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WELCOME

January 8, 2021 /

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Welcome to my blog on everything thyroid. I want to write about things I think can help us feel good. Yes, we can feel good even though we are not totally well. But it takes becoming optimal on our thyroid levels and on the medicine that is best for us. Everybody doesn’t have this option. I will do what I can to change this. I will give my take on things like optimal levels, reverse T3, NDT and much more. As well as present studies, and maybe make them easier to understand for those not so familiar with scientific publications. I will also write on other things to do with our health and well being. We are so much more than our thyroid disease. We need to be in good shape on many other parameters, not just our thyroid levels.

The blog is meant for inspiration. I hope you find something of interest, something that you together with your doctor can implement. And hopefully, feel better.  

Sticky Post

odds-and-ends

January 8, 2021 / / 0 Comments

This is a fixed post where I comment on things I read or observe. Where I share some thoughts and maybe recommend some things I like.

Getting and giving advise on Facebook

Thyroid antibodies are made in the thyroid

About giving specific ranges for thyroid health

Going crazy with Iodine

Good news about new T3 medicine

Levothyroxine, an unstable drug

Milk thistle inhibits transport of T3

Laser treatment for the thyroid

UK study on NDT

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Iodine for nerds

February 5, 2022 / / 2 Comments

This is a post with more advanced info on iodine. It’s not the right post for you, if you just need some basic info on supplementing with iodine. I have a post for beginners, that I actually think everybody taking iodine should read, Iodine for beginners.  That is on how to supplement iodine safely, and special precautions in terms of the thyroid and thyroid antibodies.

I have a post on the iodine protocol as well, that is, the protocol for taking high doses of iodine, The iodine protocol

Abstract

This is long post, so I have put in some links. So that you can scroll to what might be of particular interest. This is a post I will probably revise and add to as time goes on. I haven’t included THAT much on iodine and cancer. But some. There are a lot of positive findings on iodine and cancer. But the post would just become too long. There is a lot of info on cancer in some of the studies I link to though. 

The Wolff-Chaikoff effect

Is iodine converted to iodide in the GI tract?

The differences between iodide(I-) and  molecular iodine (I2) in the body

Povidone iodine (and Covid)

Antioxidant effects of iodine

How does iodine enter the cells?

Mammary glands and iodide vs iodine

Iodine and the immune system

Can thyroid hormones be produced outside of the thyroid?

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Antibodies, part 3, TSHR abs, TRAb

September 24, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Many believe, that TRAb is an antibody only people with Graves have.  Many also call them Graves’ antibodies. And that high levels of TRAb is the same as hyper thyroid.  This is not the case. As there are 3 types of TRAb, stimulating, blocking and cleavage. People with hypo thyroid can also have high levels of TRAb, So this antibody is of interest to all with thyroid disease.

Abstract

There are 3 kinds of TRAb or TSHR abs, stimulating, blocking and cleavage; previously called neutral.

Both hypothyroid and hyper thyroid can have high levels of TRAb.

Some Graves’ patients have both blocking and stimulating TRAb. They will fluctuate between hyper thyroid and hypo thyroid.  

One believed earlier, that the third kind of TRAb one had found, was neutral. But now one has realized, this third TRAb can actually cause cell death in the thyroid. That is, it kills thyrocytes.

People with atophic Ord’s (athropic AITD) have much higher levels of TRAb than people with Hashimotos. We mistakenly call both atropic AITD and  AIDT that starts with a goiter, for Hashimotos. But these are two different diseases. You may not have been aware that you had a goiter, but the gland has been somewhat enlarged in true Hashimotos. And the gland keeps it’s size throughout the disease. But in Ord’s, the gland fades away, atrophies. This might be due in part  to these cleavage TRAb s.

When the gland is gone or mostly gone, there will not be high TRAb levels anymore. As all thyroid antibodies are made in the gland.

There is also a section on iodine supplementation and Graves.

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Antibodies, part 2, Anti-thyroglobulin

July 16, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Thyroid patients are very focused on anti-TPO, but anti-TG is also important. If we have high levels, it can mean, that there is some damage to our thyroid. And did you know that 10% of Hashimotos patients don’t even have anti-TPO, only anti-TG?

