Many people with thyroid conditions have an iodine deficiency.  This holds true for people with hypothyroidism, as well as those with hyperthyroidism.  And in both conditions, it is important to correct such a deficiency in order to help restore your thyroid health, as well as your overall health.  This is also true with regards to autoimmune thyroid disorders, although as I’ll briefly discuss, someone who has Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis shouldn’t supplement with iodine until the autoimmune response has been addressed.  On the other hand, most people with Graves’ Disease who are iodine deficient have no problem supplementing with iodine when under the guidance of a competent holistic doctor.

As for why iodine is important to thyroid health, the reason for this is because iodine plays an important role in the formation of thyroid hormone.  As a result, someone who has a deficiency in iodine very well may have a deficiency in thyroid hormone, which can contribute to hypothyroidism.  Because of this, it’s assumed that people with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease have an excess of iodine, which isn’t always the case.  The only surefire method of determining whether someone has an iodine deficiency is through proper testing.

You might wonder why many people are deficient in iodine.  There are numerous reasons for this.  For a full explanation I highly recommend reading the book “Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It”, by Dr. David Brownstein.  One reason he mentions is due to poor farming techniques, as the soils are depleted in iodine.  Yet another reason is because the bread people eat contains bromine, which replaced iodine in the dough conditioners many years ago.  And because bromine competes with iodine, this has really contributed to the increase in iodine deficiency over the last few decades.  There are other reasons for the increase in iodine deficiency, but once again, you can refer to Dr. Brownstein’s book to find this information out.

The “Patch Test” vs. the “Iodine Loading Test”

There are essentially two different methods of detecting an iodine deficiency.  One method is through an iodine patch test, which involves using a 2% tincture of iodine to draw a 2 x 2 square on your forearm, abdomen, or inner thigh, and then monitor the patch to see how long it takes to disappear.  The quicker it takes the patch to disappear, the greater deficiency someone has in iodine.  Someone who has a sufficient amount of iodine should have the patch remain for at least 24 hours before fading.  If the patch disappears in under 24 hours then the person is iodine deficient.

A more accurate method of determining whether someone is iodine deficient is through an iodine loading test.  This is a urine test which measures the excretion of iodine over a 24 hour period after taking a 50 mg tablet of Iodoral, which is an iodine/iodide tablet.  If 90% of the ingested iodine/iodide is excreted, then the person has a sufficient amount of iodine. On the other hand, if they excrete less than 90% of iodine/iodide then they have an iodine deficiency.  You can obtain this test by visiting www.hakalalabs.com.

Supplementing Properly With Iodine

To no surprise, the best method of correcting an iodine deficiency is to supplement with iodine.  While some sources will recommend starting out with high dosages of iodine (25 mg or more), in my opinion it’s a good idea to begin with a lower dosage, and then slowly increase the dosage over time.  For example, when I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, in order to correct my iodine deficiency I took a 3mg tablet once each day for one week, and then added another 3 mg tablet each week until I was taking 24mg. 

Does this mean you should take the same dosage, and follow the same steps that I took?  Well, the first thing you of course need to do is determine whether or not you have an iodine deficiency.  Once this has been determined, it’s a good idea to consult with a holistic doctor, rather than try to correct the deficiency on your own.  If you do decide to self-treat your iodine deficiency problem then I do think starting out with a low dosage of iodine is a good idea.  As for whether you should build up to 25 mg or more is something that should be determined through follow-up testing.  After all, some people might need to build up to 40 or 50mg of iodine in order to correct a severe deficiency.  Others might be fine taking 12 mg of iodine.  In other words, different people will require different dosages.

Addressing An Iodine Deficiency In Graves’ Disease & Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

For those people with Graves’ Disease who have an iodine deficiency, you can simply follow the advice I have given thus far.  However, people with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis SHOULD NOT supplement with iodine, as doing so will most likely exacerbate their condition.  So what should be done if someone with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis has an iodine deficiency?  While this deficiency will need to be corrected, one will need to eliminate the autoimmune response first.  And this of course means that the person will need to follow a natural treatment protocol, since taking thyroid hormone for the rest of their life won’t do anything for the immune system component of the condition.

