroid function or by antimicrobial effects. The abrupt changes with a consistent 21 day cycle should mean something, but I don't know what. There's no tapering off of effects, no differences from physical activity or diet; just this abrupt switching effect.

Have you tried T2? It may not work for you, but if it were me, I'd do the experiment just to better understand what's going on, which might lead to better or safer treatment. I bought my first T2 for that reason, and I'm ever so glad that I did. Many other things proved to be a waste of money, but the few things that have worked have made it worthwhile.

I haven't tried T2 but I will based on your recommendation. If like to know if that, or the other possibilities, are the sectio of iodine that's benefiting me. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Wishful]

For me, I accidentally discovered that iodine reduced my symptoms (in that unusual switching way). One day, after yet another depressing doctor's appointment, I was driving home, possibly to commit suicide (I hadn't figured out the niacin-suicide connection yet), and I thought about the iodine benefit and how T4 and T3 didn't have any effect. I asked myself the question: 'Does the body use iodine for anything else?' A check online showed that the thyroid gland also produced T2, which has important functions even if doctors ignore it. I thought it was worth buying some T2 to experiment. It definitely was worth it.

If T2 doesn't help, at least you'll have a new question to ask: If it's not T4, T3 or T2, what else is iodine doing in the body?