Remedies for Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Please could you let me know. I am dealing with Hashimoto for 25 years but now been reading about the gluten affecting thyroid. I've been trying to eat alkaline more fresh verses processed for many years. And did bio scan and shows no gluten allergy.

I am trying to avoid gluten and wondering what is the best alternative for bread. Mostly ate dark dry. And now found Millet breat no gluten. Is that ok to eat? And brown rice and gluten free brown rice pasta?

Thank you much for your feedback.

Hello Susan from Seattle - I am so excited to read your post! I am writing a book about the stories of people who have cured Hashimoto's disease and would love to interview you for the book. Could you please be in touch? If anyone else out there has cured themselves, please be in touch as well. We are all on this site to help each other. Thank you so much, Miriam

I was just looking at the "Selenium Cures" page on this site, as well as researching it in general. They're saying that more than 2 brazil nuts per day is dangerous. That you can get your "recommended" amount of selenium from just 2, and some are saying just one. One source was also saying that the danger is more than just too much selenium, but that this nut has some type of poison(s), and so advising not to eat more than 2 per day.

I purchased a bag of brazil nuts recently, and at first was just eating 2 (I'd remembered reading previously that this was a good amount to eat), but then seemed to be craving them, so I let myself eat 6. And I've been doing that for the last several days. I was feeling a little sick a couple of times, but that may be because of the high fat. That's more fat than I usually eat (liver issues). Also, I wasn't even considering that I might be getting too much selenium--and not taking into account that I'm also taking several different supplements (and foods) that contain selenium.

So I'm pulling back on the brazil nuts. No more than 2 from now on and will make a note of how much I'm getting from food/supps.

Very appreciative of the information on this site.

It sounds to me like if you don't stop using flouride and eating apples you might possibly have thyroid issues in the very near future. It might be possible to stop both of them and get retested in a few months to see if the TPO is still high. Just remove the antagonist and you should be fine.

I had my blood tested for the 3rd time,

thyroglobulin antibody & TPO antibody (HIGH), T4, T3 & TSH (NORMAL)

does it mean I have hasimoto's?

I did a food allergy test too & I'm allergic most to flouride & apples, does it mean if I totally stop taking the two my blood test will be normal?

This post is addressed to Erin, who stated her health improved after following Dr Datis Kharazian's diet -

You say you have autoimmune thyroiditis. Do you have Before and After test results?

I know you didn't claim that the diet actually reversed your condition - but did it? Did you retest your anti-thyroid antibodies - thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin to see what the numbers are? Total remission is 0-34 for the TPO, and <20 for antithyroglobulin. Maybe the numbers just decreased significantly.

Numbers are the only way to tell if this autoimmune condition is in remission, and others that make claims that a diet or protocol has reversed their condition can only prove it by these numbers.

Hope you're out there Erin and see this!

Thanks.

This Website has given me so much hope and a new beginning. I am a strong believer of one self healing itself with nature. I have been suffering from hashimoto's for about 6 years now and not one has made me feel hopeful. I went to one naturopath and neither she didn't show any knowledge. I have been shut down so many times. I have been reading and found conflicting suggestions until now. My endo is supposed to be the best one in town. Unfortunately, I don't need an endo. I will take control of this disease and Everyone here has given me this strength to do so. Thank you everyone. I will get that book today and definitely go gluten-free. I have 3 hideous visible inflammed nodules all over the front of my neck. I'm so glad I didn't go through the surgery when I almost did. The whole surgery made no sense to me at all. I didn't want to removed a gland which had to deficiency whatsoever. I can now finally start my journey to balancing my immune system and living a more comfortable life.

God Bless, Marina

Are you still taking the tea? Did it help?

Cured ? wow that is wonderful, even 80% of even natural / holistic doctors says that Hashimotos cannot be cured but managed by being symtom free... Remember its an autoimmune disease.... Mosltly all say not curable.... , but.... I am very interested on how you still are feeling now ?... And just want to make sure I didn't misunderstand , but you used the word cured.. really ?... If so that is awesome... just thought a person can't be cured of if?

Can you share more about your diet?

I have being diagnosed as a hashimoto patient. I visited a practioner (she says she follows Dr. Kharazian's protocol) and she recommended me to follow the diet "Eat Right For Your Type - Dr. peter j D'Adamo".