In summary, iodine is extremely important for proper thyroid function, and as a result it’s important to address any iodine deficiency you may have.  And while such a deficiency is more common in people with hypothyroidism, people with a hyperthyroid condition can also be deficient in iodine.  Some people just begin supplementing with iodine on their own, but it really is a good idea to first obtain an iodine loading test, or at the very least do the iodine patch test to determine for sure whether or not you have an iodine deficiency.

If you have received radioactive iodine therapy or had a partial or complete thyroidectomy, then you might wonder if it is possible to restore your health back to normal upon following a natural thyroid treatment protocol.  This depends on the individual, as while some people who have received RAI or a partial thyroidectomy can have their health restored back to normal, it really depends on the extent of damage done to the thyroid gland.  Truth to be told, many people who receive these procedures can’t have their health restored and thus will need to take thyroid hormone.  Those who have had a complete thyroidectomy will of course be unable to completely restore their thyroid health back to normal, but can usually still benefit from a natural treatment protocol.

But many people who have received radioactive iodine or thyroid surgery aren’t aware that there still might be hope.  Many assume that RAI completely obliterates the thyroid gland, making it impossible to produce a sufficient amount of thyroid hormone.  Many times this is true, as there are times when the thyroid gland has sustained too much damage, and therefore can’t be restored back to normal upon following a natural treatment protocol.  But we tend to underestimate the healing abilities of the body, as there are some people who receive radioactive iodine who can benefit greatly from natural treatment methods.  Of course the sooner one follows a natural treatment protocol upon receiving RAI the better the chance of restoring their health.

The same concept applies to someone who has received a partial thyroidectomy.  Once again, the body does an amazing job of adapting, and so it is possible to restore thyroid function even if the thyroid gland has been partially removed.  But many people do become permanently hypothyroid and therefore need to take thyroid hormone.  On the other hand, those who have received a complete thyroidectomy obviously won’t be able to have their health restored back to normal.  However, this doesn’t mean they can’t receive any benefits at all.  The same is true for those people who have received radioactive iodine and can’t have their health restored back to normal.

The reason for this is because in most cases, RAI doesn’t address the underlying cause of the condition.  And the same concept applies for many cases of thyroid surgery.  Most of these conditions weren’t caused directly by problems with the thyroid gland, but were instead caused by other compromised areas of the body.  For example, a person who had Graves’ Disease and received RAI might no longer have hyperthyroid symptoms, but the compromised immune system was most likely never addressed.  This means they will be more susceptible to other autoimmune conditions in the future.  So even if their health can’t be completely restored back to  normal, it is still important to address the immune system component.

Besides the immune system, other areas of the body can be compromised.  The adrenal glands, steroid hormones, digestive system, and other areas can all directly or indirectly affect thyroid health.  This is very important to understand, as most people focus too much on symptoms, and many people think that just because their hyperthyroid symptoms no longer exist that this in turn means their condition has been fixed.  And this isn’t just about them becoming hypothyroid and needing to take thyroid hormone for the rest of their life.  By not addressing other affected areas of the body, this could lead to many other health issues.

How Can You Tell If You Can Benefit From Natural Treatment Methods After Receiving Surgery Or RAI?

Those people who have received RAI or thyroid surgery will no doubt want to know how they can tell if they will respond to natural treatment methods.  As for whether or not they can have their thyroid health restored back to normal, this honestly is something that nobody can predict.  If any doctor were to tell you they can guarantee a cure, they aren’t being honest with you.  I actually received an email recently from someone who received radioactive iodine treatment, and was told by a holistic doctor that a cure for his hypothyroidism was possible if he were to follow a certain protocol for 3 or 4 years.  The only surefire way of knowing whether or not your thyroid health can be restored back to normal is by following a natural treatment protocol and to see how it goes.  And if it works, it shouldn’t take three or four years to accomplish this.

