I'm digging in now. I know that when I was first diagnosed, iodine was the only thing that brought me symptom relief, but I had to be way over the acceptable levels. Since then, I've added in other paired support nutrients, and I'm feeling more well rounded, but they type of iodine I'd been using went up in cost, and so I tried a different type/blend. That is when all the issues that I've been having lately surfaced.

I haven't really gotten into all this, as I've been trying to get a handle on it, but my thyroid is enlarged, to the point i can feel it. I'm having swallowing struggles (mainly meds or really dry bites of food) and some issues breathing, but those both seem more likely related to reflux or an outside trigger (or maybe autoimmune escalation). After my hands started their burning/itching situation, @cstehansen - I dropped that supplement - they thyroid supplement that included iodine - and the issue seems to have resolved, but I'm not clear on which part of that supplement was the trigger. It could have been the B vitamins (overhauled that part of my supps), the additional selenium, the addition of copper to my zinc, the guggal, or anything, really.

I'm thinking I need to add back in the iodine, but I had a thyroid ultrasound today due to it being enlarged at my appointment with my new PCP. She's fairly anti-supplement. But, I think she'll be okay once she sees the results. TBD. However, I'm thinking I need to fire my current Endocrinologist. I know I posted this on my wall the other day for those who are on my friends list, but this is what he said in response to notifying him of my concerns about the enlargement and possible Hashi's.

Notified my Endo of the impending test tomorrow, and received the most discouraging response...

"That's fine, you can forward me those tests and I can review, but the truth is hashimoto's is the most common cause of thyroid disease, and it's managed the same as hypothyroidism, so we don't really do all that work up if it's not going to change anything, but it's okay to do it. The only think with hashimoto's is you just have to eat cleaner, less gluten and processed foods, but I already advised that for other issues."

Hangs head. *starts searching for new Endo*


So, the new PCP/DO has two Endos within her system, so I'm going to wait to see what she says when she gets the U/S results back.

As we all know NOW - or at least now learning, an autoimmune version of thyroid disorder would be treated completely differently than a non-autoimmune type, unless someone was going over and above on the non-autoimmune type, for safety reasons... I mentioned in the other thread (on my wall) that this Endo also never specifically mentioned gluten to me, just grains reductions - and we all know that if gluten is a true issue, you have to CUT IT OUT, not reduce it... This just left me so frustrated. I know I've been treating my conventionally trained Endocrinologist like a functional medicine Endocrinologist, and he'd been rising to the tasks more often that he wasn't, but I think I have now outgrown him. He was useful when I started, but he isn't even requiring his patients to take K2 with megadose D3...so I know he's not up on everything. (A mutual acquaintance and I discovered that we share this endo when talking about it in passing. She has Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and to date, I have non-specific hypothyroidism. She isn't improving any, at last I heard. If he can't help her, he won't be able to help me. He might help me by supporting my own actions to help myself, but just about anyone could do that...)


Okay, so sorry to rant, there, went off track. By iodine did help me before. But I know it can be bad if I do have Hashi's...so I'm off to go read now.

@cstehansen - I began supplementing the Iodine in 2013 or 2014. It's only recently, maybe in the last 6 months I made changes.

In May 2015, I felt great and was fully keto, right before I stalled out. My iodine was at 231, and the top of the range was 109. My endo told me he wasn't too worried as the body would dump excess, but he wanted me to bring it down some, if I could.

Switched to half pills. October 2015, my level was down to 182, and my symptom relief had reduced quite a bit, but my TSH had gone up so doc increased my T4 med. I decided to wait it out ,and since the iodine was still high, I dropped to half a pill every other day for a few weeks, then stopped altogether because it was annoying.

April 2016, my level was at 91.6, and I felt like total crap. This was when I went off keto for a while....after this result. I resumed supplementation at half dose, I think.

Somewhere in this timeframe is when I started adding in other things like the selenium, and right before the October tests, the zinc; and the tyrosine...and after October test was the ashwagandha...

October, 2016, I don't remember how I felt exactly, but that's when I fell back smack into the middle of SAD eating. Result was 178. Also around the time I ran out and switched supplements. Haven't had another test yet, but the dose in the new supplement was only one form (former med was 2 forms) and lower dose, from what I remember...but had cofactors...

But yes, I wasn't as worried about the high iodine, as Hashi's had been ruled out by negative antibodies tests, or so I'd thought. I downloaded the podcast and will try to read/listen...

I thought it was the ratio of selenium to iodine that was important.
I get my selenium from brazil nuts and iodine from seaweed.

Interesting PubMed site on 2009 study of subclassification of the two kinds of Hashi's: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19712131

My husband is hypothyroid and possibly hashi's due to some preliminary tests a doctor did. He is currently taking iodine and a multi mineral vitamin with selenium in it. He has also cut back on his synthroid. He has been feeling back to his normal self which is great. It's our goal to eventually get him off the medicine completely and use only natural methods to treat it. My grandmother does only natural methods to treat her hypothyroid and does it fairly well.

@canadjineh - I wish you better luck than me. I can tell my levels are out of whack again. I feel like I'm not taking anything to help. Appointment and labs tomorrow, if the car will make it.

@esaucier17 - My highest iodine was 212, and I felt fantastic. When it got DOWN to 190 something, I already felt like crap... But, since my dosage of thyroid meds have increased, I've stopped taking extra iodine...and in fact, have added selenium and tyrosine and feel decent most days. I follow many of the recommendations from Maria Emmerich, too, but I got a blend that made me feel terrible. Stopped that stuff, but still take Ashwagandha. Can't tell whether it helps or not, really, but it's supposed to be great for you...

My thyroid meds are off, though, I can tell. I'm all out of sorts. Staying up way too late because I can't sleep, having problems staying awake at work and other stuff... See my endo tomorrow, but since he told me he wouldn't treat Hashi's any differently (if discovered to be) than my non-specified hypo (as currently diagnosed), given that I just had to have an ultrasound for enlarged thyroid (among a ton of other symptoms despite being serum negative... I've got a second opinion in a few months....

I think I'm going to push to switch to NDT, but I don't want to feel even worse for 4-6 while changing.

I love Izabella and her programs, but I've not gotten any of the info that isn't free...as I can barely afford decent food ATM. Any suggestions you glean, I'd be thrilled to pick your brain! I'm tired of feeling bad, and there aren't any functional type docs in my area...and even if there were, I couldn't afford $400 per appt, etc.

@KnitOrMiss, how did it go?
Found a great set of blogs from Dr. Westin Childs (Functional Medicine Doctor) - here's more info on him and links to his Youtube channel and podcasts: https://restartmed.com/about/
His information is free, simple to understand, full of PubMed and MedScape references & studies you can click to, bullet points on step by step accessible changes to make for improvement.
He specializes in Thyroid issues.
Very interesting info on how prevalent Type III Polyglandular Autoimmune Syndrome is in those with Hashi's and/or Celiac Disease: https://www.restartmed.com/hashimotos-gluten/

General good news all around for my bloodwork!
Pretty well everything in healthy optimal ranges, no deficiencies; only issues remaining are higher than normal Thyroid PeroxAb (now at 328 U/ml), and a FT3 that seems a little low (it has dropped at each test from 1.5 yrs ago from 4.3 to 3.9 pmol/L)

I'm not unhappy with the TPoAb as it is down 19% in the last 6 months. Last 3 tests show it starting at 1108, then 407, now 328.... a good trend. I'll continue with the Selenium and L-Tyrosine to see if I can get it down some more. Not sure what to do about the FT3 yet. I'll have to do a bit more digging....was in a 4 hour rabbit hole this morning.