# stopping fluoride toothpaste



## mccreel (Apr 13, 2010)

I have just now started using non fluoride toothpaste. Was just now able to find one in my area without carrageenan. I am bad allergic to that. I was just wondering how long after stopping fluoride toothpaste should I start seeing results. I already filter my water for dinking and cooking. So I was just wondering on the time frame. I am hypothyroid by the way.
Thanks,
Melissa


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

mccreel said:


> I have just now started using non fluoride toothpaste. Was just now able to find one in my area without carrageenan. I am bad allergic to that. I was just wondering how long after stopping fluoride toothpaste should I start seeing results. I already filter my water for dinking and cooking. So I was just wondering on the time frame. I am hypothyroid by the way.
> Thanks,
> Melissa


Did you get Tom's Toothpaste?

My humble opinion is that it would depend on what symptoms you are experiencing from the fluoride.

And then how do we know how it really affects us. These things are so insidious.

I am very glad you are being proactive with this.


----------



## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

mccreel said:


> I have just now started using non fluoride toothpaste. Was just now able to find one in my area without carrageenan. I am bad allergic to that. I was just wondering how long after stopping fluoride toothpaste should I start seeing results. I already filter my water for dinking and cooking. So I was just wondering on the time frame. I am hypothyroid by the way.
> Thanks,
> Melissa


What is it you are allergic to - the fluoride or the carrageenan?

How are you filtering your water? I am curious as many water filters are not effective for fluoride removal.


----------



## mccreel (Apr 13, 2010)

It's the carrageenan. If it is any dairy product,or other products that us it for thickener or whatever, I have an allergic reaction. throat swelling, swelling, etc. I ate some ice cream at Disney and started having a reaction. checked the ingredients, and it had carrageenan. Ice cream without carrageenan does n​ot bother me. I can eat Hagan daz. I emailed to make sure there cream does not contain carrageenan and they use cream with no carrageenan. That ice cream does not bother me. I have an eppi pen for that and malt if benadryl does not work. 
I am filtering my water with an under sink filter. It filters chlorine, flouride and other things. A dedicated filter just for fluoride. I had test strips and it took the amount down drastically. Took the chlorine to practically nothing. I don't remember the exact numbers of the fluoride but it was close to nothing.

Oh, I can't use tom's, it has carrageenan in it. I found some at a health food store that is working well as far as cleaning goes.
Thanks guys,
Melissa


----------



## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

Why are you so worried about the fluoride in toothpaste? You're not supposed to ingest it, it is a topical application that should have minimal effect, quite honestly, because the amount of fluoride in most OTC toothpastes is not very high.

Fluoridated water is a different story. Many municipalities have finally recognized that it is toxic, and have removed it from the water supply if they have added it. Keep in mind that in some areas it occurs naturally though.


----------



## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

I am also confused. I think Melissa is not using fluoridated toothpaste because she is allergic to the carrageenan in it?


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

mccreel said:


> It's the carrageenan. If it is any dairy product,or other products that us it for thickener or whatever, I have an allergic reaction. throat swelling, swelling, etc. I ate some ice cream at Disney and started having a reaction. checked the ingredients, and it had carrageenan. Ice cream without carrageenan does n​ot bother me. I can eat Hagan daz. I emailed to make sure there cream does not contain carrageenan and they use cream with no carrageenan. That ice cream does not bother me. I have an eppi pen for that and malt if benadryl does not work.
> I am filtering my water with an under sink filter. It filters chlorine, flouride and other things. A dedicated filter just for fluoride. I had test strips and it took the amount down drastically. Took the chlorine to practically nothing. I don't remember the exact numbers of the fluoride but it was close to nothing.
> 
> Oh, I can't use tom's, it has carrageenan in it. I found some at a health food store that is working well as far as cleaning goes.
> ...


That Carrageenan is another thing they are forcing upon us consumers. I resent that deeply. My husband is allergic to it. I may be but I have a tendency to NOT eat the products that contain it anyway. I just eat regular plain ol' food. Nothing prepared by mfg. co..