However, even though there is no way to predict whether someone who has received thyroid surgery or RAI will respond to natural treatment methods, through certain tests a natural endocrine doctor can have a pretty good idea as to whether or not such a person will receive some positive benefits.  For example, if you received RAI or a partial thyroidectomy, a natural endocrine doctor won’t be able to predict whether or not your thyroid health can be restored back to normal.  But if he or she determines through additional testing that you have compromised adrenal glands and estrogen dominance, for example, by correcting these problems it will definitely benefit your health, even if it doesn’t cure your thyroid condition.  This in turn can help with many symptoms, and prevent other conditions from developing.

In summary, if you have received radioactive iodine therapy, or had a partial thyroidectomy, then there still is a chance your thyroid health can be restored through a natural treatment protocol.  But even if your thyroid health can’t be restored back to normal, by correcting any adrenal issues, nutritional deficiencies, and/or hormone imbalances, you can at the very least optimize your health and prevent any other conditions from developing in the future.

Those who have been reading this blog for awhile know I’m not one to suggest that taking nutritional supplements and/or herbs alone is enough to restore one’s health back to normal. And I’m also critical with regards to companies or individuals promoting a single supplement or herb as the solution for a specific condition. One example I have given in the past is the thyroid support supplements and boosters sold on the market, and how just taking a single supplement or herb won’t cure one’s condition, and in many cases won’t even do a good job of managing the symptoms.

However, there are certain nutritional supplements and herbs which can have a profound difference when it comes to certain symptoms, which in turn can help with someone’s recovery from their thyroid or autoimmune thyroid disorder. In this post I’m going to discuss an herb which really does a wonderful job of eliminating a person’s sugar cravings, at least in most cases. This is an extremely important herb, as there are many people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions who have severe sugar cravings. And eating foods high in sugar on a frequent basis can lead to problems with the adrenal glands, and eventually the pancreas, thus leading to conditions such as insulin resistance and diabetes.

I’ve spoken about this numerous times in the past, as many people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions have compromised adrenal glands. And in many of these cases, the compromised adrenal glands are responsible for the person’s condition. When this is the case, if the adrenal gland problem isn’t addressed, then there is just about no chance of restoring the person’s thyroid health back to normal. And if a person has severe sugar cravings which has led to the adrenal issues, then these cravings obviously need to be addressed in order to correct the problem with the adrenal glands.

This is where the herb gymnema comes into play. This is an herb that does a wonderful job of balancing the blood sugar levels. And it also is very effective in eliminating one’s sugar cravings in a short period of time. Typically people will have their sugar cravings under control within one week of taking this herb in the appropriate dosage, although for some people it does take longer.

Although this herb is very effective in most people, the quality of the herb is extremely important. I personally use the MediHerb line, as they have a good quality gymnema that has worked very well for my patients. There of course are other companies which offer quality herbs, but the reason I bring up MediHerb so frequently is because they are one of the companies I have used for many years, and both myself and my patients have received excellent results while taking their herbs.

As for how many gymnema tablets you should take each day, this is something you should discuss with a natural healthcare professional. To no surprise, patients who have severe sweet and carb cravings will need to take a higher dosage of this herb when compared to those people who have mild to moderate cravings. Other factors also come into play when it comes to recommending the dosage, such as one’s body weight.

Just as is the case with other herbs, gymnema is also available in a liquid form. In fact, in the past I attended one of the nutritional seminars, and the presenter told the doctors attending to swish a small amount of liquid Gymnema in our mouth for a few seconds, and then immediately gave us a grape to eat. After doing this the grape no longer tasted sweet, as it tasted bitter after consuming the liquid form of gymenma. The tablets don’t work this way, as they don’t instantly anesthetize the taste buds, which is probably a good thing. But they still are very effective.

Can someone just avoid taking gymnema and go “cold turkey” when it comes to consuming refined foods and sugars? Sure they can, as I don’t recommend this herb to all of my patients who have sweet and carbohydrate cravings. However, some people are unable to resist eating refined carbs and sugars and need the extra support. When I followed a natural treatment protocol I personally didn’t take gymnema, even though I considered myself to have a sweet tooth. But I didn’t consider my sugar cravings to be too severe, and so I was able to avoid eating refined foods and sugars on my own. And eventually the changes I made in my diet, as well as other lifestyle factors, helped to balance my blood sugar levels and eliminated my sweet and carb cravings.

