Hi
@keenly,
I've just started finding out about lithium orotate and ordered some Swanson LO from HealthMonthly this evening. It's 5mg elemental lithium from 130mg LO. Because it's Easter, it probably won't arrive until at least Weds, if not later.
I'm slightly concerned about potential effects on the thyroid - I don't convert much T4 to T3 so am technically hypo, despite previously producing decent levels of T4.
I've been on supraphysiological doses of T3 since c.2005, increasing from my initial physiological 20mcg dose started in 2000 by Barry Peatfield, to currently 100mcg/d. Needless to say, my T4 and TSH are always pretty much zero because of the exogenous T3.
I saw something earlier in this thread about thyroid hormone replacement needing systemic enzymes if cholesterol and triglycerides remain "high", because high cholesterol and triglycerides are a clear indication of hypothyroidism and if you're on T3, (or T4 for most people), those lipids should dramatically reduce.
They did go down when I was on 20mcg, but there's been some sort of resistance issue going on since about 2005, hence my dose being increased to 100mcg dose and the continuing "high" cholesterol and trig's. (I refuse to take statins, and I don't think it's as much of an issue as the NICE guidelines insist, because they keep lowering the ref ranges so they can get more people on statins- £'s. Cynical, moi? Damn right!)
I've been titrating Lugol's for about three weeks (the week before Mother's Day), and have successfully managed to get up to 50mg/d, which because of my breast cancer history, is about half-way to where I need my dose to be.
The past few days, I have got to 4 or 5pm and realised I haven't taken my last 2 doses of hydrocortisone (hypoadrenal/ adrenal insufficiency). I started at 2.5mg/d with Barry in 2000, titrated up to the physiological 20mg/d dose, then the T3 was added in.
As with the T3, my breast cancer and its hideous treatments (mastectomy, recon, chemo, radio, massive oestrogen-blocking implant injections, rapidly discontinued Tamoxifen, ditto nasty anti-osteporosis drug, ditto every different aromatase inhibitor going) forced an increase in my hydro, too. Have been not functional but stable on 80mg hydro/d until I reached 25-30mg Lugol's, when I found myself reducing hydro naturally and easily (yay!) and am now on 70mg, which is a huge reduction for me, so I'm even more keen to keep titrating up towards the 100mg of Lugol's that I want to be at - I might be able to reduce my hydro back down to normal physiological levels, which would be brilliant.
The only downside so far with the iodine is that for the last couple of nights, since I hit 50mg, is that I'm waking up at 3 or 4am with significant anxiety.
I'm feeling anxious and wired in the day, too, and I figure this might be the iodide giving my thyroid the tools it needs to make its own hormones again, which is obviously a good thing as long as I reduce my T3 in line with this new hyper state.
I struggled to break my teeny tiny T3 tabs into quarters, which is what you're supposed to do if you reduce, so have settled for a 10mcg reduction (half a tab) instead of a 5mcg one. (Obviously hoping that contiuing with Lugol's will allow me to reduce my T3 further as things start to correct themselves with iodine repletion.)
Anxiety slightly less, but still enough for me to be resorting to benzos, hence my interest in trying lithium orotate to calm things down. (I react badly to theanine and GABA, already take around a gram of mag citrate and mag malate, use Valerian periodically, plus Ashwaghanda, Rhodiola has little effect, ditto inositol, 5-HTP usually keeps the majority of anxiety and depression at bay, but not stopping this new iodine-fed anxiety.)
I'm planning on starting at 5mg LO and increasing to x2/d if that feels like the right thing to do.
I'm obviously hoping to continue to be able to reduce my hydro easily (I know I've done somethimg right with my supplement choices when I find I haven't needed to take the last couple of doses that day, and haven't forced a reduction. Forced reductions floor me completely, even by 2.5mg. Everything gets acutely inflamed systemically, and I'm off legs for months. Natural reductions are just that, natural, and I don't get the systemic inflammation flare.)
As I started off saying, my concern about LO is the potential it apparently has for causing thyroid antibodies, and initiating an auto-immune problem. I don't currently have any thyroid antibodies, and never have.
How likely do you think it is that a 5-10mg LO dose will cause problems for my thyroid? Do you think it's less likely, or more likely, given that I'm on T3? Do you think it will be ok as long as I reduce my T3 in line with hyper signs and symptoms, or does your experience and knowledge of LO indicate differently? Am I worrying about nothing?
-I'm keen to try LO, having read dozens of reviews on iHerb and other places, different threads on here, and several sites citing articles and papers, etc, because they all talk about the reduction in anxiety and depression, a calm, clear, alert brain, better energy, and neurological protection/repair.
What's your experience of it? Do you have any thyroid issues, either pre-existent to taking LO, or that have happened since taking it?
I'd appreciate your input on this.
Thanks for reading, Keenly, and I hope you're doing at least ok, if not better than ok.
Jigsaw.
I wonder if the pesticide absorbed in the brain and nerves causes so much oxidative stress that I don't react normally to antioxidants of any kind. They tend to add to the neurotoxicity. I was so hoping this would be a help- funny how after all these years you still keep on trying, even when there's a drawer full of supplements you can't take. I'm glad to hear that this has helped others. Please keep us up to date on your experiences!
