Benefits of Iodine for Health

General Feedback

Posted by Missm (Sydney, Nsw, Australia) on 04/13/2011

Hi Earthclinic peoples,

I have been reading for hours about the benefits of Lugol's Iodine and feel I could really benefit (lost half my thyroid a year ago). I have been unable to find the product called Lugols Iodine for internal use here in my chemist/pharmacy or health food stores (western suburbs of Sydney, Australia). I can only find it online, however I would really prefer not to purchase online. I have found a product on the shelf in the chemist and I wont give the brand name unless Earthclinic will allow it, but I think it may just be the same as Lugol's. The details on the bottle are as follows:

'Aqueous Iodine Solution APF' -

Contains: Iodine 5% w/v

Potassium Iodide 10% w/v

Pharmaceutical Raw Material

Net 100mL

It also has at the top of the bottle POISON - keep out of reach of children and the usual First Aid information down the right hand side of the bottle.

Could this be the same as Lugol's??? and Could it be taken like Lugols? I know I can skin paint with it but can I put it in water and drink?

Would appreciate any information.

Thanking you and earthclinic

Broad Benefits

Posted by Bethany (West Palm Beach, Fl, Usa) on 04/10/2011 2 posts
★★★★★

Thank you for this website. I have been suffering from iodine deficiency and worn adrenals. My symptoms were cold hands & feet, lower body temp 96. 7, hair loss, pain and cramps in right ovary region, weight gain, depression, fatigue, horrible painful sinus allergy, metallic taste in my mouth, insomnia, respiratory illness, sore throats, and head colds. After reading your advice, I have been painting my feet and throat, 3 days on, 4 days off for 3 months, with remarkable results. I also started taking Metagenics supplements for Adrenal Support and Thyroid Support, again with great results. Also researched and found that Brazil nuts are a great source of selenium, and eat one raw nut on the days that I paint the iodine (Betadyne) on my feet.

My allergy problems cleared up in a week, and I no longer need any allergy meds to get through my day. Depression has lifted, and I cut out floride toothpaste, now brush teeth with baking soda. Also found out tea is loaded with natural floride, so I stopped drinking all tea cold turkey. Stopped eating commercial pastry products, and switched to natural deodorant. Also stopped eating chocolate. Ovary problem stopped in 1 day........!!! The combination of diet restriction, and adding the iodine has given me my life back. Thank You and God Bless You.

General Feedback

Posted by Jarret (Calgary, Ab, Canada) on 03/09/2011

Ted, you say that the main ingredient in chocolate is bromine, and I assume you are referring to theobromine... The chemical formula for theobromine is C 7 H 8 N 4 O 2
so where does the bromine come from?

Kelp

Posted by Jarret (Calgary, Ab, Canada) on 03/09/2011
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Seaweed, Kelp, are high in arsenic and mercury. I was doing research into taking these as a 'natural' form of iodine. I changed my mind after reading up on it. Liquid Iodine and Acv has been working well for me.

Hashimoto's

Posted by Eugene (Atlanta, Ga) on 03/05/2011
★★★★★

My GF has Hashi's and a goiter and with the help of Iodine (starting with a 1/2 of Iodarol pill and going to 50mg) her goiter went away first time in over 10 years and she is feeling much much better.

Arrhythmia

Posted by Phips (Brisbane, Australia) on 02/21/2011
★★★★★

I was much the same way, experiencing ectopic heart beats (skiped beats or P.V.C - premature ventricular contractions). I tried many different supplements that only gave short releif but then came back. I tried herbs for the heart and minerals like potassium and magnesium. I even tried molybnum. I then had my vitamin D levels tested, they were very low. I had been to the emergency department many times, but they could not find anything wrong with me. I was refered to so see a cardiologist who got me to wear a 24 hour cadiac monitor. I even was put through the stress test to test my heart function under stress. All came back normal. I then subsiquently got disgnosed with borderline hypothyroidism. I thought, that must be the cause of my ectopic beats.