So it really depends on the person. Let’s not forget that taking gymnema isn’t just about eliminating the sweet and carb cravings, but its main goal is to balance the blood sugar levels, and the reduction in the sweet cravings is essentially just a side effect of this herb. So truth to be told, looking back it would have benefited me to take the gymnema, although I can’t complain since the end result was fine. But once again, whether someone should take gymnema or just rely on their willpower is something that should be considered on an individual basis.

So those people who have mild sugar cravings might not need to take gymnema, or they might need to take a low dosage of this herb. On the other hand, for someone who has moderate to severe sweet and carb cravings, Gymnema can do a wonderful job of addressing their cravings and will help balance their blood sugar levels, which will in turn help with their adrenal health, and this will improve the chances of having their health restored back to normal through natural thyroid treatment methods.

When it comes to hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, there are basically two trains of thoughts regarding the how dangerous these conditions really are.  Many medical doctors will dismiss these conditions as not being too dangerous, as I’ve read numerous sources which claim that hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease are not life threatening conditions.  On the other hand, other sources say these conditions can indeed be life threatening if left  untreated.  So the question I wanted to answer here is “how dangerous is hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease?”

In most cases, primary hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease aren’t life threatening conditions.  But the reason for this is because the person who has either one of these conditions usually notices the symptoms before they become too severe, and as a result receive treatment, usually in the form of anti-thyroid drugs or radioactive iodine.  However, if someone has hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease and doesn’t receive any treatment, then the symptoms can eventually be severe enough to become life threatening.  After all, people can develop an extremely high pulse rate, and can even develop a condition called thyroid storm, which is considered to be an emergency situation.  Once again, this is rare, but it can happen, and so to dismiss Graves’ Disease and other types of hyperthyroidism as not being potentially dangerous conditions is a big mistake.

This presents a dilemma for a person who has hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease and is looking to follow a natural treatment protocol.  It usually takes some time for such a protocol to “kick in”, and so if someone has either of these conditions and is not currently taking the anti-thyroid drugs or a beta blocker, should they follow a natural thyroid treatment protocol and wait until they take effect?  Or should they “play it safe” and take the medication?

This obviously is a decision that only the person with the hyperthyroid condition can make.  This is also a big reason why I don’t think it’s a bad idea to combine different treatment options.  For example, someone who is interested in following a natural thyroid treatment protocol can always take the anti-thyroid drugs and/or a beta blocker to help manage the symptoms, and at the same time begin a natural thyroid treatment protocol.  Then after one or two months they can wean themselves off of the prescription drugs.  Once again, this isn’t a suggestion as to what you should do, as this is only a decision that you can make on your own.

Some people wonder why I personally didn’t combine treatment methods when I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, as I decided not to take the Methimazole and beta blocker that was prescribed to me, and I just began a natural hyperthyroid treatment protocol.  As I’ve mentioned numerous times in the past, I did consider taking the medication on a temporary basis, but I didn’t think my symptoms were too severe.  My pulse rate was consistently around 90-100 beats per minute, which is without question high (especially for me), but at this point it’s usually not life threatening.  On the other hand, for someone who has an existing heart condition, having a pulse rate this high can be very risky not to manage.  And since some people do have underlying heart conditions, I would never tell anyone not to manage their symptoms, regardless of their heart rate.

Truth to be told, I was taking a risk by not taking the prescription drugs, as there was no surefire way to predict whether or not something was going to happen to me.  Although I believe my heart is in good health, there have been many people who considered themselves to be in an excellent state of health as well, but then they shortly suffered a heart attack.  Heck, I thought I was healthy a few months before being diagnosed with Graves’ Disease!  This isn’t meant to scare anybody, as I just don’t want anyone to make their decision not to take prescription drugs based on what I did.  If you feel really strong about not taking drugs and decide not to take any medication, then that’s fine.  But once again, it’s a decision YOU need to make.