I am vegetarian and the first item she tells me to add to my diet is buffalo meat. I need some feedback if Dr. Kharazian, follows and recommends that diet for hashimoto's patient. Please your opinion is very valuable to me, as I am confused and not sure about the protocol of this practitioner.

Much gratitude, Andrea

Update on Hashimoto's protocol... I forgot to mention a few very important supplements in addition to the ones I already listed.

1) 2000mg vitamin C in the form of ester C - this is essential for adrenal health. Most people with a thryoid condition also have some form of adrenal fatigue.

2) 12 mg Zinc 3- x's week ( the zinc I use also has vitamin C and vitamin A)

3) 400mg magnesium daily - I use a topical magnesium gel that is in a sea water solution. This has helped with heart palpitations, and I sleep much better. My healthcare provider also said that magnesium taurate is great but I didn't want to take another pill so she is fine with me using the gel. Magnesium is very important - if you want to learn more just google "symptoms of magnesium deficiency" or "benefits of magnesium" - very interesting reading. I wonder how many people would benefit from this supplement alone but doctors never even mention it!

God Bless~

~C.

Hi Louise~

I will share what I am doing for my Hashimoto's which includes virgin coconut oil. I do take 1 TBS _____'s organic vinegar about once a week as well. Everything I am doing is under the supervision of my healthcare provider. She practices integrative medicine and that makes a huge difference in treatment. Most conventional/western doctors will put you on some type of synthetic thyroid hormone. Here is my current protocol:

1) Gluten free diet is a must and has made a huge difference : )

2) I take 1 TBS of virgin coconut oil daily - usually I just put it in my tea but some people prefer to put it on toast or in a smoothie, etc... I know some people take up to 3 TBS/day but I have found 1TBS to work great for me, no side effects.

3) sublingual B12 (methylcobalamin)- 1000mcg per day

4) 200mg CoQ10

5) 2000mg krill oil

6) pro-biotic -I use Jarrow brand but there are many good ones out there

7) D3 5000iu daily

8) daily raw multi-vitamin

9) adrenal cortex was just added to support my adrenals - I haven't started taking this yet.

10) L-Theanine for anxiety when needed but since going gluten free my anxiety is pretty much gone : )

I know this is probably more than you wanted to know. But I didn't want it to seem like I was just using VCO for my Hashi's.

Health and wellness to you~

~C.

I have also been diagnosed with Hashimoto thyroiditis and am interested in starting vinager and coconut oil. I'm just not clear on how you take it. Thanks for any advice.

I wanted to share my update since being diagnosed with Hashimoto's in late February of this year. I also had a 1cm nodule on the right side of my thyroid. I had already started the VCO on 02/24/2011 and in addition, my doctor told me to go on a gluten-free diet immediately and chart my symptoms/progress, etc...

I have been diligent about not cheating since going Gluten Free and I have been faithful in taking 1 TBS of VCO daily along with other supplements. I had a follow-up appt. On 04/19/2011 and my doctor could not find the nodule! I have also felt increasingly better since going GF. I noticed a huge difference after about a month of being GF and I am feeling better as time goes on. She will check my thyroid levels in June, including antibodies.

Currently I am not on any meds and she has said she hopes to keep me off of any medication as long as possible. I do believe it is the combination of the VCO and GF diet that have helped with the Hashimoto's. The supplements I am on, I have been taking for a long time. So I think at this point I am actually able to absorb the nutrients and am benefitting from those from a nutritional standpoint. I have also been told that people with Hashimoto's need to be very careful about supplementing with iodine since our issue is an immune system issue and not rooted in the thyroid per se. I am not saying nobody should take iodine but at this point I am not using it and and being cautious. My doctor said she did want to check my iodine levels as well but for now to continue on as I have been doing. Here is a link to Dr. Kharrazian's site: http://drknews.com/iodine-and-hashimotos/ author of the book titled: "Why do I still have thyroid symptoms when my lab tests are normal"

Any feedback or input is greatly appreciated!

~C.

Hi everyone!

