Elizabeth (California, US) on 12/19/2014:
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.
Sarah (Washington, DC) on 06/20/2008:
Hi. This might help somebody: I have a weird condition where any iodine-rich food or salt sends me into weeks or horrible, debilitating hot flashes. Avoiding iodine-rich substances makes them eventually go away, though it is hard to avoid iodine, so it sometimes starts up again. I have tested this reaction many times and it is consistant. When I'm having a reaction, taking a very low dose (12 to 50 micrograms) of thyroxine (like Synthroid) usually helps get the reaction under control within a week. I've been to a couple endocrynologists about this and none of them understand what is going on, except that iodine apparently shuts down the thyroid temporarily and it may be that mine isn't starting up again properly after too much iodine. In addition to the hot-flashes, my symptoms are more like hypo than hyperthyroidism, so maybe that's why the thyroxine helps.
Be healthy.
Tracie (Willow, AK) on 11/24/2006:
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.
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