I then thought I would like to try some Lugol's solution (iodine), but didn't.

But what I tried, stopped the ectopic beats quickly and never to return. What I took was 1 250mg tablet of calcium citrate. The first tablet took about 3 hours to work. The next morning I woke up with ectopic beats, but of a much milder form. No longer every 3 to 10 beats, but now about 3 missed beats in a minute. I then took my next calcium citrate tablet on an empty stomach - and in about 1 hour my ectopic beats ceased comletely. I now take 1 calcium citrate tablet daily and am no longer bothered with ectopic heart beats.

How I came to relize that it was calcium I needed was when I tried a good quality magnesium supplement for a couple of days with no benifit (it actually might have made this more intense). I then put two and two together. Low vit D = low calcium.

I hope this helps sombody out there.

Regards.

Anxiety Attacks

Posted by Phips (Brisbane, Australia) on 02/21/2011

Hi, you mention that you drink protein shakes...

does the protein powder contain any soy/soya protein or products in it. If it does this could be a reason for your thyroid problem. Unfermented soy products contain high levels of goitrogenic products, which prevent the thyroid from taking up iodine from the blood. Taking extra iodine in your diet will also not help. The best thing to do is eliminate all unfermented soy froducts from your diet eg. : soy milk, soy protein, tofu, bean curd and etc. There are also other goitrogenic foods out there that are normally very safe for most people eg: the vegetables from the bracicacea family (cabbage, mustard, broccli, cannola (rape seed), etc) and also peanuts. These foods need to be all eliminated from the diet if you want your thyroid to regenerate and repair itself. Hope this helps. Regards.

General Feedback

Posted by Charlie (Calgary, Alberta Canada) on 02/07/2011

I've read somewhere that Lugols Iodine was found serendipitously to reduce blood glucose levels. Comments please & thanks

Kelp

Posted by Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 02/03/2011

Thanks for finding my post Lisa but how did you do it? I went to Search, filled in my name and after going through many pages I found it but the link would send me back to yesterday's Earth Clinic page. Maybe I should have typed in Iodine?

Kelp

Posted by Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 02/03/2011

Dear Bill, thanks for all your good advice! I will look into where to find Lugol's. I can try Switzerland as it is next door to us as well as Germany or else when I go to Britain in March. If nothing works I will try the Internet but often the postage costs are horrendous.

Thanks for your ideas on Solgar's MSM as well. I have been taking the powder for maybe three weeks now, 1/2 tspoon twice a day but my allergy are not gone yet, not too bad but not gone. I am really starting to have the idea that as I always seem to have it and nothing really seems to help (itching eyes and throat, and after 7 years of not having a cold nowadays I often sneeze and have to blow my nose) it is not an allergy but Candida just Candida is so troublesome to cure (I usually read all your advice)... I am taking probiotics right now.

Kelp

Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines) on 02/02/2011

Hi Francisca... Many apologies for not replying to your original post on this, I must have simply missed it.

The use of Kelp tincture by Swiss Herbal Remedies should do you no harm. I used kelp tablets for a while but, when I eventually checked the label, I found out I was only taking only about 150 MICROgrams of Iodine per tablet. So to get the proper daily dose of 12.5 MILLIgrams of iodine/iodide, I would have had to take about 100 tablets per day!! Your kelp extract will certainly help your thyroid but the recommended dosage will not be enough for the rest of your body's iodine needs. However, it's also well known that kelp sources contain high mineral content -- so this will be beneficial for you as well. I would simply use the kelp's recommended dosage until it is used up, then buy some 5% lugol's iodine over the internet afterwards.

Regarding your MSM Powder by Solgar, I've had a look at this product and I've seen photos of the back label ingredient list. Being a powder there are no added stearates, phosphates etc because these are only added to form tablets. The only other added ingredient besides MSM appears to be silicon dioxide -- an anti-caking drying agent which is a fairly inert form of silica that is not harmful. So the MSM Powder that you bought from Solgar appears to be safe enough to take.