The practitoner I see is Brian Foley, D. C. In Nashville. Dr. Brady Hurst will work with people long distance. http://www.truehealthdc.com/

Dr. Kharrazian also has a list of pracitioners on his site: www.thyroidbook.com
No, gluten avoidance is not the cure all, but a majority of Hashimoto's patients are gluten intolerant (many genetically so) and gluten is a major trigger for cytokine attacks in Hashimoto's. The thinking is that gluten molecules resemble TPO molecules and as the body goes after gluten, it also attacks TPO in the thyroid tissue.

Most gluten intolerance doesn't cause gut symptoms (except in true Celiac)- instead, it causes joint, brain skin, heart or reproductive inflammation, so someone may have no clue they have it. Cyrex Labs has new saliva tests that test all 12 forms of gliadin, not just Alpha Gliadin (which is what other tests are based on) and they even have a test to find out which part of your body is being affected by gluten or if there is a cross-reaction going on (casein and coffee are two offenders, here.)

As far as the Marshall Protocol goes, it's only applicable when Hashimoto's is triggered by an infection, as far as I understand. Dr. Kharrazian talked about that in an interview and said that he tests his patients to see if they have the situation where they need to avoid D and hardly any of them do. D modulates both branches of the immune system and is very anti-inflammatory. Dr. Kharrazian has found that most of his autoimmune patients do best when their D3 levels are in the high end of normal.

Dr. Kharrazian's protocol is pretty specific: balance the overactive branch of the immune system, remove the triggers, heal the gut, balance the blood sugar and deal with hormone and neurotransmitter imbalances. Neurotransmitters can be very affected by thyroid hormone imbalances. It's very all-encompassing.

I'm still doing the protocol, now with the addition of dopamine support (Dr. Kharrazian makes a formula for it called Dopatone) and I'm feeling EVEN better! My elimination has improved a lot, my brain feels way more "on" and my libido has returned.

Hello, can anyone tell me if Erin ever responded with the name of the person that was treating her? I would be very interested and very willing to make the drive to Nashville.

Thank you.

I have been cured of Hashimoto's through a diet initially developed for Asperger's by Sandra Desorgher (later used to treat her Autistic daughter, Sarah). After being on the diet (which is lutein- and beta carotene-free) for about 5 months, my thyroid antibodies tested negative. I've seen other improvements such as feeling more present and alert, more patience, and a greater ease in shifting my focus.

I have Hashimoto's hpothyroid-diagnosed 1997. In UK we are advised not to use iodine or kelp. Now I have read on your posts that I am at high risk of breast cancer due to thyroid hormone replacement, and supplementing with iodine could help prevent this. I have fibrocystic breast tissue.

What should I do?

Hi, I am wondering if this is similar at all to the Marshall Protocol and/or Inflammation Therapy?

I have heard all Vit D supplements, foods and even sunlight are stopped while doing a protocol involving Th1. I understand you were told to take Vit D Erin? Why stop Vit D for one protocol but with yours it is allowed?

Thank you for information and continued success with your health.

Hello, I luv the z-pac. By the way, my mother is from Kountz, TX. Shot out to Beaumont and Ozan High School- one of my friends use to coach there.

I was just diagnosed with Hasimoto's and asked Dr. for antiobiotics, after the 5 day Z pack, I feel like a million bucks. I was tired, fatigued, depressed, weak, sore throat, hoarse voice, coughing, etc. I was a very active person until the symptoms took me down. Has anyone else had success with antibiotics?

Hi, I am celiac have been eating gluten free for almost 8 years. I recently found out that I have the beginning stages of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, but I believe I got it because it runs in my family. Gluten intolerance or Celiac disease is the ability to not to digest gluten. When this happens, the gluten stops the body from digesting the nutrients it needs and leads further health problems. I highly suggest going on a gluten free diet and seeing if it helps at all, but I don't believe that it is the cure to Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in Jan this year. I felt so tired in the morning, couldnt figure out what was wrong. All the classic symptoms. Saw the endo, he put me on levathyroxine 100mcg daily. After 2 weeks I felt 100% better, but I do not want to stay on this med. I was told that Kombucha tea is a cure for Hasi's. I am going to try the gluten free diet along with the kombucha tea. I can not loose weight. Maybe this will help. Let me know what you all think. Bless you!! Mel

Thank you for the information. I also have hashimoto's and going the natural route to balance my immune system. I was wondering if your levels have evened out yet? this disease has cause me horrible heartache due to not being able to get pregnant. I am hoping ths natural balancing s going to help me so I can get pregnant and all my other horrible symptoms start going away. Ie mood swings, sleep, exhaustion, blah blah blah if your are on here you know what I am going through. Thanks for sharing. Lisa

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am just starting with a local practitioner and he is recommending a gluten free diet for my newly diagnosed hashimotos. It all sounds rather odd, so I am glad to see that others are successful with this path of treatment. I hope my treatment is as successful as yours!

