Thyroid and Iodine

[KSman]

Some of you know who I am...

I see a lot of problems with low thyroid function in the 'T replacement' forum. Its really important to be using iodized salt. Sea salt and other "natural salts" are causing a lot of problems. Check out the thyroid basics sticky if you are curious.

The symptoms of [subclinical] hypothyroidism are largely the same as low testosterone.

[BlackLabel]

Thank you for posting, Ksman. Alot of guys here don't realize that there are many things that can affect their T-level.. the T-Replacement section is a goldmine in my opinion, largely because of your contributions.

[Ned]

BlackLabel wrote:
Thank you for posting, Ksman. Alot of guys here don't realize that there are many things that can affect their T-level.. the T-Replacement section is a goldmine in my opinion, largely because of your contributions.

X2,

Thanks for all you do Ksman!

[Yogi1]

Yeah KSman, you're a good dude.

What are your thoughts on supplemental iodine? Is there a specific form, does it need to be taken with anything else? It's not somethign I know much about.

[KSman]

I am not convinced that one needs a specific type of iodine or blend. Life evolved working whatever iodine could be found in the environment. Even fish have thyroid tissues, in their jaw area; and they are cold blooded.

Most do fine on iodized salt, if always used. If one becomes deficient, the amount of iodine in one's iodized salt intake or 150mcg [micrograms] in vitamins is not enough to dig one out of the iodine deficiency hole. If your body temperatures are low, you are probably deficient. Ones reserves/stores might be low and temperatures good etc; but then if one stops using iodized salt, they are then closer to the edge and things might go fast quickly.

One can be iodine deficient and may have a doctor put them on Rx thyroid hormones. I really don't see that doctors are asking about one's iodine intake. The lessons of the early 1900's have been forgotten.

Animals can get goiter, enlargement if the thyroid from long term exposure to high TSH levels. But this seems to be rare. Perhaps animals are much better at retaining iodine than man.

Iodine is quite rare: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodine#Occurrence

[Yogi1]

what sort of dose do you recommend?

[KSman]

Depends.

For a maintenance dose when you use iodized salt, the amount in you multi-vit may be enough.

For a maintenance dose when you do not use iodized salt, 500mg would be good, available in kelp capsules.

If you are deficient, have not been using iodized salt and have low body temperatures I suggest a TOTAL iodine replenishment [IR] of 750mg. Humans can store 1000mg to 1500mg, mostly in the thyroid gland. You can take 25-50mg per day as your body allows. See the sticky. If you have accumulated bromines in your body, which occupy places where iodine wants to be, IR with these doses will displace iodine and the bromines are excreted. While that occurs, one can feel sick and have bad body odors [fishy]. IR can upset your guts, reduce dose as needed.

You body needs selenium to create enzymes that are part of thyroid hormone production. When selenium is lacking, there can be free radicals that damage thyroid tissues and your body can have an autoimmune response to your thyroid. Select multi-vits that have selenium, iodine and other trace minerals.

Again, read the sticky.

Body temperatures are controlled by thyroid hormone fT3 that regulates mitochondrial metabolism in your cells. Mitochondria product ATP, the universal energy source in your cells. So you can see that thyroid problems can slow down your cells and reduce your metabolic rate. Mitochondria are separate cells within your cells that have their own DNA. The are primitive bacteria that were co-opted in more complex cells at the beginning life on this planet. The bargain was cells would deliver what the mitochondria needed and the mitochondria would produce ATP. The cells forgot how to make ATP and the mitochondria forgot how to make CoQ10. We make CoQ10 in our livers. If you take a statin drug and [for some] it reduces CoQ10, mitochondria can slow down and muscles can be weak and the heart gets weak, blood backs up in the lungs and blood pressure there increases and one coughs from the secretions. That is a drug induced state off congestive heart failure. Then taking CoQ10 can fix that, the ubiquinol form of CoQ10 is more effective. When that problem occurs the blood pools in the lungs because the left ventricle is not pumping blood out to the body properly. [ I fixed a guy who takes high dose Lipitor, he had slight nagging cough 24x7; I asked if he was taking a statin drug.] So you can now understand the link of iodine - thyroid - fT3 - mitochondria.

[dez6485]

KSman,

you may remember me from the TRT forum a few months back, I had some estrogen issues when I started TRT and you sorted me out.

Based on body temperature, I believe I have under active thyroid. I did the IR a couple months back- 50 or 75mg for two weeks, sorry can't remember which at this time, both numbers are sticking in my head right now...temps prior were mid 96's in AM and low-mid 97's in mid afternoon- accurate temps taking everything you said I to account- nothing to eat/drink around the time, etc. Mid way through the IR protocol my temps started to rise, then by the end they were pretty normal. Still kind of low-ish in the AM, 96.9-97.1 for example, but was getting up to mid 98 in the afternoon, don't know that I ever saw 98.6 exactly, but definitely 98.5. During this time I also made sure to start using iodized salt more frequently, threw our old non-iodized salt away, etc.

Now, I'm right back where I started. In the time between now and the IR, I've continued the iodized salt, a good portion of that time took a good multivitamin (made by a Biotest competitor in fact)...so, short of crushing Iodine all day long, what am I left with? Is this simply a pretty good indication that I should be on thyroid medicine? My mother is on T3 and T4, she calls them something else though, 50mg of one and 5mg of the other I think. Not that that vague information really helps...

One of my big concerns is that I have this fat around my midsection that's just been hanging around- I find it difficult to lose fat and/or gain muscle, at times it's seemed despite changing diet, nothing happens. At other times, despite not changing diet or training, I gain fat. All signs point to thyroid, right?

Another reason for my concern is that I've happened into the world of blasting and cruising. Cycles always interested me, and I've found a way to do periods of moderate doses for 10-12wks at a time- I know that's not really your expertise, but my feeling is that these "blasts" may be lackluster with thyroid issues, or even downright unproductive period.

Interested in your thoughts, and thanks for your time.

[KSman]

Assuming that you now do not have an iodine deficiency. You also need selenium and iodine in your multi-vits.

Get some labs done.

TSH
fT3
fT4
AM Cortisol

E2 is always of interest, but with blast and cruise, you have two different tasks.