Abstact

Thyroglobulin is a large molecule. It’s involved in the manufacturing and storage of thyroid hormones. It’s supposed to stay primarily INSIDE the thyroid. But it’s normal to have tiny amounts floating around in the circulation. We can get anti bodies to the thyro-globulin when levels become high, anti-TG.  

Thyroglobulin can release into the circulation in various ways: 

When the thyroid is being destroyed.

When the thyroglobulin contains very little iodine.

When they suddenly contain much more iodine (when one has been iodine deficient and suddenly increase iodine intake by a lot). 

And lastly, in thyroid cancer, TG can get released in connection with the synthetization of hormone. 

One did think, that anti-TG was pretty harmless in terms of damage to the thyroid. But this is changing. It looks to be potentially more harmful than anti-TPO.  

It’s important to test  anti-TG when one suspects AITD, because some people have only elevated levels of anti-TG, and not anti-TPO. I don’t think many doctors are aware of that fact. 

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Iodine for beginners

April 21, 2021 / / 4 Comments

This is a post for you who maybe know, or suspect, you suffer from iodine deficiency. But at the same time, you may be scared of supplementing with iodine. In this post, I won’t be referring to heaps of studies, as I want to keep it easy and assessible.  But everything I write, I have read in books or studies. Except when I write “I believe” or “I think”.

Iodine deficiency

A lot of people suffer from iodine deficiency. And even more so us with thyroid disorders. Iodine deficiency is the number one reason for thyroid disease. I am not saying it’s the only reason. There is an almost phobia of iodine in the world, you can read more about that here

At the same time as we often get too little iodine, we have big issues with other halogens occupying the iodine receptors. Iodine is a halogen, and toxins like fluoride, bromide and chloride can occupy the iodine receptors. This happens less if we have ample iodine in our bodies. 

We get a lot of fluoride in our tooth paste. Bromide from our furniture as flame retardant. In the US, they apparently even add bromide to bread! Which is very difficult to understand. In some countries, chloride is added to drinking water, and of course, it’s in our pools. 

Deficiency symptoms

  • Tiredness
  • Freezing
  • Weight gain
  • Dry, scaly skin
  • Hair loss
  • Low stomach acid
  • Dry eyes
  • No sweating
  • Goiter
  • Thyroid nodules
  • Fibromes and cysts in breasts and uterus/ovaries
  • Brain fog
  • Low IQ and in worst case scenario, cretinisme in the fetus 

Of course, many of these symptoms are symptoms of low thyroid levels, and will disappear as we become euthyroid, have good thyroid levels. You can read more about that here, For the thyroid newbie and here, Optimal thyroid levels. BUT far from all. Many with thyroid disease still have many of these symptoms DESPITE good thyroid levels. Many believe, even doctors, that the thyroid is the only organ in the body in need of iodine. This is not the case. ALL glands in the body need iodine to function. Breast glands, ovaries, the prostate, the little glands excreting stomach acid, tear film and so on. 

So even if you now get thyroid hormones, if you are taking that, all these other glands in the body are not getting the iodine they need. 

Isn't iodine dangerous for people with Hashimotos?

This is the most common comment, that iodine is dangerous for those suffering from Hashimotos.  One of Norway’s better known endocrinologists, Ingrid Norheim, told me in 2007 that I should avoid ALL iodine , even the 150 mcg in multivitamins. I listened to her, unfortunately. I understand now, I was severely iodine deficient at that time, and had been for years. I believe she has become wiser.  I hope so at least.

There are two kinds of Hashimotos, the one that starts with goiter and the one without goiter. The latter is in reality Ord’s disease or Ord’s anthropic.  It was a doctor named Ord that diagnosed it, years before Hashimotos named the AIDT with goiter. Why do I mention this?