I have tried iodine/iodide and I have Hashi's hyPOthyroidism. At first, iodine/ide makes me more tired even if I take Vitamin C with it. Then, after a week or so I get more energetic and feel better. Except for one thing. Along with the Hashi's, I also have the thyroid eye disease (ted) that usually comes with Grave's hyPERthyroidism. Iodine seems to make the double vision of the ted much worse and I can't live with the pain behind my eyes or the sensitivity to light when I paint myself with iodine. This doesn't make sense as I am normally very iodine deficient and I know we need iodine. Go figger! Anybody ever dealt with this?

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowlegde. I have learned so much and have many new questions to ask my doctor.

I am new to this protocol and am in between docs - I am thrilled that you have found a practitioner in our area utilizing his protocols. May I ask who you are seeing?

I'm going to look up some more info on that doctor, Michael Johnson. He sounds great!

I'm seeing a practitioner. Dr. K's protocols are too involved to do on your own, although anyone can start by eliminating gluten, taking emulsified D3 and using Oxicell glutathione cream.

Hi, Are you seeing a practitioner or just following the K protocol on your own?

I am being treated for Hashimoto's with Datis Kharrazian's protocol, which involves eliminating gluten, which causes antibody production (as most Hashimoto's sufferers have gluten intolerance, but not necessarily with digestive symptoms), balancing the immune system, healing the gut and improving thyroid hormone conversion (which happens in the liver and gut). Determining the dominant immune pathway imbalance and stimulating the non-dominant pathway is a huge part of the protocol. As I am th1 dominant, I avoid th1 stimulators like astragalus, echinacea, medicinal mushrooms and licorice, as they make me worse and instead take a polyphenol complex, emulsified D and a glutathione/SOD cream to reduce inflammation. Most Hashimoto's patients don't need thyroid medicine (unless the thyroid is already ceasing to function due to damage)- they need immune system balancing to stop the autoimmune attack. Meds do not accomplish this and if you have Hashimoto's, you are at much higher risk for developing other autoimmune disorders down the road, as long as the immune system remains imbalanced.

Since starting my protocol, my brain fog has lifted, I've lost weight without trying and I'm much less tired and heavy feeling. The improvement was very quick for me. My friend is also being treated and has had similar quick improvements. Just eliminating gluten (before I ever started the Kharrazian protocol) eliminated my debilitating menstrual cramps and the monthly IBS that accompanied them. My skin also had a lot less breakouts.

I do not take iodine. Just heard too often that it isn't good for people with Hashi's

I keep a bag of raw Brasil nuts in the frig and snack on 3 - 4 a day. That quantity is supposed to give you the amount of selenium you need which means I get extra because there is selenium in my multi. RAW is the important point here.

Dear PinkDiamondz,

I too live in Wisconsin and the doctors here have NO CLUE about Hashi's. I read the book everyone has mentioned, and I knew I had it. My female dr in appleton said that "Hashimoto's is so rare, there is virtually no chance of you having it. " She basically said its all in my head, and that I am "anxious". I persisted, and she said fine, if it will make you stop worrying, I will feel better too, so go to the endocrinologist. After the endocrinologist asked me a few questions, I asked him "with all of these symptoms, is it possible that I might have hashimotos?" He said "Might? There is no doubt you have hasimotos! Its obvious! " Now he put that in my medical record on the computer, but my dr not wanting to admit I was right, left my diagnosis as "Primary Hypothyroidism". I hate the doctors here. They scare the hell out of me. I want to move back to Canada, no offence. Dr. Michael Johnson, a chiropractor in Neenah, WI, deals with hashimotos and give you oxygen therapy, 12 different blood tests, and a bunch of other stuff about your diet, and no gluten. 100% gluten free. But I can't get his help because he only takes credit or cash, and it costs $9,000 and I am on UI. I can't get well because no one will help me. I'm poor and alone. All my relatives are in Nova Scotia. PinkDiamondz, please contact me so we can compare notes by email or phone. I need help desperately. I am getting sicker.
[email protected]