Kelp

Posted by Lisa (Marrakech, Morocco) on 02/02/2011

Francisca, here is your original post :)

01/23/2011: Francisca from Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France writes: "Thanks for all the information Bill. The kelp I take comes from a company called Swiss Herbal Remedies and is in liquid form. They say one should take 20 drops 3 times a day and according to the information on the bottle 20 drops equals 333 mg so it can't be the same you tried as this would equal 1000 mg a day. I don't really know anybody who owns pets at this moment as we hardly know anyone here in France but if they stop selling MSM I will surely see if I get to know a vet.

I am trying to contact a company called Solgar which manufactures the MSM powder I bought because on the bottle it says that the whole bottle only contains 3g of MSM while their pills contain 1g a pill, how can that be? And it also means that all the powder in the bottle is something else, including anti-caking agent silicon dioxide which I probably neither need nor want. It comes in a big jar containing in total 226g of powder. I didn't buy the pills because they contain magnesium stearate. I know that for the most part the recommended daily allowances are useless. But the fact that Big Pharma now owns most of the supplements company makes it even more intriguing that the EU wants to ban many supplements.

Kelp

Posted by Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 02/02/2011

Hi Bill, I posted a question here on 23/01, I suppose you didn't see it.... I can find the beginning of it if I do a search using my name but it sends me to today's latest posts. I have no idea how to open the page correctly. It was about the quantity of iodine in my kelp drops which I take three times a day and which seems to be quite different from the tablets you talked about. My drops, from Swiss Herbal Remedies, contain 333mg per 20 drops, the quantity I take three times a day, meaning that I take 999mg a day. Do you think that this is the correct dosage?

Arrhythmia

Posted by Lon (Stanhope, Nj) on 01/23/2011

I respect your opinion, after reading many of your posts. Do you (or anyone else), have any info about terms regarding iodine, such as nascent, atomic or atomidine. I have chronic lymphocitic leukemia. These have been suggested by two sources on the web. What is the difference between these and Lugol's, or are they the same.

Arrhythmia

Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines) on 01/22/2011

Hi Francisca... Regarding the differences between Lugol's Iodine and a kelp source there are perhaps few differences. However, I've noticed that kelp supplements from the US and Europe, per tablet, only ever supply between 120-200 MICROgrams of iodine. Whereas, if you take just two drops of 5% Lugol's Iodine, this gives you about 12. 5 MILLIgrams. Therefore the recommended Lugol's dose will supply about 100 times more inorganic iodine for your body. Bear in mind that the RDA -- Recommended Daily Allowance -- used to be called the MDA -- Minimum Daily Allowance. This was a subtle change, but has been very telling concerning peoples deliberately misled understanding and trust.

The much smaller kelp dose will certainly help to supply just your thyroid, but will not be helpful for other problems -- including hypo- and hyper-thyroid problems, caused by iodine insufficiency in your body.

To understand this, the Japanese eat at least 4.6 grams of seaweed everyday which supplies a minimum of about 13.8 mgs of iodine for their bodies and this unique habit appears to be why the Japanese have the lowest rates of uterine, breast and prostate cancer in the world. As well, they also have the lowest rates of lung cancer despite the Japanese people being one of the heaviest national group of smokers in the world. The Japanese also have some of the lowest rates of thyroid problems, fibrocystic breast disease, uterine fibroids and diabetes problems. This also seems to be tied in with their high iodine diet. This sort of health can only be achieved if the RDA for iodine is totally ignored and a higher dose of at least 12.5 mgs of iodine is supplemented per day.

Now also add to this all the "iodophobia" that is out there -- the fear people have on ingesting larger iodine doses than the RDA recommends, despite the fact that iodine is very body friendly. For a period of about two weeks, I took over 100 mgs of iodine -- which is around 800 times more than the RDA. I never noticed any problems or odd effects on my own body(which is not to say that some people may have problems with this dose which is dependent on on good kidney excretion).