It’s because, with Ord’s, the gland atrophies. After some years, one has little or no gland. I belong to this group myself. While those with “real” Hashimotos can have a full size gland after years of disease. And it’s not the case either, as many say, that anti-TPO “eats” our gland. One can have high levels of anti-TPO for years without the gland decreasing in size. But it doesn’t function, it’s infiltrated by t- and b lymphocytes. And the TPO enzyme is damaged, you can read more about that here.

Why does this matter in terms of iodine  supplementation? It’s because all thyroid anti bodies are produced inside the thyroid itself. 

So if you have little or no thyroid tissue, you don’t have to worry about increase in antibodies when taking iodine.  There will be no antibody flares. You might have a little antibodies even if you have an atrophied gland. I have a little anti-TPO still.  But then I have some thyroid tissue left.

What about people WITH a gland?

When you have a gland, it’s wise to be a bit more careful. It’s not so much increase in anti-TPO one needs to worry about, but more anti-TG and TRAb. Especially the first.  According to a scientist called Michael Zimmermann, we don’t know if the increase in anti-TG is transitory or more chronic. I  recommend him as a serious investigator of iodine. He realizes the importance of iodine. 

What Zimmermann also writes, and which is important, is that one sees a sharp increase in anti-TG especially when someone has been iodine deficient for a long time, and then suddenly gets a lot of iodine.  One sees this when a country starts iodizing the salt. In the countries where they have started on a high addition from the get go, one has seen a big increase in anti-TG. Whereas in the countries where one has added iodine a little at the time, there has been less increase in anti-TG. 

One used to say, high levels of anti-TG didn’t matter that much. But now there are some studies saying, that anti-TG is more dangerous than one used to believe. It has a greater ability to kill thyrocytes than anti-TPO. I write about this here.

This is why I advice starting low and increasing over time if you have a thyroid. And especially if you have functioning thyroid. If you have had Hashimotos for years, your thyroid does not function anymore. Which is why you need thyroid hormones. The gland will be infiltrated, and it will never be healthy again, I don’t think. In that case, there is no danger of further damage to the gland by ingesting Iodine. The gland is already destroyed, more or less. After many years of thyroid disease, I think everybody deserves an ultra sound of their gland. It’s the only way of truly seeing the state of the gland.  

If this is the case with you, you have to decide if an increase in antibodies would worry you or not. High levels of antibodies are connected to symptom load. High dose iodine can clear up thyroid antibodies as well. But you never know which way it will go. 

If you are just in the beginning of thyroid disease, you have gotten some anti-TPO or your FT4 is becoming too low, under 40% of range, then I think “low and slow” is the safe way to go.

Dosing

Those with a functioning gland should start with 2 to 300 mcg. I see, Kris Kresser starts his patients up on 325 mcg. Test antibodies BEFORE you start. then follow up with frequent thyroid testing including for antibodies in the first months. Then you can’t go wrong. Increase dose when you feel safe about it. See under for safe max doses. 

Lots of people with a functioning thyroid gland can do high dose iodine. But if you want to make sure, you don’t damage your gland, then starting low is the wise choice.

Those without a functioning gland can start on higher doses. You can do the Iodine protocol if you feel like it. If you feel safer supplementing lower doses, start with 3 to 500 mcg, and increase over time. I think one can safely take up to at least 2 mg without issues, see below. When one does the Iodine protocol, one can get detox symptoms. It can also be hard on the kidneys with all that iodine  And one needs to really study before starting on large doses. You can read more about the Protocol here.

What iodine to take?

Take a supplement where you can see the exact content. If you take a sea weed supplement, take one where the amount of iodine is listed. I see in American iodine groups, that many consider sea weed to be full of toxins. I believe this fear is exaggerated. We get so many toxins, I don’t think small amounts of sea weed is the biggest culprit. Some swear by nascent iodine. Others by Lugol’s. Taking a supplement with little iodide is safer for the thyroid, iodine is less absorbed by the thyroid. I write about that on my nerd’s post here.

Lugol’s contain both iodide and iodine, 2/3 iodide and 1/3 iodine. It’s high dose iodine, but one can dilute it to smaller doses. I guess it’s difficult to get an accurate, small dose. Seaweed contains both iodide and iodine. i don’t think one should take iodide only, potassium iodide, I-. Iodine is also more antioxidant.