----------



## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

Is carrageenan in toothpaste?


----------



## usmc4myson (Sep 26, 2010)

Three years ago, I switched to a toothpaste called Salt toothpaste by a company called Weleda. Now, I no longer need deep gum cleanings at my dentist, and I have very little plaque. That was the only change I made. I've always used a good electric toothbrush.

My toothpaste does not have any weird ingredients. I love it! It is expensive-like 6 dollars for a small tube, but my dentist bill used to be way more than that!!!

People with autoimmune thyroid disease often have strange allergic/sensitivity reactions to random things...especially after years of not being treated or dosed properly.


----------



## mccreel (Apr 13, 2010)

carrageenan is in some toothpaste. It's a thickener. Don't know why they think they need it in toothpaste. I don't care if it is thin, just as long as it cleans. 
About the fluoride, I could tell a difference when I started filtering water so I thought I would try fluoride free toothpaste to see if it also helps. If you think about it, people talk about taking thyroid meds sublingually due to absorption in the mouth, even if you don't gulp any fluoride, it seems to me like some would be absorbed from your mouth. I could be wrong but I have been trying to tweek my meds because I am not where I should be. Anything that could help I am willing to try. It has been almost 2 weeks and I seem to be feeling better. That 's the only change I made.
But I am allergic to the carrageenan. I don't know if it because it is from a seaweed or not. I can not handle extra iodine. Small amounts in food are o.k., but any extra in supplements, high amounts in seaweed, kelp, etc, makes me feel sick. Makes my throat feels like it is swelling. And of coarse the carrageenan, I have a full blown allergic reaction to. Swelling, etc. Have eppi pen with me at all times. My numbers are within range but my dr is still tweaking my meds because I am not quite there yet. I am glad my dr is not strict numbers. I have to admit though, after coming off topomax,(it almost killed me) a lot of my allergies have left. But still the carrageenan and povidone (that is a filler in medications) still cause BAD allergic reactions. 
Anyway, there it is.


----------



## usmc4myson (Sep 26, 2010)

Mccreel,
I get the same allergic reaction to the contrast dye they give you for a CT scan. Iodine and my body do not play well together. Even when I was "premedicated" with steroids, I still had a reaction-it wasn't as anaphylactic as usual, but it really messed me up. I could barely walk or talk, I was so weak.

It's very interesting to think about how carageenan is a seaweed (iodine) based thickener. I guess, depending where our Hashi's pendulum is swinging at the moment, that we could have varying reactions to it, and some of us might not even realize it. Especially those of us who have been dx with IBS.

Thanks for bringing this to our knowledge!