As to the problems of obtaining good supplements -- well this is a problem associated with Codex Alimentarus laws. Many of the supplement companies nowadays are owned by the big pharmaceuticals, who deliberately put out poor quality supplement mixtures in dosages that do you little good at all. Recommended RDA iodine dosages are a good example of this.

I've thought about this problem -- concerning ensuring that supplements contain helpful dosages -- and there are two things you can do. Either you order these supplements over the internet and pay a bit more for them, or just get a friend who owns a dog, cat or horse to go to the vet and ask them to purchase the Lugol's Iodine for you at the vet clinic. It's a fact that vets are for more tuned into curing animal medical problems that our doctors are at curing our problems. Also, vets seem to be far better tuned into natural remedies like using iodine and ACV in animal feed than our beloved doctors -- as the writings of Dr Jarvis attest. You can also purchase DMSO, MSM and many other good quality supplements for yourself from the vet and at a far better price. Ted also recommends vets as a source of good MSM and DMSO powder.

Arrhythmia

Posted by Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 01/22/2011

Dear Bill, and what is the difference between Lugol's and kelp? Not that I have ever found Lugol's, I only know it from this site!

Arrhythmia

Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines) on 01/21/2011

Hi Linda... Elemental iodine and potassium iodide are different. Iodine is an element and potassium iodide consists of two elements in one molecule. SSKI is just a Saturated Solution of Potassium Iodide(known as KI in chemistry equations), thus shortened to SSKI.

The element iodine is very poorly dissolved in just water whereas potassium Iodide easily dissolves in water. And Iodine is much more soluble in an aqueous solution of potasium iodide. Thus a Lugol's Iodine solution is normally 10% potassium iodide in water in which 5% elemental Iodine is completely dissolved. Lugol's is therefore a mix of water, iodine and potassium iodide.

This is why Lugol's Iodine is the best form of iodine to supplement -- because you get the benefits of both elemental iodine as well as potassium iodide in a convenient aqueous solution.

Arrhythmia

Posted by Linda (Titusville, Fl) on 01/21/2011

Is elemental Iodine the same as a saturated solution of potassium iodide (sski)?

Removing Iodine Stains

Posted by Karenvt (Perth, Australia) on 01/15/2011
★★★★★

Thanks for that tip... VitC on removes iodine stains... Very useful!

Iodine Interactions

Posted by Deb (Waterloo, Ia, Usa) on 01/12/2011

Thanks Bill, I love Dr Stan. I listen to him all the time. Deb

Iodine Research

Posted by River (Mission, Bc) on 01/05/2011

Thanks so much for that great link. I listened carefully to the whole 2 hr talk, and it was EXCELLENT.... Much thanks....

Iodine Research

Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines) on 12/21/2010

Hi Everyone... For all those interested in why Iodine is so important and useful, the following mp3 audio by Dr Flechas from The Iodine Project Research Team is definitely worth a listen. Here is the link to the audio:

http://curezone.com/upload/Audio/Iodine/IodineDrFlechasDrStanTwoHour.mp3

This is a two hour audio that covers a huge amount of ground explaining the latest surprising research and findings on the very positive effects of iodine regarding the following:

Thyroid problems
Fibrocystic breast disease
Uterine Cysts
Prostate Problems
Preventing Cancer
Improving Intelligence and IQ in children
Schizophrenia
Depression
Overweight Problems
Removal of heavy metals
Removal of Flourine and Bromine
Atrial Fibrillation - Arrythmia
Diabetes
Skin Problems
Allergies
Asthma

This tape also explains the many added benefits of using Vitamin C(as Ascorbate) as well as natural Sea Salt together with lugol's iodine.