Selenium

Selenium is the most important thing when taking iodine. Do not take iodine with poor selenium levels. Selenium protects the thyroid. All enzymes involved in the production of thyroid hormones and hormone conversion, are selenium enzymes. I read an article in The journal of the Norwegian  physicians, written by 3 doctors, the current reference range for selenium is way too low. They argued, that we need to have as high as 3 umol/L in serum.  Reference often goes to 1.8 or 1.9 umol/L today. And that it is levels over 3.5 umol/L that can be toxic.  You can convert these numbers to your units in an online units converter, https://unitslab.com/node/210. These doctors wrote, one needs to take 300 mcg/day to achieve such levels. 

Many have been worried about overdosing on  selenium, but maybe we can stop worrying about that at least. I have increased my selenium intake after reading this. 

Other supplements

On the iodine protocol, people take several other supplements. Large doses of niacin (B3) and riboflavin (B2). B3 can give temporary flushing. One needs to buy the no-flush kind. Even then one can get a flush if the dose is high. These two vitamins are important for the ATP function in the mitochondria. I think it’s good for all hypo thyroid to have good levels of these two, as we have a metabolism dysfunction. But I don’t really know how important it is when doing small dose iodine. 

People also take magnesium and sea salt. Sea salt is important for detoxing bromide. When we take iodine, we can start detoxing the other, toxic halogens, fluoride and bromide. Which is a very good thing, but one can get detox symptoms. I don’t know to what extent this happens on low dose iodine. But just keep it in mind.

Testing your thyroid

Please take care to test your anti-bodies if you still have a thyroid. Anti-TPO, anti-TG and TRAb.  You also need to keep an eye on your thyroid levels. they can both increase and decrease. Your thyroid can start producing again, and you can become hyper. In that case you will need to decrease your thyroid meds. And that is just great 😃 I have read some people saying, if you go hyper, that is a sign you take too much iodine. NO, it’s not. It’s a sign you take too much medicine. If you are not taking thyroid meds, then of course, you should not go hyper and need to have your TRAb tested asap. You could have gotten Graves. And again, if you have a hot nodule, do not supplement iodine. 

Elevated TSH

If your TSH should go up, but FT4 and FT3 stay normal, that is nothing to worry about. The TSH is not actually just a signal hormone. It is also involved in making new symporters, the channels whereby iodine is channeled into the cells. The TSH can rise for a few months in this process. 

Your levels can also go down. My FT3 went down, I am sorry to say. I have to increase my dose. I have seen this also with other people in iodine groups. I was very puzzled by this, shocked even. But I read on Kris Kresser’s blog, that large doses of  iodine can inhibit all selenium enzymes, like TPO and all the conversion enzymes (deiodinases). That is, the enzymes converting T4 to T3. I guess that makes sense in my case. I don’t have much TPO enzyme, but I do hopefully have D1, D2 and D3 deiodinase. And these can have become inhibited. But at the same time, I take NDT and get a lot of T3 in my meds. And I certainly don’t convert well. But maybe there is conversion going on.

Maybe this become a bit complicated for you. The point is, keep an eye on your levels.

Temperature and pulse

The best thing is always to follow pulse and temperature. There is a difference between morning- and evening temperature. Some say, our temperature is individual. I don’t believe that. I think our evening temperature needs to be 37 to 37,2 ° C/ 98,6-98,9 ° F. Taken inside the body, vaginal or rectal. Concerning pulse, so many hypothyroid live with too low pulse. I did myself for years. I personally am good when morning pulse is around 68, and daytime pulse around 78/80. Morning pulse at 60 or under is in my view hypo thyroid. Unless you are an athlete 😉

Iodine testing

Iodine needs to be tested in urine. In serum is no good. There are various ways to do it. The best test, is the 24 hours iodine loading test. In the US you can get it from a couple of labs, Hakala is one of them. It’s quite expensive. We can get the Hakala test here in  Europe as well, from Biochorence.eu. It costs a lot. Many labs offer 24 hours test where you just collect the urine for 24 hours, and include the morning urine. then send off a sample. And there is urine spot tests, which is the morning urine. I think the 24 hours is better. Some say  no iodine testing is accurate. I am the kind who like to test things. I have only taken the Hakala test so far. But if I took a 24 hours test, I would want to lie high in range. Excessive even.