I was diagnosed with mild hypothyroidism and positive for antibodies--though my endo never called it Hashimoto's. I spent a year on thyroid medication which did lower the antibody levels and also the TSH, but did not do anything to alleviate my symptoms (weight gain, lack of libido, fatigue, etc. ). I did not have a goiter. After getting fed up that I was not actually feeling any better, I eliminated as many sources of fluoride and chlorine as possible: no fluoride dental care products or treatments, drink & cook with only distilled or non-flouoridated water, installed a shower filter (claims to remove chlorine and also some fluoride), and so forth. There are many books and resources on the web that can be researched. I also followed Ted's borax protocol briefly, helps to remove fluoride from the body. There are other sites that recommend additional ways to remove fluoride--drinking fresh beet juice, eating more fresh beets, eating lots of fresh cilantro, the list is endless. I followed the suggestions that did not seem too outlandish. Finally and most importantly, I disregarded the "avoid iodine" advice that comes with most thyroid treatments. I bought the pill form (12. 5 mg) of the iodine/iodide. There are many references it to on this website--there is also a liquid form called Lugol's that I found hard to find. The pills are easy to find on the internet and not terribly expensive. I took 4 a day to start (2 in am, 2 in pm) because I am heavily endowed in the bust area and this is supposed to indicated a greater need for supplement. I am no longer on thyroid medication, my TSH is around 1 (the target of the endo), I have zero antibodies and I have more energy, better sexual energy, and am no longer gaining weight. I am still struggling to lose but I was able to take off 10 pounds relatively quickly as I began to feel better, something that was impossible before. This is just my personal experience, but in addition to finding a new endo (by the way, a gyn may also be willing to prescribe Armour), I would look at the fluoride and iodine connections. I still avoid soy for a number of reasons, and it will certainly not hurt for your daughter to eat a clean, natural diet and avoid potential allergens if they are suspected. There are also a number of diets on the net that describe how to eliminate and challenge potential allergens such as wheat, corn, dairy, etc. Good luck!

Trea, Just wondering if your goiter disappeared? I have a daughter, seventeen, who has similar system--hashimoto's disease and huge goiter on left side. Last visit to endo was two weeks ago. Her recommendation was removal of the thyroid. I absolutely refused. Endo has done nothing by prescribed T4, which has been ineffective in treating the goiter. She refuses to prescribe Armour and has said nothing about diet changes or supplements. Researched. Now have daughter on a gluten free, soy free, sugar free diet and am adding a multivitamin to her daily routine. Her vitamin had iodine in it, which worries me as their is some conflicting information regarding it. The diet is hard on my daughter, and I'm worried she's not completely sticking to it. Need some positive advice from someone to show her that goiter can go away. Endo has told her it will always be there. Looking for a new endo. Hope to hear from you.

I also came to the conclusion that Kombucha tea could be the answer. I only just received my diagnosis of Hashimoto's disesase. The doctors in my area are not very vigilant about validating their patients' concerns. Therefore, I've been forced to take it upon myself to find a cure for my condition, rather than just be ill for the rest of my life and mask the symptoms with medication. I'll be trying the Kombucha tea cure because I too read about the yersinia bacteria as well as TH1 antibodies.

I have just been diagnosed with Hashimoto's and was looking up giving up gluten. I have been drinking homemade kombucha for about three years now. Although I think it's a great immune booster and I really like it, I guess this proves that it's not a cure for everybody. I still hypothyroidism and have had it for around 7 years.