Iodine Side Effects

Posted by Kevin (Grand Rapids, Michigan) on 12/18/2010

You are most likely detoxing from Bromine. Flour Is Brominated which is a toxin which the Evil FDA insists is good for you, just like the lead and mercury that is used to fill your cavities. The Mercury in your Vaccinations. If you feel your having a reaction to Iodine. Chew ten 500mg Vitamin C tablets. Your symptoms will disappear soon enough. Do not use Vitamin C from Sams Club. These evil F---s sweeten them with Nutrasweet which is deadly toxic If too much is consumed and counter-productive to taking Vitamin C.

Spend a little Time reading Human Race Get Off Your Knees by David Icke. It will be money well spent. I am currently taking 50-100mg of Iodine from J Crows 2% Lugols Solution. I had acne appear and now its disappearing. Every person reacts differently to Iodine, depending on several factors. Mine aren't the benchmarch... Do more research, and remember Vitamin C will stop heart palpitations most of the time If you've ingested more Iodine than your used to.

Iodine Warnings

Posted by Philthefluter (Pembroke, Wales) on 11/23/2010

Be careful when taking iodine supplementation, although it is needed by all body organs too much or the wrong type can be detrimental. I was advised to do the patch test and if low to use the iodine (lugols) on the skin. It will then be absorbed through the skin as required by the body. This way you will also know when you are iodine sufficient by the absorbtion rate.

Hypothyroid

Posted by Samantha (Edmonton, Alberta) on 10/26/2010
★☆☆☆☆

I have been using 12.5mg's of Iodine/iodide and selenium for 2 weeks now and it has been a Godsend up till now. After the 2 weeks were up I started having the same symptoms as before. Severe anxiety/fear, fatigue and really cold extremeties. I am convinced that I cannot be without a prescription now for Hypothyroidism, whether we use synthetic or non-synthetic. My symptoms cannot be stabilized without the help of western meds now. My TSH level were at 4.8, 3 months ago now. I will report back when I am on a prescrition med to let everyone know if there is a big difference. I see my PCP tomorrow.

Hardened Breast Implants

Posted by Tiffany (Tampa, Fl) on 10/25/2010
★★★★★

I have breast implants and one of them had hardened. I was taking iodine drops for my thyroid, and it very quickly softened up the hardened implant.

Enlarged, Cystic Thyroid

Posted by Catherinecheshire (St. Regis, Quebec) on 10/24/2010

The Lugols you can buy in the US is the weaker stuff so take ten drops a day for three months to get your iodine levels up then drop down to five drops a day as a maintenence dose. It took me about four hours of searching to find this info online. Also, there was info on using it for cold, flu, congestion, and bladder infections but these were higher doses and if you have too much in your system its gets washed out and causes you no side effects. My mom gave my grandmother (who is 90) about 20 or more drops and it cured her of congestion and the cough that goes with it.

Enlarged, Cystic Thyroid

Posted by Lisa (St. Louis, Mo) on 10/20/2010

Can anyone tell me how much iodine I should be taking? It's mainly because of dry hair, dry skin, extreme tiredness, etc. I can't find dosage info anywhere. I have Lugols iodine.

Skin Ailments

Posted by Wood Doctor (Houston, Texas) on 10/01/2010

IF you are using the Lugols for skin tags you stopped too soon. They will really swell to a couple of times there size. They become very tender to touch. You are so close at this point if you keep putting the iodine on twice a day. Usually within a few days they fall off. Don't stop applying the Lugols until the skin is perfectly smooth in that area.

Where to Buy: Canada

Posted by Donna (Toronto, Ontario) on 10/01/2010

Thank you Tom, for your feedback. I read your posting back in April, and I tried all the big stores in person. They act as they have never heard of Lugol's before. I even wrote an e-mail to Rexall as per your suggestion and I haven't heard anything back since. The new piece of info you shared about the PCCA company in London, ON helped me a lot. I went on their website and looked for pharmacies that buy from them. I called the first pharmacy on the list and I was able to get a 100 ml bottle for 10.99 the next day. They don't stock it but they order it for you on the spot and it will be available the next day. They also have 500 ml available.