Here is a table of 24 hours testing from Zimmermann, link

Table 2Epidemiological criteria for assessment of iodine nutrition in populations based on median urinary iodine concentrations4,9
 Iodine intakeIodine nutrition
School-aged children and adults
<20 μg/LInsufficientSevere iodine deficiency
20–49 μg/LInsufficientModerate iodine deficiency
50–99 μg/LInsufficientMild iodine deficiency
100–299 μg/LAdequateOptimal
≥300 μg/LExcessiveRisk of iodine-induced hyperthyroidism and autoimmune thyroid disease
Pregnant women
<150 μg/LInsufficient..
150–249 μg/LAdequate..
250–499 μg/LMore than adequate..
≥500 μg/LExcessive..
Lactating women
<100 μg/LInsufficient..
≥100 μg/LAdequate

 I believe that those without a thyroid can safely take at least 800 mcg. As you see from the table under, the highest recommended intake in the US is 1100 mcg. The European scientific committee says 600 mcg, whereas WHO says 40 mcg pr kg body weight for pregnant and lactating women. That means a pregnant woman weighing 70 kg can take 2800 mcg. They don’t say anything about other adults. But they give very high levels for babies and infants. In Japan the upper limit is set at 3000 mcg.   

Table 1. Recommended upper intake levels for iodine
Age groupIOM (μg/day)SCF (μg/day)WHO (μg/kg/day)
Premature infantsNDND100
0−6 monthsNDND150
7−12 monthsNDND140
1−3 years20020050
4−6 years300 (4−8 years)250 
7−10 years600 (9−13 years)30050 (7−12 years)
11−14 years 45030 (>13 years)
15−17 years900 (14−18 years)500 
Adult1100600 
Pregnant and lactating women110060040
  • Sources: IOM, the United States Institute of Medicine;21 SCF, the European Union Scientific Committee on Foods;20 WHO, the World Health Organization.16
  • ND, not determined.

This table is from this study. It also says further down

The lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) proposed for iodine intakes based on these studies is 1700−1800 μg/day, based on a mild increase in thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) that was not associated with clinical adverse effects

And as you remember, one can have an increase in the TSH for the first few months of iodine supplementation. And that this is a positive thing. 

Conclusion

Don’t be afraid of iodine. I have been taking large doses of 25 to 50 mg, as I wanted to detox fluoride and bromide. As well as achieving a good iodine status. I have been iodine deficient for a very long time. And it has certainly contributed to my Hashimotos. It’s a long time since I stopped sweating. 

But as I have said maybe too many times, high doses are not for everyone. Small doses ARE for  everyone, except those with hot nodules. It’s safer to take it low and slow. But don’t be so afraid of iodine that you don’t try supplementing. If you read this, you have a feeling that you need it. 

I feel much better after taking iodine for about 11/2 years. More awake, improved memory, warmer, my back is straighter, my skin is less dry, my eyes are less dry, sweating better.  Right now, in February 2022, I take 5 mg nascent iodine/day.

I see many in a Norwegian thyroid group I am in, who also feel better for taking iodine. 

We must have iodine!

Good luck!

Antibodies, part 1, Anti-TPO

March 17, 2021 / / 0 Comments

This is part 1 in a series on anti bodies and auto immune thyreoditis. In this first part I will take a look at anti bodies in general and Anti-TPO in particular. I think you will be a little surprised at some of the findings. It’s maybe a little nerdy for some. But the main points are listed in the summary. 

This is a complex topic, and there is a lot of research going on. I will probably revise these posts as I learn more. 