----------



## mccreel (Apr 13, 2010)

I had a real bad reaction to the iodine contrast dye as well. That is what started me looking at all the things with iodine/carrageenan, etc. I had some reactions to drugs that I had taken for quite a few years. When I investigated, they had changed my generic and it had povidone or crospovidine in it. A derivative of iodine. When I changed to the same kind of medication without any of those as fillers, my reactions stopped. I would break out, swell, etc. And I had eaten ice cream during that time and had a reaction, I had never had before, and it had carrageenan in it as a thickener. I eat hagan das with no carrageenen ( and as I said I contacted the company to make sure there cream did not contain carrageenan in it because a lot of heavy creams do and it did not) and I can eat that fine. I also am hypersensitive to any soy. Candies I have always eaten with soy lecithin in it, I get a thick throat feeling. Crisco that I had always used, after my thyroid started acting up I started having allergic reactions to that. If I used olive oil, coconut oil, or plain ole lard in my cooking - no breakout. Rolls made with soy, breakout, rolls made with no soy, no breakout. I have also developed an allergic reaction to malt. Found that out when I put malt vinegar on my fish. Throat closed up big time. Barely got benadryl down and thought I would definitely have to use my epi pen for that. Did not even think about it and ate some rice crispies and had a bad reaction, looked at the ingredients and it had malt flavoring. So most breads I can't eat due to they use malted barley flour. Ate a brand of doughnuts without thinking and had a bad reaction, it was made with malted barley flour. So I make all of my bread and rolls homemade. Which is probably better for me anyway. All of this started after my thyroid jumped off a cliff. Was having a lot more reactions but those went away after getting my treatment where it needs to be. I am hoping some of this other will as well. Even though I try to stay away from soy anyway due to my thyroid and it can be turned into estrogen and I have to stay away from estrogen due to having endometriosis and having a complete hysterectomy a couple of years ago due to that. It liked me so much a year after that surgery it had started coming back and had to have 2 other surgeries to "clean it up" Some serious pain.
Anyway, did not mean to get carried away but that is how I got to this point today. I have finaly started losing some weight after taking all of this out of my daily routine. I have an app on my phone called Scan avert where I put in what I can not have and my phone can scan the bar codes and it checks the ingredients in it and alerts me to any of those substances that may be hiding in foods. I love it. Saves from having to read a long, small print label in the supermarket.
Not everyone will have the same reactions but maybe if there is a reaction that you have not pinpointed some of this will help. Finding out about the carrageenan has really helped me.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

mccreel said:


> I had a real bad reaction to the iodine contrast dye as well. That is what started me looking at all the things with iodine/carrageenan, etc. I had some reactions to drugs that I had taken for quite a few years. When I investigated, they had changed my generic and it had povidone or crospovidine in it. A derivative of iodine. When I changed to the same kind of medication without any of those as fillers, my reactions stopped. I would break out, swell, etc. And I had eaten ice cream during that time and had a reaction, I had never had before, and it had carrageenan in it as a thickener. I eat hagan das with no carrageenen ( and as I said I contacted the company to make sure there cream did not contain carrageenan in it because a lot of heavy creams do and it did not) and I can eat that fine. I also am hypersensitive to any soy. Candies I have always eaten with soy lecithin in it, I get a thick throat feeling. Crisco that I had always used, after my thyroid started acting up I started having allergic reactions to that. If I used olive oil, coconut oil, or plain ole lard in my cooking - no breakout. Rolls made with soy, breakout, rolls made with no soy, no breakout. I have also developed an allergic reaction to malt. Found that out when I put malt vinegar on my fish. Throat closed up big time. Barely got benadryl down and thought I would definitely have to use my epi pen for that. Did not even think about it and ate some rice crispies and had a bad reaction, looked at the ingredients and it had malt flavoring. So most breads I can't eat due to they use malted barley flour. Ate a brand of doughnuts without thinking and had a bad reaction, it was made with malted barley flour. So I make all of my bread and rolls homemade. Which is probably better for me anyway. All of this started after my thyroid jumped off a cliff. Was having a lot more reactions but those went away after getting my treatment where it needs to be. I am hoping some of this other will as well. Even though I try to stay away from soy anyway due to my thyroid and it can be turned into estrogen and I have to stay away from estrogen due to having endometriosis and having a complete hysterectomy a couple of years ago due to that. It liked me so much a year after that surgery it had started coming back and had to have 2 other surgeries to "clean it up" Some serious pain.
> Anyway, did not mean to get carried away but that is how I got to this point today. I have finaly started losing some weight after taking all of this out of my daily routine. I have an app on my phone called Scan avert where I put in what I can not have and my phone can scan the bar codes and it checks the ingredients in it and alerts me to any of those substances that may be hiding in foods. I love it. Saves from having to read a long, small print label in the supermarket.
> Not everyone will have the same reactions but maybe if there is a reaction that you have not pinpointed some of this will help. Finding out about the carrageenan has really helped me.


I am so allergic to iodine, my heart stopped once when I had to have the kidneys x-rayed for contusions due to auto accident. Very scary. This was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay before I was diagnosed with Graves' and Lupus.

Should have known something was up way back then when that happened.


----------