Hi, I'm suffering from hashimotos and despite all the tests and treatments, I can get no relief from my symptoms, they are just getting worse. I read that Yersinia enterocolitica could be a cause and it can be treated by kombucha tea. Is this correct and could you suggest other remedies. Thank you so much

Question about Borax and Oil Pulling

I am not sure where this question should be posted. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and I have made great progress in the size of my goiter in the last 2 weeks due to drinking more water and using the ACV and Baking Soda to start detoxing my body. I drink 96 ounces of water a day, I take my multi vitamin which has 150mcg of iodine in it 3x a day now instead of once to make up for loss due to more water, I take extra calcium, magnesium, D and potassium also along with a B complex. I'm using 2TBSP of ACV with 12 oz of water twice a day for one week so far. I will be doing the ACV and water for one more week.

I live in New York and I believe that my thyroid problem could also be from fluoride and chlorine in my water. Is it safe to do the Borax detox and oil pulling at the same time? I have to go for a thyroid sonogram in 2 weeks, and even though my goiter is one quarter of the size it was 2 weeks ago thanks to the info on this site, I want it to be even more improved by then.

My endo wants to do a biopsy and possibly remove my thyroid and I want to avoid that at all costs. If it is not safe to do both at the same time which would be most beneficial to do first? I'd appreciate any help I could get.

Thank you, Trea

I have Hashimoto's disease and a golf ball sized goiter on my neck on the right side of my thyroid. I had an appointment with my endocrinologist two weeks ago. Aside from sending me for a blood test and another sonogram he also said he wants me to have a biopsy. That was when I decided to try some alternatives. I am not allowing them to take out my thyroid and be on medication for the rest of my life when the medication has not helped at all. I found this site and Dr.Batmangheldj's site.

I knew I was dehydrated so I started increasing my water intake to 96 ounces a day. I weigh 180 lbs and Dr. Batmangheldj recommends drinking half of your body weight in water each day. I also started taking extra potassium, magnesium and I take my multi vitamin 3 times a day instead of once because it has iodine in it and the water causes flushing out of your system. The goiter went from golfball size to half of that in less than a week just from the water and increase in supplements. I also do not feel as many bumps as I had on my goiter as I had been feeling when I lay back and stretch my throat.

Also my edema is much better. My hands and face are less swollen and my skin is no longer sticking over my socks a quarter of an inch which they had been for a long time. This past week I have started with the apple cider vinegar and baking soda (2 tbsp ACV and 1/8 tsp of baking soda) twice a day and the goiter has gone down even more. At 52 I thought I was getting arthritis but I guess it was dehydration because almost all aches and pains are gone now.

I live in New York, we have chlorine and fluoride in the water so I am getting a shower filter and the Zero water pitcher (it's supposed to remove fluoride from the water) and maybe my thyroid will improve even more. I will also be trying the Borax to rid my system of fluoride. I'm so glad I found this site. I was feeling kind of hopeless after I left the endos office.

Dear Diego:

Potassium iodide in general has the least side effects when taking the iodine supplements. A lugol's solution for most people, the use is limited to 1-2 drops. However in the case of a client I know, who has severe Parkinson's disease, they are far more sensitive to the lugol's solution, taken either internally or applied externally to the feet or applied to the throat area. Hence I have found another kind of iodine which produces even less side effects then Edgar Cayce's Nascent Iodine, which is the hydrogen iodide. I had to since this particular case is a hypothyroid. A lot of researchers really got stuck into what forms of iodine has the least side effects and allow the body to utilize them. For most people, I will use lugols' 1-2 drops in the evening with 500 to 1000 mg of vitamin C as it is more available. A potassium iodide will also do fine and has few side effects, but iodine in general will cause some people, at least initially of acne, being the most common problems. In practice, the use of iodine against Hashimoto does reduce them, but it's more likely that a person will not increase in energy. The effects of iodine is because it's a halogen, and a required mineral, it will also drive out cancer causing fluoride and bromine out of the body, even after months of use, it will continue to drive them out. The beneficial effects is it re activates the pineal gland, which is considered your organ's clock mechanism, such as a CPU clock in the computer, and allows for more regular sleep cycle. For example, the common benefits from increase energy is likely more regular sleep patterns which is most responsible for the increase in energy.

