I am inquiring about potassium iodide for hyperthyroidism. I have read that potassium iodide is a cure, this is what the antithyroid drugs are. But I have also read that hyperthyroid people should avoid iodine at all costs. I'm confused. Any clarification would be appreciated. And also, if potassium iodide should be taken how much, for how long. Thanks. Peace, love and life, Jen.
Replied By J (Santa Ana, Ca) on 08/02/2010
A little iodine juices your thyroid up. A lot slows it down. And I do mean regular supplemental iodine, not the radioactive stuff. Somewhere on the net is a protocol for doing this but I can't recall where I saw it. An afternoon surfing should turn it up. Be sure to get a scan first to make sure you don't have a nodule or some kind of toxicity issue causing the problem.Replied By Marisa (Halifax, England, Uk) on 01/07/2011
There's lots of contradictory advice out there on the net. One of the people who seems to know what he's talking about is Dr Brownstein - though I don't have a scientific background, so I'm just trusting his judgments. From what I've read some people fear iodine because the thyroid needs iodine to function properly and if there is too much iodine in the system, this could cause the thyroid to go hyper - according to one viewpoint. Brownstein contradicts this and says that one of the causes of both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism is lack of iodine in the diet. And far from needing the recommended daily dose of 150 micrograms, we actually need roundabout 13 miligrams a day, which is what the Japanese consume, to maintain a healthy system. If we're deficient in iodine, Brownstein claims we need booster doses (of something like 50 mg a day with other mineral supplements) for around a year to restore our depleted stores. After this, the amount needs reducing.
If you google 'Dr Brownstein and iodine' you should be able to research more. According to this doctor, he's had patients who can testify to being cured from cancer and fibromyalgia as well as thyroid conditions by taking iodine supplements. Hope you find a cure soon. I'm hoping to start an iodine supplement routine for my goitre and hyperthyroid condition as soon as I recover from a virus. :-)
Replied By Anomale (Winchester, Virginia) on 11/13/2012
Hi everyone. I have not been diagnosed with hyper yet but Last year I was taking a supplement called chlorella. This is great stuff on the whole but it sent me into some sort of metabolic overload. I shook for 3-4 months. My body shook from the inside out and no one could see it. I was an absolute mess. My anxiety dwarfed anything I have ever experienced or ever read about. I honestly dont know how I survived. I think it was a thyroid storm. I am still not well and after a year they did an US and found a nodule. I go in tomorrow to see what treatment to do. As a nurse I will probably go holistic. I just wanted to warn those about taking supplements. Not that supplements are bad but DO BE careful. Take them slowly to see how they affect you. THe chlorella had lots of iodine in it. I know there is talk on the web that iodine helps hyper but I experineced it differently. I will continue to search for herbal remedies. JUST BE CAREFUL! GOOD LUCK TO ALL SEARCHING!Replied By Pete (St. Paul, Mn, Usa) on 06/12/2014
I have been taking Iodoral for over 3 years. I started VERY cautiously with a lugol solution first, tiny, tiny amounts of iodine and took thyroid tests that were fine, then carefully went up, first 6 mg. then 12.5, then 18 mg. I rarely, occasionally would try 25 but felt it wasn't needed. I also took iodine tests to see how much was being retained (urinalyses). I was fine until this week. Suddenly hyperthyroid. Heart rate was over 130 so I went to ER, where they found this in blood tests. Now I am afraid to take the iodine, will stop for the foreseeable future. I'm hoping this is a temporary thing brought on by screwed up sleep patterns for the past few weeks, and maybe a local throat infection or inflammation--I was having to shout for hours at a time at loud parties while entertaining people in my work. Am on a fruit and raw veg juice diet today, maybe a full fast this weekend. I keep wondering if anyone else has tried fasting for this, since it shows so much benefit to any kind of inflammation or auto-immune conditions.Replied By Nanowriter (Hotspot, Texas) on 06/13/2014
I am a big fan of supplementation but one problem with it is that we can induce deficiencies of other nutrients, creating an imbalance. The key is to bring those other nutrient levels up.
I ignore numbers and look at symptoms. Your sleep problems, heart rate issue and history of loud noise exposure and stress point to magnesium deficiency.
Taking iodine May have caused your selenium levels to become depleted. Consider researching this connection and supplement with selenium for your symptom of hyperthyroid.
Replied By Harmen (Groningen, The Netherlands) on 10/08/2014
@ Pete:
Did you take selenium, magnesium, vitamin c and sea-salt with the iodoral / lugol's iodine?
It is mandatory in the iodine protocol.
@ all hyper and hypothyroid patients
I think Dr. Brownstein is right that both hypo and hyperthyroid are caused by iodine deficiency and too much fluoride and bromide. Iodine pushes fluoride and bromide out, the salt and vitamin c are to help with that. The selenium is to prevent toxicity of iodine to the thyroid [1]
Iodine as alternative treatment for breast cancer
http://www.breastcancerchoices.org/iprotocol.html
Hypothyroid:
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2013/12/29/companion-nutrients-the-key-to-iodine-protocol/
The guide to supplementing iodine:
http://jeffreydachmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/The-Guide-to-Supplementing-with-Iodine-Stephanie-Burst-ND.pdf
Google the guide to supplementing iodine here:
https://www.google.nl/search?q=the+guide+to+supplementing+with+iodine
[1]. Selenium is important to prevent iodine to be toxic to the thyroid http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/05/iodine-and-hashimotos-thyroiditis-part-i/