Where to Buy: Canada

Posted by Tom (Regina, Sk) on 09/26/2010

Donna:

Happy to hear you got such good quick results! I put this up months ago, but it's likely lost in the noise on this site.

There are at least two major chain stores (could be 3, 4, or 5) that have direct access to their supplier to get a good size bottle of original 5% LUGOLs here in Canada, and "good size" is either choice of a 100-ml or 500-ml bottle

Here is one: http://www.rexall.ca/storelocator/

Another is food Superstore (Loblaws/Oshawa group company)

Price is way cheaper than 25 ml at a time! But, in most cases, you must visit the pharmacy counter in person and ask for it to be ordered in! It will take 1-5 days is all. If you ask over-the-phone, they'll just give you the canned response "Lugols? Naw, never heard of it and don't have it"! That sounds like our experience, since you got only a 25-ml size. BTW, there's even one company, likely many around near a sprawling city like Toronto, that makes the stuff in a 500 ml bottle! It's PCCA Canada in London, ON. They have a website and a 1-800 number, so you could even call them to ask which stores they supply. Under $40 500 ml bottle. A Scroogle search finds them no problem, just about 9th down. Another brand possibly is Xenex, but they're out in Vancouver, so I doubt they'd ship all that way what with the breakage.

Where to Buy: Canada

Posted by Donna (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on 09/26/2010
★★★★★

Hi there, I have been reading and looking for a long time in order to find Lugol's in the Great Toronto Area. There is a compounding pharmacy in Mississauga called Hooper's. They sell Lugol's, 25 ml for $4.95 tax.

Since I found it and started taking Lugol almost 2 months ago I became a new person. My yeast infections are gone, hopefully forever, I sleep well, no more PMS. I wish all of you a healthy and happy life.

General Feedback

Posted by John (Lennon, Michigan) on 09/24/2010

Lugols because it contains Iodine and Iodide..... SSKI is just Iodide no iodine. Many people do not get very good results with just one form of iodine. The iodide is almost idiot proof and that is why so many go with that but if you follow the directions for Lugols from various sources it is hard to go wrong! Too few people understand basic chemistry or physiology of the body ie chemistry of the body.... SO they make contradictory statements and get things all mixed up. Their are a few people with Hishymoto's(sp) Disease that can not tolerate Iodine at all but seem to do ok with Iodide. It is stupid to make fearful statements based on a small subset that represents. 000000001% of the earths population..... THey do this with sodium intake as well.... SOmething like 1 out of 1000 people with hypertension have sodium sensitive hypertension so why make the other 999 people give up salt if it is not going to improve their condition or hurt them? I know most salt is processedin amanner not good for us but that is another issue and not the salts falt. Healthy forms of sodium are very good for you. My point is their are a lot of half truths floating around the medical field and internet. I actually ignore anyone that starts out a post with Caution or Warning because they are fear mongers and I have no time for fear. No decision should ever be based or made from a point of fear!