The reason why there are conflicting information is the body simply has trouble trying to get iodine and utilized them, as many forms of iodine produces side effect. So the Quick and Dirty rule is commonly used by conventional medicine such as giving out, thyroid medication instead of the use iodine. So you get a quick fix approach, which commercial scale is cost effective, for them, but won't cure your condition as you will end up taking thyroid medication for the rest of your life. So that doesn't make economic sense as a consumer. It just makes economic sense for the conventional medicine approach. As a result the best forms of iodine I have found is hydrogen iodide, nascent iodine, potassium iodide (or a similar form SSKI), are the ones with the least problem. A lugol's makes more economic sense for most people as they are more easy to find, but it's limited by the dose a person can take, which is usually 1-2 drops with vitamin C before sleep and this works too, at least for most people.

The other problem is how to get the body to really utilize the iodine, hence it's possible that lugol's solution can be taken with tyrosine, which helps the body utilize them, but magnesium seems to be also an important factor too, not just vitamin C so the person can take larger dose of iodine without problems. Therefore in event of a hypothyroidism, which in severe cases leads to goiter, it was well known that the use of iodine in larger doses was in fact the cure fo thyroid. This fact is known for over 150 years, but in today's meidicine the quick and dirty rule is slash and burn, which translates to remove the goiter, and take thyroid medication for the rest of your life. That doesn't make sense, so some may rationalize and just say it is shut down.

However, too much iodine might not be possible for the body to utilized them, since other supplements are needed so the body can handle them, such as taking tyrosine amino acid along with the iodine. It would be a boon to actually allow the body to quickly utilize the iodine if other supplements are also taken so it can be cured faster. So if a simple case for most people I would modify taking a bit larger drops of Lugol's solution to say 4-5 drops every night, with vitamin C 1000 mg, and 500 mg of tyrosine supplements. Or a more conservative dose, if someone still have problems is just to limit to 1-2 drops again. Another indirect way is to take the tyrosine supplements 500 mg with vitamin C in the morning followed by a 10 drops in 1/2 glass of water with lugol's solution as just a mouthwash. That should also reduce some of the problems. SO the cause of hypothyroidism and goiter has been the lack of iodine, how we can take them without problems is the real issue. In fact iodine can cured malaria as same as MMS, but both has problems with the side effects and some can handle them, some cannot. It's all about finding the remedies that won't cause problems for a great majority of people, not a small minority of people. In general for the questions of Lugols' versus the potassium iodide, the answer is simply that potassium iodide produces less side effects then the Lugol's solution, such as light headedness is the ones I noticed, but I take in much larger dose, such as 10 drops to test for their side effects. I won't get these problems at 1-2 drops. As for potassium iodide in general, there's no lightheadness problem if the dose are reasonable and keeping it at 10 mg dose or below. It's harder to do a 10 mg dose on Lugol's. In general, Lugols' for most people are easier to obtain then potassium iodide, so if it's hard to get, people will just get Lugol's and get around the problem by taking them at night and take the vitamin C to reduce the side effects of lightheadedness. It's taken during the night because lugol's solution does make you sleepy. Hence it's one of my remedies to help sleep also and allows people for regular sleep patterns.

Ted

Hello Diego from Albequerce,

You are right, the body does need iodine for the thyroid to function properly, and for a lot of other things including producing hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Just a couple of drops of Lugol's solution or SSKI daily is enough to take care of this, but when you take increased dosage of either for prolonged period you need to have your TSH checked every month or two and if your TSH goes up it tells you to lay off the iodine awhile and let the body return to normal.

For further information on SSKI (saturated solution of potassium iodide which is not much different from the Lugol's solution) type Potassium iodide in a search window and go through references to pull out Dr. Jonathan Wright's great article on SSKI, which tells you what to use it for and how much to use and approximately how long. You can print this out to keep for future reference. After my bout in the hospital last spring, I started taking 6 drops of SSKI daily for multiple purposes (loosen secretions in the head/lungs, get rid of small renal cysts, flush cholesterol out of blood vessels, and also locally for hemorrhoids) but had to drop off after about 2-3 months of this dosage because it did suppress my thyroid (when taking larger dose for prolonged period should have TSH checked every month or two).

The doctor wanted to prescribe me a low dose thyroid supplement but I declined and told her I'd just stop the SSKI temporarily and increase my B complex vitamins (which the thyroid also requires for proper functioning) and have another TSH in a month or two. The next TSH was back to normal, which tells you that when you treat your body right it works with you and balances out.