So I will conclude this post by saying that any hyperthyroid condition has the potential to be life threatening if the symptoms become too severe.  Although it’s very rare for people to die from hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, there is always a risk involved if the person’s pulse rate is too high.  Because of this, there’s nothing wroing with taking anti-thyroid drugs on a temporary basis to manage the symptoms, and you can also begin a natural thyroid treatment protocol at the same time if your ultimate goal is to restore your health back to normal.  Just make sure you consult with a endocrinologist or another type of medical doctor regarding the anti-thyroid drugs, and a natural endocrine doctor with regards to the natural treatment methods.

Many people who are considering natural thyroid treatment methods are concerned about whether following such a protocol will offer a permanent solution to their thyroid condition.  In other words, they wonder whether natural treatment methods offer a permanent cure, or if there is a chance of a relapse.  The truth is that if a person restores their health back to normal but then neglects their health there is chance they will suffer a relapse.

Let’s look at an example of this in the form a person named Ellen who has hyperthyroidism and has a high pulse rate, palpitations, and other symptoms associated with the condition.  She follows a natural thyroid treatment protocol, and after a few weeks the symptoms begin to subside, and then after a few months they are completely gone.  She is doing fine for 8 months, but then one night while trying to fall asleep she notices some minor palpitations.  The next day she measures her pulse rate, and it’s not extremely high, but around 85 beats per minute, when it’s normally in the low 70s.  Ellen is upset, as it looks like her hyperthyroid symptoms are returning. 

When following a natural thyroid treatment protocol, Ellen changed her diet dramatically, eating only whole foods for 30 days, eliminating gluten from her diet, and also took numerous nutritional supplements and herbs.  She changed other lifestyle factors as well, making sure she obtained at least eight hours of sleep each night, she did a better job of managing her stress, and she began to exercise regularly.  When her symptoms began to improve she still ate relatively well for a few months, eating some refined foods every now and then, but a few months after she was symptom-free she began eating more refined foods, ate a decent amount of sweets, etc.

What essentially happened to Ellen is that she followed the natural thyroid treatment protocol, continued to eat well for a few months thereafter, but then slowly began incorporating the bad habits into her lifestyle again.  And while she didn’t completely go back to the same habits she had before she began her natural thyroid treatment protocol, she obviously did enough to cause some of her symptoms to return.

This obviously is not what anyone wants to hear, as what people want to hear is that they will follow the natural thyroid treatment protocol, and then their symptoms will completely go away and they will be permanently cured.  Unfortunately it doesn’t work this way, as not only does one need to take responsibility for their health while following a natural treatment protocol, but they also need to maintain their health thereafter.

This doesn’t mean that once you restore your health you won’t be able to eat junk food anymore, stay up late again, etc.  But anyone who follows a natural thyroid treatment protocol needs to keep the following two things in mind:

1) It takes time to completely restore one’s health back to normal (whenever this is possible).  Even though many people experience positive changes in their symptoms quickly, and might even have their labs normalize within a few months, this doesn’t mean the person’s condition is permanently cured.  Just remember that with the development of a thyroid condition, frequently the symptoms are the last to arrive, and the thyroid blood tests also become positive after the condition is “full blown”.  So without question anyone with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism (including Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis) can maintain their state of health after following a natural treatment protocol, but they need to realize that this will take a good deal of time to accomplish.

2) There is always a chance for a relapse.  If you do a good job of maintaining your health, meaning that you eat well most of the time, obtain quality sleep, do a good job of managing stress, etc., then there is an excellent chance you will continue to maintain your health for many years to come after you follow a natural thyroid treatment protocol.  On the other hand, if you neglect your health and go back to the same old habits then there always is the chance that you will suffer a relapse of your condition.  This doesn’t mean you will need to follow a natural thyroid treatment protocol forever, but it does mean that you will continuously need to take care of your health.

So what should you do if you neglect your health and then suffer a relapse?  If this were to happen, the solution is to follow a natural thyroid treatment protocol again, and this time do a better job of maintaining your health.  Some people who suffer a relapse become discouraged and turn to the prescription drugs, or RAI in the case of hyperthyroidism or Grave’s Disease.  They assume that natural treatment methods offer only a temporary solution, and this is true for those who aren’t willing to maintain a healthy state.  But for those who are willing to take responsibility for their health, they will reap the benefits of a natural treatment protocol for many years to come.