Fibrocystic Breast Disease

Posted by Wjbaumchen (Lennon, Michigan) on 09/24/2010

Lot of bad information on what you can ingest. Iodine that is non-radioactive and in it's elemental form is safe to ingest. That is basically two iodine atoms bound together kind of like O2 is two oxygen atoms bound together. Iodide is just some form of iodine that has something else bound to it like potassium iodide their is one iodine atom and one potassium atom bound to each other. You can turn any Iodide back into elemental iodine by hitting it with a strong acid then an oxidizer. Lugols contains both forms of iodine for best absorption at a rate of 2x's as much Iodide as iodine that is the magic ratio of Lugols. As to the warning about Iodine not everyone with thyroid disease responds the same and we know that iodine works best when two or more forms of it are presented to the body at the same time. So ideally it is best to try it first. No decision should be made based on fear must have data to make a decision. You can buy potassium Iodide about 150grams of 99.9% lab grade or USP grade for about $27 so not expensive at all from that you can make Lugols by turning some of it into elemental iodine and leaving some it as is. If you live outside of the USA it is easy to by Iodine Crystals and Potassium Iodide and make you own dirt cheap in large amounts. If you live in the USA Iodine Crystals are now controlled and you have to register with the DEA to order or import it. Because less then 1% of the population uses it to make illegal drugs we all have to suffer. Like I said it is not hard to convert Iodide to Iodine but it is stupid to have to do this. Tinkture of Iodine has elemental pure Iodine at 2% and has Sodium Iodide at 2.4% and 47% Alcohol the rest is water. It is safe to use orally and topicaly but the sodium iodide is not the best form to use because most people have too much sodium any ways and really need to get more potassium in their body. Little rhyme from a few hundred years ago for doctors. " If you do not know the where or why? Then prescribe the "K and I"! " k is used on the periodic table to represent Potassium and I is for Iodine....

Where to Buy: South Africa

Posted by Cindy (Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa) on 09/22/2010
★★★★★

I've found Lugol's Iodine at Fruits and Roots in Bryanston. And its really cheap at R10 for a little bottle and at two drops a day will last me quite a while...

Broad Benefits

Posted by Connie (Slc, Ut) on 09/20/2010

I sincerely apologize to you all, concerning my response to Bessie (sorry Bessie), as I was flippant in describing my results from Iodine testing, and, that I didn't properly address the seriousness of heart palpitations that I had experienced during my periods of increased dosing. This side effect is considered to be rare, and is often the result of preexistent conditions and medication use. I have severe adrenal and pituitary insufficiency at this time, for which I take physiologic doses of cortisol. I also take many supplements, incl. Particularly high dosages of potassium. I am extremely prone to electrolyte disturbances, of which, heart palpitations, is a symptom. My palps. Are quickly alleviated by frequent smaller potassium dosages. I have become accustomed to these symptoms, and I forget their seriousness. It seems that Iodine may increase the sensitivity to Epinephrine, by some action, in us. This quality can be beneficial. I have found Iodine's effect in this manner to be mild, when compared to that of medications, caffeine, and even certain supplements and herbs. Again, I apologize if I've offended anyone, or dissuaded anyone from testing Iodine for themselves. Thank you, Connie

Broad Benefits

Posted by Bessie (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 09/19/2010

Many thanks Connie! I'm starting with Lugol's (1 drop twice daily) and virgin coconut oil (starting with 1 tablespoon and gradually working up to 2 or 3 tablespoons) for my hypothyroid problems. I haven't had too much luck with kelp in the past so I'll see how the Lugol's/VCO works. Many thanks for taking the time to explain your procedure! I've learned so many things from the Earth Clinic family - I'm very grateful :) Best of health to you!

Broad Benefits

Posted by Connie (Slc, Ut) on 09/18/2010

Hello Bessie, Hello Y'all,

Yes, Thank You, I should have included the amounts taken in my post. "Case History": kelp eating and intermittent Iodine drinking in the past. (joke) I am a 53 3/4 Y. O. F, 5'4 3/4 H. , 121 w. , that needs to learn the metric system.

I used organic kelp powder in this test and chose to accept that 1tbl, 15ml, of kelp powder contains 7.5 mg of Iodine, as a given. (could be a wide variance). I also began with Atomic Iodine 2%, and switched to Lugol's 5% at day 8. (sorry folks, as I am still in a state of anecdotage, I do not have a good comparitive explanation for this, for you).

Wk. 1, 10 drops 2% Atomic Iodine tincture, 1tsp. Kelp powder in smoothie. End of Wk. 1, 15 drops 2% Atomic Iodine, 1 tsp. 3x daily kelp powder in 4oz water. Herx. Effects: mild acne on chin, mild constipaton, "roiling colon" with immoderate flatus. Began daily enema, followed with oral probiotic supp. (50 billion).

