# Possibly hypo



## tearsfromheaven (Jun 7, 2011)

hi .My name's Mandi.I'm new to the board.
I'm hoping I can find some answers here.

okay....years ago my thyroid test was low.they didnt give me medication for it.At the time I was having muscle weakness,hair loss and rapid heartbeat.

my symptoms now are

muscles weakness 
rapid heartbeat
hair loss
weigh gain,I only eat one small meal a day.
puffy face and eyes
fatigue
eye lid twitching
constipation
difficulty swallowing
brain fog

I'm going to start taking lugols iodine.
Does any here take that?And does it help?

also can anyone tell me the tests I need to have done?


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

Most people in the western world DO NOT have low iodine--you should not supplement with it unless you know you are deficient via blood testing because:

if you have low thyroid, excess iodine will make it worse.

A vast majority of people today have thyroid problems that are autoimmune in origin--not related to iodine--and you cannot tell this based on symptoms alone.

You need blood testing--TSH, free T3, free T4 and thyroid antibodies in order to determine if you have a problem.

Have you had this done?


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I think iodine is a really bad idea for people with thyroid disease. I know I have read some sites where patients advocate it's use, but I think it's dangerous. Hyper and hypo symptoms can cross over and look really similar to eachother. That's why bloodwork is so important in monitoring a thyroid condition.


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## tearsfromheaven (Jun 7, 2011)

I found out last night that I'm on a medication that has bromine in it,atrovent inhaler.
I'm not taking it anymore.I think that's what has caused my problems.

Anyone with thyroid problems should read up on bromine.

In response to Lainey.
I'm going to do the iodine patch test for now.After the bromine is out of my system then I'll have the blood work done.
thanks


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## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

I am confused - are you being testing for thyroid problems? Are you being treated for them?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

tearsfromheaven said:


> I found out last night that I'm on a medication that has bromine in it,atrovent inhaler.
> I'm not taking it anymore.I think that's what has caused my problems.
> 
> Anyone with thyroid problems should read up on bromine.
> ...


Are you self-diagnosing? Have you not seen a doctor for the proper lab tests? Please do not take Lugol's; it could cost you your life. This is very very dangerous should you indeed have thyroid disease.

You sound hyper to me, not hypo.

These are tests that I recommend.

TSI
Normally, there is no TSI in the blood. If TSI is found in the blood, this indicates that the thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin is the cause of the of a person's hyperthyroidism.

http://www.medicineonline.com/topics/t/2/Thyroid-Stimulating-Immunoglobulin/TSI.html

TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin),TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies), (thyroid hormone panel) TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

You can look this stuff up here and more.........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/

And here is why the FREES are important instead of the TOTALS.
understanding thyroid labs
http://www.amarillomed.com/howto/#Thyroid
http://pro2services.com/Lectures/Spring/Thyroid/ThyTests.htm

If you get lab tests and you would like to post the results here, please be sure to include the ranges as different labs use different ranges.

We are here for you and we welcome you!


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I found something on bromine, iodine and thyroid which does suggest a link.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/thyroid-health_b_472953.html

I'm still suspicious of iodine as a treatment as it can lead to further hypothyroidism, and our food is already heavily supplemented with iodine. Here's an interesting article that goes into all the factors surrounding thyroid and iodine. Be sure to read both pages. It seems that iodine deficiency can cause thyroid issues, but too much iodine also causes hypothyroidism and auto-immune thyroid disease is not linked to iodine, but can be exacerbated by iodine supplementation. 
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/vitaminsupplement/a/iodine.htm

This article has some interesting info as well. Be sure to read part 2, which states that a sudden spike in iodine consumption can actually trigger thyroid disease:
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=18119

If you want to know if you actually have a thyroid issue, the way to find out is to have some blood tests: TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 will let you know how your thyroid is currently functioning. Thyroid antibodies: TPO, anti-thyroglobulin, and TSI will let you know if there is an auto-immune component. Once you know for sure, you can decide on a treatment plan. If you want to know if you are iodine deficient, you can get your iodine checked through a urine screen.

Thyroid levels are slow to change. I don't know how long it takes bromine to leave your system, but once it does, it will take a while to see if there are any changes. I would suggest getting thyroid panels now to make sure it even makes sense to stop your inhaler. Do you have another treatment for your asthma in the meantime?

If you don't want to start thyroid meds immediately, you could always wait and get re-tested in two months once the bromine is out of your system and your thyroid has had a chance to recover.


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