★★★★★
I've always been the kid that goes to school or work in a T-shirt at all times except the dead of winter. Three years ago, the hot flashes became quite extreme in the morning. I'm a guy so it has nothing to do with menopause :p.
A few months later I started taking iodine (as potassium iodide, orally, roughly 4 mg daily, for a few months) and have been cured for 2.5 years now. I have better resistance to heat in general. When I didn't take iodine for many months, I got the hot flashes back, but they disappear when I take a drop of iodine again (lugol's this time).
There's a lot of fear mongering about iodine on the internet, so I was apprehensive about taking high doses, taking it for a long time, or recommending it to other people. But I haven't been able to identify any negative effects from this kind of low dosing. Only the first two weeks or so I experienced harmless side effects: occasional dips in energy; fluctuations in feeling cold, then hot again; dry mouth and thirst. I made sure to get enough selenium (found in brazil nuts, pork, ...)
Iodine
★★★★★
I have been meaning to post this for a while now. It's only right that I tell you about my results as I remember how miserable I was 6 months ago. About 1 year ago I started getting really severe hot flashes. I was a walking ember. No kidding, I would have one at least every hour if not more. I had to take a couple of showers a day. At night I would wake every hour drenched in sweat. I had 2 fans on me and still I woke up soaked. This went on for 5 months.
I tried all kinds of remedies like Vitamin E (which did a lot of very good things for my body, but nothing for the hot flashes), black cohosh, Chinese herbs, ACV and countless others. Nothing worked. I was so miserable and sleep deprived and at my wits end. It was unbearable. I was so close to resorting to hormones. Then one day I was cooking and accidently cut my finger so I went into the medicine cabinet and found my iodine. As I was applying it to my finger, I started to remember what iodine does...supports the thyroid which regulates hormones. So I painted a 6"x6" square over my stomach and it disappeared within 3 hours. I painted my arm which disappear pretty quickly as well and then that night I drank 5 drops of liquid kelp (ingestible iodine).
I only had 1 mild hot flash that night and slept through the night for the first time in 5 months. The next morning, I painted again and continued to drink the liquid kelp at night. I have not had one hot flash since and that's been about 6 months ago. I ordered Lugol's and I take it 3x's a week. Ladies, please don't discount a sluggish thyroid if you are having severe hot flashes. Try iodine before resorting to synthetic hormones. Iodine has been a lifesaver for me.
Iodine
★★★★★
I'm in the process of experimenting with iodine to cure fibrocystic breast disease. I've had cysts since I was 13 and am now a menopausal 48 yr. old. (Can't even dicipher a self-breast exam since I'm so lumpy) I started with some kelp tablets and increased all the way to 8 per day. At that point the quantity of lumps was lessened but then a couple of them enlarged and were really sore. I then changed over to Iodonol tablets (iodine/iodide) and now the cysts are getting smaller and for the first time since I can remember, my breasts are beginning to feel like they are supposed to. My hot flashes have lessened also, which is curious and I wonder if the iodine is the reason.
