# Low Iodine Diet and Surfing??



## Z mann R2 (Mar 24, 2011)

Hello all, tomorrow I start my low iodine diet and have two questions:

1.) I'm going to MD anderson and my doc told me she likes to tell patients that instead of doing the low iodine diet for two complete weeks to just be SUPER STRICT about it for 1 week. She says she finds that patients after the first week start to slip a lil and get sick of the diet too fast and end up ruining it during the second week....so in other words, the first week she wants me to be mindful of it but not completely, then the second week absolutely no iodine.....does that sound ok to you guys?

2.) I'm a surfer and live to surf every week. While surfing obviously I get a lil saltwater sometimes in my mouth. Is it not a good idea to surf while on the low iodine diet?

Thanks!

-Tim


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Z mann R2 said:


> Hello all, tomorrow I start my low iodine diet and have two questions:
> 
> 1.) I'm going to MD anderson and my doc told me she likes to tell patients that instead of doing the low iodine diet for two complete weeks to just be SUPER STRICT about it for 1 week. She says she finds that patients after the first week start to slip a lil and get sick of the diet too fast and end up ruining it during the second week....so in other words, the first week she wants me to be mindful of it but not completely, then the second week absolutely no iodine.....does that sound ok to you guys?
> 
> ...


Thanks!

It may best to confer w/ your doctor about this one as I believe the surface water of the ocean has a higher concentration of iodide and is transdermal.

Welcome to the board.........................


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## SnoodMama (Jan 11, 2011)

Wow, I had no idea about the iodine in the sea! Andros you are a font of knowledge. That's pretty interesting. Maybe I need to go for a good soak in the ocean! LOL.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

SnoodMama said:


> Wow, I had no idea about the iodine in the sea! Andros you are a font of knowledge. That's pretty interesting. Maybe I need to go for a good soak in the ocean! LOL.


Ha, ha!! NOT if you are allergic to iodine, you don't!! LOL!! Most of us with TD are.


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## SnoodMama (Jan 11, 2011)

It could be the ocean test... if swimming in the ocean makes me go insane, I'll know I have iodine issues.... or maybe just ocean issues. Ok, so it wouldn't be such a great test.


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## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

I looked into this, because I LOVE swimming in the ocean, and the iodine concentration in sea water is less than 1 part per million. Of course, seaweed has a higher concentration. You'd have to have a very severe allergy to iodine to be concerned with the iodine in the ocean.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I wish I lived near the ocean. I think the water is a great cleanser and does amazing things for detoxing skin, our biggest organ. I have never heard anyone question iodine in the ocean when on a low iodine diet, and would be curious about your doctor's response.


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## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

I agree. For me, the ocean IS medicine


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

SnoodMama said:


> It could be the ocean test... if swimming in the ocean makes me go insane, I'll know I have iodine issues.... or maybe just ocean issues. Ok, so it wouldn't be such a great test.


Too funny and possibly too true!!


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## Terri (Jul 26, 2012)

I am on the low iodine diet now prepping for RAI and will be doing a very short sprint triathlon in a few days where the swim will be an ocean swim - then we will be at the beach for the remainder of the week, blood work to be done Thursday prior to the treatment but we will still be at the beach. My son asked this same question about the "sea salt" as I was listing all the items I couldn't eat and when I said anything from the ocean he said "but mom...." To which I said - GREAT question! So I called my endo and they don't believe it will be an issue. I'm going for the swim of course in the TRI which should be no more than 10 minutes in the water, and any additional swim I will just try and be very careful when I am under water. I'll test Thursday and post my results if I cleared the low iodine levels for treatment!

P.S. I'll plan on wearing a FULL wetsuit


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## Terri (Jul 26, 2012)

Might have been a bit of a wimp. I did the one ocean swim while on the low iodine diet and that was it. I felt it just wasn't worth getting the treatment delayed and I was only going to be on the diet for a little over a week before they did the bloodwork. I was good. My iodine level was low enough for the RAI treatment. I was SUPER good on the diet though. What's 10 days - and I only have to go a couple more days post treatment.


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