Wk 2, discontinued Atomic Iodine, began Lugol's solution 5%, 2 drops daily, 1 tsp. Kelp powder 3x daily. Began to apply Lugol's, undiluted 3 drops, to shingles lesions at base of spine and on bum cheek. (no pain here, but caution to others). Day 11, experienced mild heart palpitations and mild anxiety. (recurring songs in the brain). Began "pulsing", by discontinuing Lugol's and kelp for 2 days. Restarted Lugol's 5% 1 drop and kelp 1 tsp. At day 14. Continues to "pulse", skipping suplementation for 1 or two days, then restarts at lower dosage.

There appears to be a wide variance in an individual's needs for Iodine, and it's difficult to distinguish detox effect from side effect, but, for me, the benefits outstand the deficits in this endeavor. Bessie, I hope this "windy" discussion is helpful, as, finding one's indivdual needs is a good challenge. (maybe I have shown this, unwittingly) Tom from Sk. And Bill from the Philippines have provided us with great links to information about Iodine's effects, and I am grateful. Thank You, EC, Connie

Broad Benefits

Posted by Bessie (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 09/17/2010

Hi Connie - How did you take your iodine - was it Lugol's - how many drops per day did you take? I'm so happy it's working for you! Sounds like a good protocol. Thanks!

Broad Benefits

Posted by Connie (Slc, Ut) on 09/16/2010
★★★★★

After 3 weeks of Testing Iodine in earnest, I am happy to post my results so far. My appearance, (happy to make one), is improved: very little hair loss, no more "hair collar", much less wiriness. My skin, (happy to have some), is much less flaky, no more "skin snow". Hypo and hyper pigmentation shows a little improvement. I still have yet to see reductions of keloids and "barnacles" (love to you Alfred). The cystic conditions of my skin, breasts, ovaries, and possibly more areas are beginning to shrink. (Joyce, I see evidence that you are correct that Iodine treats cystic conditions in general. Thank You). I have had a great reduction in gum and tooth root infections. My breath and body odors are hugely improved. This ingrown toenail with its resultant infections is now corrected. (nice big toenail). The shingles are shrinking, and the libido is growing. Cognitive function, memory, and, visual memory in particular, is on the mend. (This is the most valuable improvement for me, as I am a visual artist. ) My vision is improving but for brief periods of blurriness. Even after three weeks, I am still detoxing. (no surprise as I've been a gracious host to "critters" before now). I am ecstatic and have not been this merry since childhood. Thank You all, Thank You Deirdre, Joyce, Ted, Bill, Tom, Mona, and on and on. Connie

Cysts

Posted by Tito (Taranto, Italy) on 09/12/2010
★★★★★

I could not bear seeing that ugly epidermoid cyst on my shoulder, so I applied to it a tincture of iodine for six months, and a nice day the cyst ruptured (apologies for my english) and now it is disappeared.

Skin Cancer

Posted by Carolyn (Riverside, Ca) on 09/09/2010
0 out of 5 stars

I read about iodine curing skin cancer, so I started putting it on a small spot and within a couple of days the area around it became very inflamed and blistered. I was using 2% iodine that contains 45% alcohol, is this why?

Iodine Side Effects

Posted by Elizabeth (Nashville, Tn) on 09/09/2010
0 out of 5 stars

Iodine and Acne link?

I'm concerned about acne and iodine intake. I have fatigued adrenals and try to get my hands on anything that can give me energy. I've come across diatomaceous earth and have been taking that to clear myself of impurities. I also take one Iodoral pill a day to support my thyroid and provide energy. I've noticed a rash or acne flare up on the left side of my nose. Also, I've noticed my face wanting to break out more than usual (usually only 1 or 2 pimples a month.. Now I have 3 cysts and 2 whiteheads)

Does anyone know of an iodine/acne connection or I wonder if this could be a detox reaction? I do feel better and hope I can continue to take the Iodoral.