Another thing you should remember with SSKI or Lugol's solution is that you should never take it with any water containing chlorine as this reacts with it and causes the potassium iodide to revert to iodine.

Iodine and Hashimoto's

Hi, I've been doing research on the effects of iodine on the thyroid and I seem to be going in circles. Some articles say iodine can shut down the thyroid if overused or cause an increase in antibodies. Yet, doesn't the thyroid need iodine to produce t3/t4? If Hashimoto's is more of an autoimmune disorder than hypothyroidism, is it wise to treat it the same way?

Also, I've been supplementing with potassium iodide for a few weeks and I've noticed memory/brain fog improvement. What are the advantages of using a mixture such as Lugol's (iodine and iodide) as opposed just iodide?

My question is to Susan from Seattle, What treatment if any were you using to treat your Hashimoto's? I have read on a Hypothyroid forum that antibodies will lessen as hashimoto's worsen which it will if not treated with thyroid meds (preferably Natural Dessicated thyroid). I am curious to know if you suffer any symptoms of hypothyroidism? I have heard of the many benefits of Kombucha tea but very much want to know if it cured your hypothyroidism or if you are just assuming so because you are not showing antibodies. In a nutshell are you symptom free since taking this and nothing else?

Rhodiola for Hashimoto Disease: Thyroid:

I have been taking Russian-Rhodiola for a week now, 300g in the morning. I'll see my Doctor tomorrow, as I am also under pills for my thyroid, and I would like to replace thyroid chemical pills (Levothyroxine sodium - thyroid hormones) with rhodiola's cure, let's see what he's going to tell me. I feel definitely better, from the first day. I used to be chronically tired, now not anymore.

The vitamins that usually go along with iodine are Selenium, Sulfur, Magnesium, B6(which helps the body story more Magnesium), and Niacin.

The Guy Abraham and Brownstein research on Iodine looks pretty good. Hyperthyroid is sometimes associated with high iodine intake. Iodine kills fungus, so Bacterial infections makes some sense for this disease. Perhaps extra vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate) would come in handy.

Anyways, Magnesium Citrate, which Ted often recommends for a leaky guy, seems to cure "Yersinia enterocolitica", if Yersinia is the cause.

Could Antibiotics Cure Your Hashimoto's Disease
Foodborne Bacteria May Be a Cause of Hashimoto's Disease
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/yersinia.htm
"In this research, investigators studied the prevalence of antibodies to Yersinia enterocolitica in patients with diagnosed Hashimoto's thyroiditis. What the researchers found was the the prevalence of antibodies to yersinia --evidence of exposure -- was 14 times higher in people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis than in the control groups."

http://iai.asm.org/cgi/reprint/63/12/4837.pdf
Y. enterocolitica strains were cured of the virulence plasmid by
streaking them on Luria-Bertani agar plates containing 20 mM MgCl2 and 20
mM NaC2O4 and incubating the plates overnight at 378C (11).

Yersinia enterocolitica induces apoptosis in macrophages by a process requiring functional type III secretion and translocation mechanisms and involving YopP, presumably acting as an effector%u2009protein
http://www.pnas.org/content/94/23/12638.abstract

I just found out that I have Hashimotos. I read an article about selenium being helpful. Just started taking it.Will give an update in a few months.

re: hashimoto disease: in France we just take thyrosine hormons... but I saw 2 interesting articles, one saying they have a good cure in China, called "shen lu", and another, for which I send you the reference :'http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/yersinia.htm

re: Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis/hypothyroidism. I have had Hashimoto's hypothyroidism for many years and have been under treatment by my naturopathic physician. Due to symptoms of hyperthyroidism, my doctor performed some tests and this time had no thyroid antibodies! This means that I no longer have Hashimoto's hypothyroidis! The doctor explained that the bacteria Yersinia enterolitica has been linked to the cause of Hashimoto's - apparently it has a similar protein coat to thyroid cells which provokes the immune response. I had not been treated with antibiotics for this. The only thing I have been doing differently is to drink Kombucha tea. I just read on your site that Yersinia enterolitica is sensitive to Kombucha, so it seems logical that the Kombucha was my cure. I drink about 8 ounces per day.