Abstract

All anti bodies look the same, Y shaped. They differ only on the tips of the Y. That is where they bind onto specific anti genes. People without thyroid disease can also have low levels of anti bodies, particularly Anti-TPO and Anti-TG. But whether they GET a thyroid disease later, we don’t know. A study showed, that many women had anti bodies up to 7 years before they got symptoms (1).

All antibodies are produced within the thyroid itself by B lymphocytes. So if on has little or no thyroid, one does not have high levels of anti bodies.

TPO is an enzyme that takes part in the process where Iodide gets converted into Iodine. Iodine is the form the thyroid uses in it’s hormone production. TPO can get damaged by oxidative stress. Anti-TPO then gets produced against the damaged enzyme. Oxidative stress can  start as a result of Iodine deficiency. The process has started. 

Anti-TPO is not what causes the greatest damage to the thyroid. It’s B and T lymphocytes that do that. Plus a form of the TRAb anti body, the cleavage TRAb. That can cause cell death as well. I will write about that in part 3.

One can have high levels of Anti-TPO without the thyroid decreasing in size. We call everything Hashimotos, but that is not correct. Hashimotos is the AIDT that starts with a goiter. The thyroid gets infiltrated by B and T lymphocytes, and cannot function as it should. But it doesn’t atrophy. Whereas Ord’s does not start with a goiter, and the thyroid atrophies. I will write more about that in a later part in the series.

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Mother Meera

February 23, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Some people will think, what has this post to do with thyroid issues? It has a lot to do with it. The body is only for a little while, the soul is for ever. And how we feel impacts our bodies in a major way.

Also, AIDT has to do with trauma in many people. I am not saying all. I will get back to this in a future post.

But anyway, I write on my home page, I will share things that have helped or help me. Mother Meera has helped me A LOT. She has helped heal some deep wounds in me. I had a dream many years ago, in the beginning when I first started visiting her in Germany. 

I dreamt I was in an enormous crater that had been dug out. Big enough for a sky scraper. There were these huge construction vehicles. In the middle, in a car on top of a mound sat Mother Meera giving me darshan through the window. That says something about the scope of my process. 

I am writing this now, in February 2021. I am thinking maybe you are a little down, maybe you feel lonely. Maybe you have had a hard time in these Covid times?  I was thinking, maybe you need some comfort. Maybe Mother can help you as she as helped me.

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Living with disease

December 23, 2020 / / 4 Comments

Living life and feeling good despite having a chronic disease, I am sure everybody is working on that. Still, i would like to share how I have gotten to where I am today.

Where am I today? In Paradise? Not quite, ha ha. But I am sure I could be. But I feel very much better than some years back, physically and mentally.  These two are connected of course. But the mental is maybe the most important. It’s very difficult to feel good if you have a way too low FT3. But you can feel good even if your health isn’t 100%. And you can feel bad even if your health is 100%.

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Male hormones

November 13, 2020 / / 2 Comments

Abstract

Whilst not being an expert on testosterone treatment for men, I have read a bunch of studies in order to write this post. I have a post on female hormones, and then I must have one about you men as well. Of course 😉 This is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of all things testosterone. More as a wake up call to you men with thyroid issues. Low T is a common and natural result of having low or high thyroid levels. Nothing to be embarrassed about!  In North-America, I believe there is a lot of focus on sex hormone levels. So for you living there, this post might be of little interest. But in  many countries, it’s not like that.  

There is a strong connection between thyroid and testosterone levels. For both high and low thyroid levels. It does normalize in most men after thyroid levels are again normal. But not for everybody. An then you have the age related 1 to 2% decrease a year after age 30. 

We thyroid sick already have less energy. Which will lead to lower libido. Even when our thyroid levels are optimal, we are often not as energetic as we were before getting sick.  So for us, it’s extra important to be optimal on all parameters. 

What are the symptoms of Low T? 

There are things one needs to be aware of before starting on T therapy. As far as I can see from the various studies I have looked at, they no longer think there is an increased risk of cancer in the prostate. There are conflicting findings on cardiovascular health, both negative and positive effects. If one is predisposed, or already suffer from one of these conditions, it’s another matter of course.  

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